8 But Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord. 9 This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a just and righteous man, blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked [in habitual fellowship] with God. 10 And Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth was depraved and putrid in God's sight, and the land was filled with violence (desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power). 12 And God looked upon the world and saw how degenerate, debased, and vicious it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way upon the earth and lost their true direction. 13 God said to Noah, I intend to make an end of all flesh, for through men the land is filled with violence; and behold, I will destroy them and the land. 17 For behold, I, even I, will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy and make putrid all flesh under the heavens in which are the breath and spirit of life; everything that is on the land shall die. 18 But I will establish My covenant (promise, pledge) with you, and you shall come into the ark–you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. Genesis 6:8-13,17-18 AMPC
To appreciate the story of Noah, you must understand the state of the world during that time period. We observe sin on a very large scale now, that would make it appear that it’s a permissive environment considering that people don’t appear to be suffering the consequences of their actions. Given the discouragement that one could feel when everyone around them is doing something different, your lifestyle is under scrutiny and judgement, one could find themselves beginning to lose faith and patience. It’s mentioned that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord which led to the saving of he and his family. Let’s take a look at Noah’s life to see what we can glean or leave:
- Noah walked with God – Noah lived during a time where sin was so rampant and pervasive that God decided that he needed to restart the world. In the midst of all the nonsense, Noah consistently chose to walk with God and live according to God’s commands. That’s important to note and remember currently as we can become distracted and discouraged as we observe so much sin and wrongdoing that seems to not get addressed. We can learn from Noah that God sees us, and he remembers our faithfulness, and in due time we not only receive a reward after physical death, but will also be blessed and/or preserved in life.
- You and your family will be saved – Though the Bible only speaks about Noah’s character with God it is important to note that God decided to save Noah and his family. One might say that because of the patriarchy in the past, Noah’s family was saved merely because of his righteousness, but I’d like to suggest that Noah properly stewarded his most important assignment, family. Noah prioritized the safety and salvation of his family which is reflected in his obedience in building the ark, Our decision to trust God impact more than ourselves, it directly impacts the success of our family. Noah’s obedience provided protection for his family in the midst of an evil generation that kept them from participating in the wickedness that others indulged in, and provided them safety from the judgement that condemned everyone else.
We’ve discussed positive aspects of Noah’s life, but I would like to highlight an area of contention, and a scene that has been misapplied for centuries.
20Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked. 24When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” Genesis 9:20-25 NIV
In the past, some Christians and Europeans used this passage to justify slavery, and mistreatment of African/black people worldwide. Rather than argue that claim which is simply false, I’d like to point out a mistake and shortcoming of Noah’s that is often repeated by people during moments of wrongdoing.
- Noah became drunk – note that Noah’s drunkenness was a result of him drinking wine from his own vineyard. I heard Dr. Dharius Daniels describe this moment as Noah becoming drunk on his own success, which I believe is rather accurate. I’d like to add the dangers of flirting with what is dangerous. Scripture prior to this point never talked about wine or drunkenness, but one could reasonably conclude that it was widely used by others before the flood, and involved in alot of ungodliness. I believe that Noah was aware of the dangers associated with wine, yet it wasn’t enough to prevent him from participating, or overindulging in reckless behavior. I’d also like to consider that Noah could have been suffering from survivor’s guilt. Can we really imagine what it must have been like to live in the ark for months, and be fully aware of the death outside the ark. To have preached to people who refused to listen, and know that they died during the flood. The realization that you would never see some friends and family again could have been too much to bear for him in that moment.
- He said, cursed be Canaan – where in the Bible did God give man the ability to curse another man? Noah in a state of drunkenness, and later anger chooses to curse Canaan because of his father’s actions. The entire sequence makes no sense when you consider that the man that Noah his pronouncing a curse on, isn’t even the man who laughed at his shame. I’m not excusing Ham’s behavior, because it is our duty to encourage and serve as accountability for other believers, however we can not go around spewing venom towards on others when we fall. Noah had a vulnerable moment where he needed love and support instead of the judgement he received. In our low moments we must remember that we don’t have the right cuss or curse those who disappoint or offend us.
Reflection Time
