#8 Noah and God: God’s Great Preservation

#8 Noah and God: God’s Great Preservation (Salvation) of Life Genesis 8:1-14

(8:1-14) Introduction: imagine the feelings and emotions of Noah and his dear family, the restlessness that must have gripped their minds and hearts. Is it even possible to imagine what they experienced?

Þ Imagine being caught in the heaviest torrential rain to ever strike the earth, a rain so heavy that you could not see your hand in front of your face. Imagine a torrential downpour that heavy falling for forty days and forty nights upon the earth.

Þ Imagine being caught in the middle of quake after quake—quakes so violent that all the subterranean waters broke loose and shot up from the caverns, rivers, lakes, and springs that lie underneath the crust of the earth.

The forty days of the erupting earth and torrential rain must have been a terrifying time, a time so terrifying that the small band of survivors often fell to their knees, individually and jointly. Their hearts must have cried out continually for the mercy of God as they went about their daily duties of survival and of taking care of the animals. After the violent storm and eruptions of the earth for forty days, everything apparently quieted down to some degree, although the water still rose and still churned and raged on for a total of 150 days (Genesis 7:24).

Noah and his dear family had plenty of work to do. Picture them caring for, feeding, and cleaning up after the animals and after themselves. But keep this in mind: they were enclosed in a box-like structure, three stories high and 150 yards long, the length of one and one half football fields. They had to take care of the animals and themselves for 150 days, floating within the shell of the ark.

Here and there—sometimes—nerves were bound to become edgy and words sharp. Emotions were bound to be ruffled and feelings were bound to be hurt. The little band of survivors were believers, but they were human beings, sinful human beings who had been saved only by God’s mercy and grace. They were, therefore, just like us, subject to such human emotions and feelings. There must have also been times when they wondered, “How much longer will the flood last? How much longer will we be cooped up?

How much longer before God will deliver us and let us step on the earth again? And, what will it be like: no one left—no man, no woman, no child, no animal—just us, our family, the eight of us?” Imagine the thoughts that crossed their minds and the conversation between them as they sat around together after a long and hard day’s work. Imagine the questions, apprehension, anxiety, fear, and perhaps even trembling. Just four men and four women left upon earth. Can we imagine their feelings, emotions, and conversations? Is is possible?

Now, note the great message of this passage, for God saved this courageous family. God saved these eight souls who had been so courageous in following and worshipping God in the midst of an immoral and lawless society. This is the Scripture that covers “Noah and God: God’s Great Preservation and Salvation of Life.”

(8:1-5) Flood, The— God, Mercy— Ark, The— Ararat, Mount of: there was the first scene: God remembered and moved in behalf of Noah and the animals. God never forgot Noah. God is Elohim, the Almighty God, the Lord and Majesty of the universe who created and sustains all things. Consequently, God has perfect intelligence and memory. He never forgets. When Scripture says that God remembered Noah and the animals, it means that God cared for His creation, cared for the people and animals He had created. God remembered and thought upon them; He loved them and He was now ready to act in their behalf. His mind had now reached the point when His love and care was to be demonstrated: action was now to be taken; something was now to be done for them. God was not going to leave them in their predicament. God remembered them; He was now going to deliver them and save them.

Again, God never forgot Noah; He never forgets anything. But it had been 150 days since God had spoken to Noah; 150 days since God had instructed him. It was almost like God had forgotten Noah, for one hundred and fifty days is a long time. Imagine being cooped up in a box-like structure—the ark, a house, anyplace—for 150 days. Did Noah feel forsaken, as though God had forgotten him? He was the leader of the small band of survivors, the only eight people left upon earth.

Was Noah feeling the pressure, being questioned by them, feeling the responsibility, feeling all alone, wondering why God did not meet him and give some direction? Any or all of this is possible, and most likely the feelings and thoughts did arise at various times during the 150 days. But now, God remembered Noah: it was time to act...

Therefore, God remembered Noah and the animals: He had mercy and compassion for them. How? God did six significant things for Noah.

1. God caused a wind to pass over the earth. Wind is “air in motion” (Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary. Lippincott & Crowell, Publishers, 1980, Vol.2, p.327). This particular wind, just like all else with the flood, was a very special wind stirred up by God to help recede the water from the earth.

Þ Was a hot sultry wind to help increase the evaporation of the water quicker than usual?

Þ Was it a strong wind to help move some of the water to its proper channels and beds?

Þ Was it a wind to help drive away and dissolve the massive clouds that hung over the earth?

We are not told. All Scripture says is that the wind was the work of God, a special wind created by God Himself to help recede the waters.

2. God stopped the subterranean water from pouring forth upon the earth. He closed up the caverns, rivers, and lakes lying right underneath the earth’s crust. God was demonstrating His mercy to man by stopping the surging forth of subterranean water upon earth.

3. God stopped the torrential rain (Genesis 8:2). The Hebrew word yikkale is emphatic: it means that the torrential rain was stopped; it ended. The rain no longer fell upon the earth. In mercy, God stopped the water from building up upon the earth any longer.

4.God caused the waters to begin to recede. Note when: after 150 days (Genesis 8:3). The waters remained at their peak for 150 days. Genesis 7:24 makes this clear. Now after 150 days the waters began to recede (H.C. Leupold, Genesis, Vol.1, p.306, 310-311).

“The waters returned from off the earth: they began to withdraw at the end of a hundred and fifty days” (Genesis 8:3) (The Book of Genesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1990, Vol.1, p.299).

5. God rested the ark upon some peak in the mountains of Ararat (Genesis 8:4). What peak? What particular mountain did the ark settle upon? Scripture does not say; it uses the plural: the mountains of Ararat. This is the mountain range found...

The highest peak in the mountain range is Mt. Ararat itself which towers some 17,000 feet high. Note that the exact date is given when the ark rested upon the mountain peak: on the 17th day of the 7th month.

6. At last, God gave Noah and his dear family sight of the mountain tops (Genesis 8:5). The Hebrew points out that the waters were decreasing rapidly, miraculously (H.C. Leupold, Genesis, Vol.1, p.312). God, in His mercy toward man, was at work. He was causing the water to recede so that Noah and his dear family could be saved and repopulate the earth. It was now the first day of the 10th month, two and a half months after the ark had first rested upon some mountain peak.

Imagine their joy when they first felt the ark rest upon dry land, and now imagine their joy as they are able to look out some hatch or trap-like window. What they see causes their hearts to leap with joy, for they see the peaks of surrounding mountains. They know as never before that God is merciful, that He is receding the water and saving them. This small band of believers must have done exactly what any believer would have done: praised God and rejoiced in Him for His great salvation.

Note that the exact time is given when the ark brought the passengers to safety. Christian believers are told that “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His son...to redeem them....” (Gal. 4:4-5). There was and is a preparation—a set time—for God’s people to be brought to safety. As the points of this note show, God remembers His people; God remembers every living thing. What He demands is faith and patience in Him as He carries us through the trials of this life and our coming departure from this earth.

God delivers His people through the trials of this life. Sometimes the journey may be long and hard, even as Noah’s was. But God still delivers us through all the sufferings of life, if we just trust Him as Noah did. This is the reason Scripture tells us to joy and rejoice through the trials of life: God delivers and saves us.

God can control nature, the rain, winds, and storms of the earth. He can control all the trials inflicted upon us by nature or man when it is His will to do so, when it fulfills His purposes.

Þ Think of this: how many storms—how many devastating acts of nature and of evil men—would have never happened if we had prayed like we should, prayed much and prayed faithfully?

Þ Ask this question: if we truly sought God and walked with God as Noah did (cp. Genesis 6:9), would God move in behalf of the earth and of mankind more often? Would He save us more often from the devastating storms and evils of life?

(8:6-14) Patience— Faith— Trust— Noah— Salvation— Deliverance: there was the second scene: Noah’s great faith and patience before God. His faith and patience are clearly seen in the six events pointed out by the outline points.

a. Noah—in faith—patiently waited forty days after seeing the mountain tops before sending the raven out to search for dry land (Genesis 8:6).

b. Noah—in faith—patiently waited seven more days before sending a dove out to search for dry land. The time frame of seven days is not actually given in Genesis 8:8, but note Genesis 8:10. The Hebrew says that Noah waited “another seven days” and “again” sent forth the dove. This points back to a seven day waiting period for sending each of the birds out (Genesis 8:8).

c. Noah—in faith—patiently waited seven more days before sending the dove out again (Genesis 8:10).

d. Noah—in faith—patiently waited seven more days before sending the dove out again (Genesis 8:12).

e. Noah—in faith—patiently waited twenty-nine more days before removing the covering of the ark (Genesis 8:13).

f. Noah—in faith—patiently waited fifty-seven more days until the earth was completely dry (Genesis 8:14).

Noah’s great faith and patience in God is unquestionable. This is the stress of these nine verses. Noah was trusting God and patiently waiting for God to dry out the earth so that he and his dear family could leave the ark and begin their new life upon the earth.

Imagine how difficult it was for them to keep waiting and waiting! They had been inside of the ark for almost a year, never even allowed to go out on the deck. They were bound to feel cooped up and confined, caged and shut in, almost imprisoned. And now, the water was receding: they could see the water level dropping and exposing more and more of the mountains and land every day. How excited they must have been!

The urge to throw open the door and to step out on dry ground must have gnawed and gnawed at them. Yet how fearful they must have been, for they had no idea what lay ahead! The judgment of God had fallen and destroyed all life upon earth, both man and beast—all life except the few people and animals left upon the ark. What would life be like with no other people upon earth? What were they to expect—what kind of relationship with God—from now on? What would God now expect from them? So far as we know, God had not given Noah any new message or revelation since He had locked Noah into the ark. Excitement and a desire to get out of the ark were bound to fill their hearts, yes; but an apprehension, uneasiness, anxiety, and fear were also bound to be attacking their thoughts and emotions.

But through it all—through all the mental anguish and emotional uneasiness—Noah trusted God and waited patiently upon God.

What a dynamic example for us, a dynamic example of faith in God and of patience with God! No matter what confronts us, the apprehension, uneasiness, and fear could never match what Noah suffered. Yet, through it all he trusted and patiently waited upon God. May God grant to us the same faith and patience that Noah demonstrated.

Note how Noah did not become impatient and run ahead of God. He did not rush the will of God. It was God’s will for him to leave the ark, but when? What Noah needed was faith and patience in God...

This Noah did, and this we must do. We must have faith and patience that God will clearly show us His will and show us when to act.

2. Note that Noah waited seven days each time he sent the birds out to search for dry land (Genesis 8:7-8, 10, 12). This likely points toward the Sabbath, the fact that Noah sent the birds out on the day already sanctified by God, the day of worship. Noah sent the birds out in hope, great hope in God. No better day could be chosen to send them forth than the day of worship. To have chosen the Sabbath day, the day of prayer and worship, was only natural. We—every genuine believer who had experienced what Noah had experienced—would have done the very same thing: sent forth the birds in hope, prayer, and worship on the very special day God had set aside for the worship of God.

The significance Noah placed upon the day of worship should speak to us. How often we neglect the day of worship, the very day God Himself set apart for us to concentrate upon Him, to rest and seek Him.

a. Noah probably sent a raven out because it was a scavenger and could find food floating or lying about more easily than most other birds. Note the raven did not return to the inside of the ark, but flew back and forth, probably resting on top of the ark. Noah and the passengers probably heard the cawing of the bird as it roosted on the ark.

b. The dove is a bird that stays closer to the ground than most other birds. This is probably the reason Noah sent out a dove in search of dry ground. If the bird stayed out, Noah would know that the water had receded enough to expose some of the low lying land.

c. Note the tenderness of Noah and the dove. When the dove returned, Noah put his hand out the hatch and the dove flew in and lit upon his hand (Genesis 8:9). A man who is tender toward animals is usually a tender man.

d. Note that the dove did not return until the evening hours on its second journey. As the late afternoon and early evening hours wore on, how expectant and hopeful the passengers must have been! They thought the dove was not returning! The water had receded enough for the land to begin drying out and the dove could now remain outside the ark. It would not be long now! They would soon be able to disembark and settle upon earth!

What an increase of joy and expectancy must have surged through their hearts when the bird returned with the evidence: a fresh olive leaf plucked from a tree (the Hebrew says that the leaf was a fresh or new leaf). The survivors now knew beyond a doubt that God had saved them. There was peace between God and the survivors of faith. Those who truly believed and followed God had been saved from the judgment upon an evil world. James Montgomery Boice points out that this experience was so moving that the picture of a dove carrying an olive branch is the sign of peace even today (Genesis, An Expositional Commentary, Vol.1, p.298).

e. When the dove did not return on its third trip, the survivors knew beyond all question that the water had receded and the earth would now be drying out rather quickly.

f. Twenty-nine days later Noah removed a portion of the top of the ark, looked out, and saw that the water had completely receded. The earth was drying out.

DEEPER STUDY (8:6-14) Flood, The: the following chart is based upon the following facts. The calendar in Noah’s day seems to be made up of 12 months of 30 days each.

Þ It is said to be 150 days that the waters remained at their peak (Genesis 7:24).

Þ It is said to be 150 days—probably a period of 5 months (30 days each)—between the beginning of the flood to the time the ark settled on Mt. Ararat (Genesis 8:4).

Both of these references seem to point to a period of five months of thirty days each. The following chart is based upon twelve months of thirty days each. This means that Noah and the other survivors were in the ark for...

Noah and the Great Day: God Sent Noah Forth into the World to Begin a New Life, 8:15-22

(8:15-22) Introduction: remember the feelings and emotions of Noah and his dear family. They and the animals had been upon the ark for a year and ten days. Just imagine what they had experienced as God judged the earth for its lawlessness, immorality, and violence:

Þ the convulsive upheaval of the earth as the subterranean waters broke loose from their underground caverns.

Þ every living person and animal being drowned—all except the few survivors upon the ark.

They had experienced the living reality of God’s judgment, that God means exactly what He says when He warns men against sin: against lawlessness, immorality, and violence. As stated, they had been inside the ark which was floating around for a whole year and ten days, aware of the awesome judgment and power of God. The little band of survivors was bound to sense some apprehension, uneasiness, awe, and fear before God, for they had witnessed God’s awesome judgment. In addition, having been stranded inside the ark for 370 days, they were bound to feel confined, cooped up, caged, shut in, and almost imprisoned. The urge to just burst out and touch dry land must have gripped them from time to time.

· when they looked out and saw the mountain tops for the first time in over 200 days (Genesis 8:5).

· when the raven was sent out to search for dry land and did not return (Genesis 8:6-7).

· when the dove was sent out and brought back an olive branch and then sent out again and did not return (Genesis 8:10, 12).

· when they removed part of the top of the ark, stepped out, and looked at the ground below and saw that it was drying out (Genesis 8:13).

· as they waited 57 more days for the earth to dry out completely (Genesis 8:14).

Excitement must have flooded their hearts as they experienced each of these events. They knew that the day when they could step out upon dry ground was soon arriving. They knew that they could soon leave the ark and settle once again upon the earth. This is the subject of this great passage: “Noah and the Great Day: God Sent Noah Forth Into the World to Begin a New Life.”

4. Scene 4: God’s great pleasure with Noah’s sacrifice and God’s great promises to Noah and the human race (v.21-22).

(8:15-17) God, Faithfulness of: there was the first scene: God’s long-awaited faithfulness and command. God spoke to Noah. God had not given any new instructions to Noah since the day He had told Noah to enter the ark (Genesis 7:1f). That had been over a year before. God had promised to save Noah through the awful judgment that was to come upon the earth (Genesis 6:17-18). God was faithful. His faithfulness had been proven throughout the deluge of water that had flooded the earth; He had saved Noah through the judgment. Now, God’s faithfulness was to be proven in the new instructions He was about to give. Noah’s salvation was about to be completed.

1. Go forth from the ark, you and your dear family (Genesis 8:16). This was the final step of deliverance from the judgment of God. Noah was now to step out of the ark onto the earth. Imagine the apprehension and fear, the thoughts and wondering about what lay outside. The earth had been utterly devastated and wasted by the deluge of water. But note the stress and force of God’s instructions: “Go forth from the ark—do it now, immediately. Don’t fear to the point that you hesitate or delay. Your day of deliverance and salvation has arrived. Go forth now.”

2. Second, God says, “Bring forth all the animals, so they can reproduce and multiply upon the earth” (Genesis 8:17).

Noah and the survivors of God’s awesome judgment were now to build a new life upon earth. God had been faithful to His Word and to His promise. He had judged the lawlessness, immorality, and violence of men; but in mercy, He had saved those He had promised to save, those who truly believed and followed Him.

God did not forsake Noah and his dear family. There may have been times over the long days of the terrifying judgment when they feared what would happen to them. But God was faithful: the day came when He completed their long awaited salvation and deliverance. What a lesson for us! We should never despair, never allow a trial or temptation to overcome us. God will always deliver us if we will only trust and patiently wait upon God. Our redemption—our glorious salvation—draws near. God is faithful; He is going to complete our salvation and deliverance from this sinful world and the terrifying judgment to come. God is going to complete our redemption.

It had been over a year since God had met and spoken to Noah. There may have been times when he felt God was too far off, out of reach, or not concerned enough; times when he felt God had forgotten all about him. But note: God had not forgotten. He knew all about Noah and the survivors, and He knows all about us. God is not far off in outer space someplace, unconcerned with us. God knows every trial and temptation we face, and He cares for us. God promises to look after us if we will only trust Him and live for Him.

(8:18-19) Obedience: there was the second scene: Noah’s strict obedience to God. Noah went out of the ark just as God had instructed him. The impact of such a moment could never be described, not adequately, not fully. But let us imagine the scene as best we can. The earth had been devastated by an enormous flood, a flood so great that it had covered even the highest mountain peaks. The vegetation of the earth—the forests, trees, bushes, fruits, and grasses of the earth—most had been uprooted and destroyed. Only seed remained, seed that had been left scattered all over the earth as the waters had receded into the lakes, rivers, caverns, and sea beds of the earth.

The earth was no longer filled with the lush green of the forests and the beautiful colors of shrubs and flowers. The earth was no longer filled with fruit-bearing trees, bushes, and vegetables. The earth Noah stepped out upon was mostly barren land, barren with debris scattered all over its surface. Uprooted trees and vegetation were lying everywhere. And remember: all the people and animals had drowned as well. Bones were probably scattered here and there among the debris. Most of the carcasses, if not all, would have decayed or been eaten by the sea creatures over the year of the flood. Only the bones would be lying among the debris. Keep in mind also that most of the bones would have been buried from the convulsions that had taken place in the subterranean crust of the earth and from the erosion caused by the rushing waters as they flowed and settled into the beds of the earth.

The point is this: when Noah stepped out from the ark upon the earth, he stepped upon a devastated earth. He confronted...

· the stark reality of the judgment of God, how terrible it is, how awful the wrath of God is.

· the stark reality of God’s love and salvation, of how God will save a person who truly believes and follows Him. Noah knew this, for he had believed and followed God, and there he stood having just been saved through the terrifying judgment of God.

· with a renewed reverence and respect for God, and a renewed fear and awe of God.

· with a renewed commitment and determination to obey and serve God as never before.

Note how clearly this is seen in the Scripture: “Noah went forth” out of the ark. The impact is that he immediately went out; he immediately obeyed God. He was not leaving the ark because he could no longer take the feelings of being confined and cooped up, could no longer bear the urge to be free from the enclosed quarters of the ark. Noah went out only because God had instructed him to leave the ark and only because God had then and there instructed him to leave. Noah knew that God was depending upon him.

Þ Noah knew that the great purpose of God for the earth and for the human race was resting upon his shoulders, upon his strict obedience to God.

This is the reason Noah obeyed God, obeyed Him in the most strict sense. This is the reason Noah had waited so patiently upon God’s instructions before leaving the ark, waited despite all his feelings of confinement. This is the reason Noah did exactly what God said despite whatever fears he was experiencing. He had no idea what lay outside the ark and no idea what lay ahead for him and his small family as they faced each day all alone upon the earth. But God had spoken and given His instructions; therefore, Noah obeyed God immediately. He left the ark and launched out to start a new life, to begin the human race and civilization all over again.

When God speaks and shows us His will, we must obey and obey immediately. We must do exactly what God says, even if we do not know what lies ahead. We must do the will of God despite the questions and unknowns that may lie ahead of us.

(8:20) Worship— Altar— Burnt Offering: there was the third scene: Noah’s first act was to set up a place for worship. Note the point made by Scripture.

Þ Noah’s first concern was not to build a house. This would have been the first concern of many people who had gone through a torrential rain like Noah and the survivors. They would have wanted shelter just in case bad weather set in again.

Þ Noah’s first concern was not to celebrate with a party. This would have been the first thing many people would have done when they had been shut up in a small building for 370 days. Their hearts would be so filled with joy over their release that they would want to share their joy and release with friends in a party of celebration.

Þ Noah’s first concern was not to map out plans for survival in a devastated and barren world. This would have been the first urge of many survivors cast upon a devastated earth.

But not Noah. Noah’s first concern was not for himself nor for his family, but for God.

1. The very first thing Noah did was establish a place for worship: he built an altar, established a place where he and his dear family could worship God as they settled and became adjusted to their new life.

Note: this is the first time the word altar is mentioned in the Bible. But this was not the first time an offering was made. Offerings were made to God from the very beginning of human history:

Þ The first sacrifice of an animal was made by God Himself, made in order to clothe the very first man and woman upon earth, Adam and Eve.

Þ The second sacrifice and offering was offered by Cain and Abel, the first two sons of Adam and Eve, offered in worship to God.

Remember: Noah’s father, Lamech, was 56 years old when Adam died. Adam would have unquestionably taught his children and grandchildren God’s will concerning altars, sacrifice, and worship—just how God was to be approached and how man was to become acceptable to God. The godly seed or line of believers have always had their set places to worship God, and they have always worshipped God. To think otherwise is foolish. In the Old Testament, the godly line of believers worshipped God primarily at altars and approached God through the sacrifice or the shed blood of animals. In the New Testament, the godly line of believers worship God primarily in church and approach God through the sacrifice or shed blood of Christ.

Any person, no matter what generation, who truly knows and loves God personally, worships God. God is first and foremost in his life. This was true with Noah. This is what Noah is doing: establishing the place for worship—building an altar—where he and his dear family can worship God while they go about getting settled and adjusted in their new life. The earth is devastated and barren. More than ever, they needed their altar, their worship center, where they could meet God and worship Him on a regular basis.

2. Once Noah had built the altar, he worshipped God. He offered a sacrifice, a burnt offering, to God. It was only natural that Noah’s mind and heart were upon God. Noah loved God, for God had saved him. God had brought him through the terrible judgment that had fallen upon the earth. Noah knew God personally and intimately, and his heart was just flowing upward to God in praise and thanksgiving for God’s great deliverance. Noah was bound to be longing for God’s presence...

· longing to ask God for continued forgiveness, forgiveness for his weaknesses, failures, and sin—all of which were bound to happen because of his human nature.

This is exactly what the burnt offering is in Scripture. It was an offering that a person offered when he wanted...

Note how great the sacrifice was that Noah made: he did not offer and sacrifice just one animal; he sacrificed one of every clean animal in the ark, one of every kind or species of animal. He sacrificed dozens of animals. Why? Scripture does not say, but it was probably due to the fear, reverence, and awe of God that flooded Noah’s heart and mind. He had just gone through the most terrifying demonstration of God’s awesome power and judgment. Noah would want what any of us would want in similar circumstances: to show God our utter trust and respect for Him and His awesome power.

How long did it take to offer one of every kind of animal? How many hours? Days? Scripture does not say, but Noah probably gave as much to God as any person has ever given. There were only seven of every clean animal left on earth, yet Noah offered one of each kind.

1) God has saved us, all true believers. He has delivered us from the terrible judgment that is to fall upon all the ungodly and evil of this earth. Our salvation is the first thing for which we should thank God.

2) We must make the worship of God the center of our lives. We must seek and worship God first and always.

3) Noah made a great sacrifice, giving one of every kind of animal. We must follow His example: we must make a great sacrifice to God—give all we are and have to Him.

Noah’s first act upon setting foot on the earth was to offer sacrifices to God. It was a further evidence of his faith, and surely an expression of his gratitude for the salvation that God had provided.

In response to the sacrifice of Noah, God made a solemn promise. I want you to understand, however, that this was a commitment made within the Godhead—it is a promise God resolved to Himself. The expression of this determination is given to Noah in chapter 9. This is what God purposed within Himself:

And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease (Genesis 8:21‑22).

God’s resolve is that He will never again curse the ground or destroy every living thing as He has just done. Why would God make such a commitment? Surely He was not sorry for what He had done. Sin had to be judged, did it not?

The problem with the flood was that its effect was only temporary. The problem was not with creation, but with sin. The problem was not with men, but with man. To erase the slate and start over is inadequate, for what is needed is a new man for creation. This is what creation eagerly awaits.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Romans 8:20‑21).

God has therefore determined to deal differently with sin in the future. While sin has suffered a temporary setback at the flood, it will be dealt a fatal blow at the coming of Messiah. It is at this time that men will become new creatures (II Corinthians 5:17). After men are dealt with, a new heaven and a new earth will be provided as well (II Peter 3:13).

God’s promise of ultimate and final salvation is renewed in response to Noah’s expression of faith through a sacrificial offering. Until that day when this salvation is accomplished, God assures man that measures like the flood will not occur again.

DEEPER STUDY (8:20) Altar— Worship— Burnt Offering: throughout the Old Testament we often read where a person builds an altar and offers a sacrifice, that is, a burnt offering to God. What does this mean? What was the person doing? In the simplest of terms, he was doing what we do when we approach God: he was either approaching and worshipping God or else seeking something from God. Man approaches God for at least five reasons or purposes:

1. Four animals were used in animal sacrifices. The rich sacrificed the larger animals and the poor the small birds.

2. The burnt offering was a freewill offering. The person approached God of his own free will; he simply wanted to come to God. God did not force him to come; God never forces any person to enter His presence. The person approaches God because he chooses to come to God.

3. The animal offered and sacrificed was to always be a clean animal, an animal that was completely free from blemishes, diseases, injuries, or defects of any kind.

4. The animal was sacrificed—its life was given up and its blood shed—as a substitute or ransom for the person’s sins. The picture was this:

a. The person put his hand upon the head of the animal. This symbolized that in faith—truly believing—the person was identifying with the sacrifice of the animal...

· symbolizing that through the sacrifice, the animal was bearing his sins, bearing the penalty, judgment, and punishment for his sins.

The animal was pictured as dying for the person, as the person’s substitute or ransom (redemption). The animal symbolized propitiation, the covering and sacrifice for the person’s sins.

b. This, of course, pointed to Jesus Christ, who was to be sacrificed for our sins upon the cross. Jesus Christ died for us, bore the penalty, judgment, and punishment for our sins. Jesus Christ died as our substitute before God, as the propitiation—the covering and sacrifice—for our sins.

5. The animal was then burned upon the altar. The fire of the burnt offering symbolized the holiness and wrath of God...

The fire pointed to Jesus Christ bearing the wrath of God’s holiness of us. Jesus Christ bore the reaction of God’s holiness against sin, bore God’s wrath against sin for us.

6. The smell that arose from the burning meat was a pleasing, satisfying aroma. This symbolized that the sacrifice pleased and satisfied God. The sacrifice satisfied God’s holiness and made the person acceptable to God. The person, of course, had to be sincere in approaching God, believing with all of his heart that God accepted the sacrifice as a substitute for his sins.

This points to the death of Jesus Christ pleasing God. God is satisfied—perfectly satisfied—with the blood of Jesus Christ being shed for man. God accepts the death of Jesus Christ as man’s payment and judgment for sin. God now accepts us when we come to Him through the death of Christ, accepts us because we approach Him through...

(8:21-22) Covenant: there was the fourth scene: God’s great pleasure with Noah’s sacrifice and God’s great promises to Noah and the human race. God saw Noah as he stepped out of the ark upon the earth, saw his fear and apprehension. God saw the horror of Noah when he looked around upon the devastated and barren earth, covered with scattered debris everywhere. God saw the questions flooding Noah’s mind, wondering if God would launch the judgment and flooding again, for he and his dear family were still of Adam’s race, still sinful and sure to sin in the future. As stated, God saw the fear and apprehension, the questioning and wondering of Noah’s heart and mind. But God also saw Noah’s worship...

· God saw Noah’s fear of God, the reverence and awe before God that flooded Noah’s heart.

· God saw Noah’s sense of being a sinful creature, of being short of God’s glory.

· God saw Noah’s great sacrifice, the sacrifice of dozens of animals—all in faith—his trusting God to accept the animals’ sacrifice in behalf of himself and his dear family.

God was bound to be pleased with Noah, pleased with his faith and sincerity of heart, pleased with the great offering and sacrifice he was making. Note how Scripture describes God’s response: the Lord smelled the pleasing, soothing aroma of Noah’s great sacrifice. That is, God was pleased, greatly pleased—His holiness and wrath against sinful man were soothed, propitiated, satisfied—with the sacrificial offering made by Noah. But note this: it was not the sacrifice of the animal that pleased and soothed God. We must always remember this when dealing with animal sacrifice in the Old Testament. What pleased God was what the sacrifice symbolized or pointed to: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross. God saw beyond the animal sacrifice to the death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for the sins of the world. Jesus Christ—the offering and sacrifice of His life—is the propitiation (the satisfaction and covering) for our sins. The animal sacrifice only pointed to Jesus Christ.

The point is this: God was so pleased with Noah’s great offering that He purposed within Himself to do three great things for Noah and the human race. Note that God was not speaking and giving these promises to Noah, not at this point. Rather, God was thinking these things within His own heart. Noah’s great offering—the offering of so many sacrifices at one time by one man, the sacrifice of one of every kind of clean animal—stirred God to do three great things for man. (But remember: God was looking beyond the great sacrifice of Noah to the symbol of the sacrifice, that of the great sacrifice of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It was the future death of Christ that was enabling [making it possible for] God to make these great promises to Noah and mankind.)

1. God promised to never again curse the earth with a flood despite man’s depravity and sinfulness (Genesis 8:21). This is the way this verse should read: even though man is sinful—despite his depravity—God will never again curse the earth with a worldwide flood. Why? Because of the great offering made by Noah which symbolized the great sacrifice of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Derek Kidner states it well: “The Lord’s resolve not to renew the judgment is based on the accepted sacrifice [of Christ].... The real propitiation, in the mind of God, was the sacrifice of Jesus” (Genesis. “Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries,” p.93).

Note that man’s terrible depravity and sinfulness is again stated (Genesis 8:21b; cp. Genesis 6:5). Note also that the earth had been cursed after Adam’s sin (cp. Genesis 3:17) and again during the flood. But God has now promised that He will never again send a universal flood upon the earth as a judgment upon sin. The earth will never again be destroyed, not until the end time when it will be remade into a perfect earth (cp. 2 Peter 3:3-13; Romans 8:19-22).

2. God purposed to never again destroy life upon earth with a universal flood, neither man nor animal (Genesis 8:21). Note: this refers only to a worldwide flood, not to local calamities and judgments upon countries, cities, or people (cp. Sodom and Gomorrah, local earthquakes, floods, and other disasters).

3. God purposed to guarantee the times and seasons of the earth until the end of the world (Genesis 8:22). This probably points to environmental havoc during the days of the flood. The environment—times and seasons—must have been convulsively disrupted. But with this promise of God, a universal devastation of the times and seasons would never again fall upon the earth—not as a judgment from God—not until the end of the world.

Note: this promise is guaranteed only as long as the earth remains. There is to be an end to the earth.

Noah believed God, that He would accept him and his family through the sacrifice of the animals. We must believe God, that He will accept us through the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross. It is the aroma of Christ’s sacrifice, His death alone, that pleases God and makes us acceptable to Him.

The Meaning of the Flood for Men of All Ages

First of all, the flood is a reminder to us of the matchless grace of God. While unbelievers found judgment, Noah found grace (Genesis 6:8).

To a certain extent, all of the people of that day experienced the grace of God. It was not until 120 years after the revelation of a coming judgment that it actually came upon men. That 120 year period was an age of grace in which the gospel was proclaimed.

The difference between Noah and those who perished was their response to God’s grace. Those who perished interpreted God’s grace as divine indifference. They concluded that God neither cared nor troubled Himself at the occasion of men’s sin.

Noah, on the other hand, recognized grace for what it really is—an opportunity to enter into an intimate relationship with God, and at the same time, to avoid divine displeasure and judgment. Noah’s years were spent in walking with God, building the ark, and proclaiming God’s Word.

The grace of God is clearly evidenced by this promise: “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).

Here is the irony of our day. As in the days of Noah, the perishing unbeliever looks at life as it is and asks “How could God be there at all and not do anything to right things—to set things in order?”

He concludes that God is either dead, apathetic, or incapable of dealing with the world as it is, disregarding the warning of 2 Peter 3:8,9:

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about His promises, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (II Peter 3:8,9).

As Noah, the believer recognizes that life as it is a reflection of the sovereign control of a gracious God over all of life:

For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16‑17).

The continuation of all things as they have been—day and night, summer and winter, springtime and harvest—causes the Christian to bow the knee to God in praise and submission to His providential care. The non‑Christian, however, has twisted this promise of God’s providential care into an excuse for sin:

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation’ (II Peter 3:3‑4).

They fail to recognize that men are given this time to repent and to be reconciled to God. But just as the time of grace finally expired in Noah’s day, so it will for men today:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up (II Peter 3:10).

Our Lord taught that the days preceding the flood would be just like those preceding His final appearance to judge the earth:

For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be (Matthew 24:37‑39).

These days were not described in terms of debauchery or decadence, but of normality—business as usual. Men in the last days will be doing what they always have. There is nothing wrong with eating and drinking, giving in marriage, or buying and selling. What is wrong is doing so without God, and supposing that we may sin as we please without paying its penalty. The age of grace will end. Let us respond rightly to God’s grace.

Second, we are instructed in the matter of the wrath of God. We learn from the flood that while God’s wrath is slow, it is also certain. Judgment must eventually be meted out to those who reject God’s grace.

Be very clear that while wrath and judgment are certain, they do not delight the heart of God. Nowhere in this passage is there one scene of suffering and anguish described in detail. Even Noah’s eyes were kept from beholding the torment suffered by those who died in the flood. The ark had no portholes, nor picture windows to look out on the destruction God wrought. The only opening was that at the top of the ark to allow light to shine in.

God does not delight in judgment, nor does He needlessly dwell upon it, but it is a certainty for those who resist His grace. Do not deceive yourself, my friend, there is a time when the offer of salvation will be withdrawn.

Many people seem to think that they will wait until one foot is in the grave and the other is on a banana peel to be saved. It usually doesn’t happen that way. God still closes the door of salvation. When we have lived our lives in sin and rebellion against God, we most often will not be given the luxury of making a deathbed decision. It sometimes happens, I grant, but seldom.

Then, too, God’s judgment is often allowing things to take their own course. The account of the flood seems almost like creation reverted to the conditions of the second day of creation (cf. Genesis 1:6‑7).

In the book of Colossians we are told that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (Colossians 1:16‑17). Men who reject God live as though God did not exist at all.

Finally, let us consider the subject of the salvation of God. In the case of Noah we must observe that God’s way of salvation was restrictive. God provided only one way of salvation (an ark) and only one door. Men could not be saved any way they wished, but only God’s way. Such is the salvation which God offers men today.

Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me’ (John 14:6).

The salvation of the ark was also instructive. It provides us with a picture of the salvation that was accomplished in Christ. It was for those in Moses’ day a type of Christ. The difference between those who were saved and those who perished in the flood was the difference between being in the ark and being outside it.

Those who were saved and those who died all went through the flood. But those who survived were those in the ark which sheltered them from the effects of God’s divine displeasure on sin. Those outside the ark, as well as those within, knew the ark existed and were informed that God had warned of a judgment to come. Some chose to ignore these facts, while Noah acted upon them.

So it is today. God has said that there must be a penalty for sin—death. Those who are in Christ by faith have suffered the wrath of God in Christ. On the cross of Calvary the wrath of God was poured out upon the sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ. Those who trust in Him have experienced the salvation of God in Christ. Those who refuse to trust in Him and be in Him by an act of the will, must suffer the wrath of God outside of Christ, our ark. Knowing about Christ no more saves a man than knowing about the ark saved men in Noah’s day. It is being in the ark, being in Christ, that saves!

Many refuse to be saved if it cannot be achieved in some glorious way, one that is appealing and acceptable. I would not want to spend a year cooped up with noisy, smelly animals any more than you, but that was God’s way.

Our Lord Jesus, when He came to offer salvation to men, did not come as One Who had great personal magnetism or appeal either. As Isaiah spoke of Him 700 years before His coming,

He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him (Isaiah 53:2).

Many would come to salvation if it appealed to them in the flesh. God’s salvation is not of this kind.

Sometimes Christians fail at this same point. They think that God’s way is a glorious one all the way. All miracles and magnificence. No suffering, no pain, no agony, no heartache. I must tell you that God’s way is not always as glorious as we might wish, but it alone is the way of deliverance and peace and joy.

And this salvation which God provided was one that was entered into by faith in God’s revealed Word. Noah probably never had seen rain, nor heard the clap of thunder. But God said that there was to be a flood and that he was to build an ark. Noah believed God and acted on his faith.

Noah’s faith was no academic faith—a mere faith in principle, but an active faith—a faith in practice. He spent 120 years building that ark, committing himself to the God he knew. Our faith, too, must be active.

Noah, we are told, was a preacher. I do not believe that he often spoke from behind a pulpit, but from behind a plank and a hammer. It was Noah’s lifestyle that condemned the men of his day and warned of the judgment to come. Noah’s whole life was shaped by his certainty that judgment was coming.

We who are Christians know that our Lord will again return to judge the world. I wonder how much it has affected our daily lives? Can your neighbors and mine tell that we are living in the light of a coming day of judgment and of salvation. I sincerely hope so.

The Noahic Covenant—A New Beginning (Genesis 8:20‑9:17)

Ours is not an age that desires to make long‑term commitments. The covenant of marriage is often avoided, and vows that are made lack the permanence and commitment of former days. Guarantees are given for a very short period. Contracts are often vaguely worded or are undermined by loopholes and fine print.

Strangely, Christians seem to think that clear, contractual agreements are somehow unspiritual, especially between two believers. ‘A man should be as good as his word,’ we are told. And so he should.

It is interesting to observe that the infinite, all‑powerful, changeless God of the universe has chosen to deal with men in the form of covenants. The Noahic Covenant of Genesis chapter 9 is the first biblical covenant of the Bible. While the word ‘covenant’ appears in Genesis 6:18, it refers to the Noahic Covenant of chapter 9.

This Noahic Covenant is important to us for a number of reasons. As I deliver this message, it is raining outside, and rather heavily, too. If the Noahic Covenant were not still in effect, you and I would be greatly concerned. The calm which we experience is a direct result of the covenant God initiated centuries ago with Noah.

The Noahic Covenant, in addition to the fact that it is still in force today, also provides us with a pattern for all of the other biblical covenants. As we come to understand this covenant, we will more fully appreciate the significance of all of the covenants, and especially the New Covenant instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally, the Noahic Covenant lays down the foundation for the existence of human government. It addresses in particular the matter of capital punishment. It is here that our consideration of this much debated subject must begin.

You will be aware that these last verses of Genesis chapter eight were discussed in my last message. While these three verses are not a part of the Noahic Covenant, they surely are a prelude to it. Therefore, we must begin our study with them.

Technically, Genesis 8:20‑22 is not a promise which God gave to Noah. Rather it is a purpose confirmed in the heart of God.

And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, ‘I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living things as I have done’ (Genesis 8:21).

These are not words spoken to Noah, they are purposes reaffirmed in the mind of God. Covenant theologians place much emphasis on two or three theological covenants: the covenant of works, the covenant of grace, and the covenant of redemption.[1] All of these covenants, while they may well be ‘biblical’ in essence, are implicit, rather than explicit. Covenant theologians usually tend to emphasize these implied theological covenants at the expense of the clearly biblical covenants, such as the Noahic Covenant. On the other hand, dispensational theologians often stress the biblical covenants and disparage the theological covenants.

In Genesis chapters 8 and 9 both elements are to be found. The eternal purpose of God to save men was made long before the days of Noah:

(Eph 1:4) For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight….

(Eph 3:11) according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(2 Th 2:13) But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

(2 Tim 1:9) who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

What we find in Genesis 8:20‑22 is not the creation of God’s purpose to save men, but the confirmation of that purpose in history. Just as God reaffirmed His purpose here, such recommitment is often good for men as well (cf. Philippians 3:8‑16).

The covenant of God with Himself was occasioned by the sacrifices offered up by Noah (Genesis 8:20). God’s resolve was to never again destroy the earth by a flood (cf. 9:11). I understand the words, “… I will never again curse the ground on account of many… ” (verse 21), to be parallel with the following expression, “… and I will never again destroy every living thing as I have done” (verse 21).[2]

The reason for God’s resolve is based upon the nature of man: “For the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21).

Righteous Noah (6:9) will soon be found naked in a drunken stupor (9:21). No matter how many times the earth’s slate is wiped clean by a flood, the problem will remain if but one man exists. The problem is within man—it is his sinful nature. His predisposition toward sin is not learned, it is innate—he is “evil from his youth.” As a result, a full restoration must begin with a new man. This is what God historically purposed to accomplish.

This purpose is partially expressed in verse 22: “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Introduction

The command of God to destroy the Canaanites has troubled Christians and non‑believers alike:

Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you, in order that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you could sin against the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 20:16‑18).

While the killing of the Canaanites will probably always cause us to be uneasy on the subject, Genesis chapter 9 gives us a great deal of insight into the problem.

You should understand that this command was far more difficult for the Israelites of old than for us today. Had God not hardened the hearts of the Canaanites so that they refused to seek a treaty with Israel (cf. Joshua 11:20), Israel very likely would not have aggressively sought to obey the Lord’s command to kill them.

We may fail to appreciate the situation which Israel faced as they prepared to possess the land from the Canaanites; they had little or no contact with these pagan peoples. The Israelites would have found it very difficult to grasp the reasons for being utterly merciless with their enemies, the Canaanites. Genesis chapter 9 puts this matter into perspective. It explains the origin of the nations with whom Israel must relate in some fashion throughout its history. In particular, this account explains the moral depravity of the Canaanites which necessitates their extermination.

Genesis 9 is crucial for another reason, also. It is a passage which has long been employed to justify slavery and, in particular, the sinful subjugation of the Black peoples throughout the centuries. The curse of Ham, we are told, is simply being fulfilled as the Blacks live out their lives in servitude to the other races, particularly the Whites. As we shall see, this interpretation cannot be maintained by any careful consideration of our text.

(9:20-23) Noah— Ham— Sin— Drunkenness— Immodesty— Sensuality— Mockery— Ridicule— Eye, Sins of— Honor— Respect: the sin and failure of the human race was continued. This is seen both in the sin of Noah and in the sin of his youngest son, Ham.

1. First, there was the sin of Noah (Genesis 9:20-21). After the flood, one the very first things Noah and his sons had to do was plant food for their families. Thus they became farmers. At some point through the years, Noah planted a vineyard. Now, note how simply and straightforward the sin of Noah is told: he drank too much of the wine...

This is the first time wine and drunkenness are specifically mentioned in Scripture. Was this the first time wine had ever become fermented and intoxicating, or did wine exist before and Scripture has just not mentioned it before now? Did Noah know what he was doing—getting drunk—or was he caught completely off guard by some grape juice that had become fermented?

Þ Remember the ungodly people before the flood, their wicked and immoral lives? It is most unlikely that wine and drunkenness were not a part of their sin and shame, and if so, Noah would have known about the danger of fermented wine.

Þ The Scripture actually says that Noah drank of “the wine,” not just “wine,” but “the wine.” By using the definite article (“the”) Scripture indicates that Noah knew what he was doing. He knew what fermented wine was, that it made a person drunk.

Þ The straightforward manner in which the story is told strongly points to the sin and guilt of Noah. This is the very point of the story: to show that Noah sinned and his son looked upon his sin and mocked him instead of helping him. Consequently, Noah pronounced a curse upon the son.

There is little, if any, doubt that Noah was guilty of sin, guilty of deliberate and wilful sin. He knew exactly what he was doing, that wine (“the wine”) would make him drunk. Several facts about Noah’s sin leap out at us.

a. Noah sinned and failed despite his having been a godly man. Before the flood, Noah was a righteous man who had lived a just and blameless life before the people of his generation. Noah had walked with God (Genesis 6:9). The New Testament even says that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5). But now, after the flood, Noah committed a tragic and serious sin.

No person is above sin, not even a servant of God. Anyone can fall into sin, some serious and tragic sin. No matter who the person is—no matter how godly he has been and how high a position he may hold—he is still a sinful and depraved creature, and he can still fall and commit some serious sin. Noah, the great man of God, sinned, and so can we. (Note: we are not talking about sinning in general, but some serious and tragic sin. We all sin, for we are all short of God’s glory—totally depraved. But none of us have to fall and commit serious sin, the kind of sin that causes damage to the lives of others and to the name of Christ.

Þ Noah’s youngest son, Ham, sinned and received a divine curse (Genesis 9:24-25).

Þ Nothing more is written about Noah, except his death. It is as though Noah’s life bore no more good after his sin.

The consequences of sin are terrible, always terrible. Scripture declares this fact:

“As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death” (Proverbs 11:19).

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6).

“Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them” (Jeremiah 11:11).

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him” (Hebrews 2:3).

c. Noah failed in his old age after having walked with God for years. The flood happened when Noah was 600 years old; thus, he had walked with God for the greater part of his life. This sin apparently happened in the last one or two hundred years of his life, for he lived after the flood for 350 years.

The point is this: in the latter years of his life, Noah let up and did not guard his spiritual life like he should. Consequently, he sinned and failed late in life.

Þ Moses sinned in the latter years of his life by disobeying God, and was not allowed to enter the promised land because of his disobedience (Numbers 20:7-13).

Þ David sinned in the latter years of his life by committing adultery with Bathsheba and having her husband killed (2 Samuel 11:1-27).

d. Noah apparently fell into sin because he neglected his prayer and worship time with God and because he failed to keep a watchful eye against temptation. Very frankly, Noah gave in to a simple temptation. Noah was not a drunkard, not a habitual drinker, or else Scripture would have told us. Noah’s flesh was not craving drink; to become drunk was a new thing for him. If he had been spiritually strong—living before God in prayer and worship—he would not have caved in to a temptation that aroused little craving from his flesh. Noah fell into this tragic sin simply because his heart and mind were not upon God. It is unlikely that he was even thinking about God during the days surrounding his fall. His neglect of daily prayer and worship must have been going on for days.

f. Noah’s sin was also the terrible sin of sensuality, immodesty, and immorality. The Hebrew word for “uncovered” shows this; it is reflexive action: Noah “uncovered [yithgal] himself.” It was, apparently, a deliberate uncovering. Noah was drunk and he stripped himself naked within his tent. All restraints were gone, all modesty, decency, respect, honor, dignity, and morality. Noah had foolishly let down his guard and become drunk. He had let loose, and just as drink usually affects the urges of the flesh, his flesh became activated. His sensual and sexual urges were running loose. Noah stripped himself naked. Why?

Þ To have sex with his wife or to react against his wife because she had refused his advances toward her?

On and on we could guess as to why Noah stripped himself naked, but Scripture just does not say. All it says is that Noah did get drunk, and he uncovered himself, stripped himself naked within his tent. He deliberately allowed the sensual, immodest, and immoral urges of his flesh to run wild.

Scripture tells us how drink causes the sensual and immoral urges of the flesh to run wild.

“Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD’S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory” (Habakkuk 2:15-16).

“And they made their father [Lot] drink wine that night: and the firstborn [daughter] went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose” (Genesis 19:33).

“On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on” (Esther 1:10-11).

g. Noah’s sin was, however, far more than drunkenness and immorality. Noah’s root sin was disobedience to God. Noah just neglected and ignored God. As pointed out above (pt.d), Noah had failed in his daily prayer and worship and failed to stand watch against temptation. He had been neglecting and ignoring God, disobeying God day by day. Consequently, it was but a short step to some serious disobedience, to falling and committing some tragic sin of disobedience.

a. Did Ham commit some sexual sin with his drunken father? Some commentators think so.

Þ Genesis 9:22 says that Ham “saw the nakedness of his father.” The Hebrew means more than just looking at his father; it means that he saw with pleasure, joy, and satisfaction. Does this imply more than just looking with pleasure at his father? Does just looking merit such a terrible curse as was pronounced upon the younger son of Ham (Genesis 9:25)?

Þ Genesis 9:24 says that Noah found out “what his younger son had done to him.” This might refer to some physical act or sexual sin, but it could simply refer to Ham dishonoring and mocking Noah (Genesis 9:22).

Þ In other Scriptures to uncover the nakedness of someone means to commit some sexual sin (Leviticus 18:6-9; Leviticus 20:11, 17-21; Ezekiel 16:36-37). In Leviticus 20:17 the word “see” is used instead of “uncover.” The word “see” means to have sexual relations (Victor Hamilton. The Book of Genesis, p.322).

“And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity” (Leviticus 20:17).

In this passage the word “see” has the same force that the word “know” often has throughout Scripture. For example, “Adam knew Eve...and she conceived” (Genesis 4:1). Both words—“see” and “know”—sometimes mean to see and know in the most intimate sense; to have sexual relations.

These facts definitely point to some sexual sin being involved. But other commentators think not. And, note this: Scripture does not specifically say that a sexual sin was committed, unless the word “saw” means sexual relations as it does in Leviticus 20:17 above.

Now, at least three serious and tragic sins were committed by Ham (four, if a person holds that he committed some sexual sin). These are covered in the following points (b-d).

b. Ham tragically dishonored his father. This is seen not only in the act of Ham, but in the word “saw.” The Hebrew means to gaze upon, to look upon intently, to look upon with pleasure, to look upon with satisfaction (H.C. Leupold. Genesis, Vol.1, p.346). Ham saw his father naked and deliberately stood there looking upon the nakedness of his father. Why? Because he was receiving some kind of satisfaction from it. He was pleased to see his father in such a state of drunkenness, shame, and dishonor. For some reason, Ham felt ill will toward his father. Consequently...

· he refused to throw a covering over his father. He just let him lie there in his shameful nakedness.

Simply stated, Ham dishonored his father. He showed the utmost disrespect and spite for him.

c. Ham scorned, ridiculed, and showed contempt for his father. Ham went right out and told his brothers about his father’s drunkenness and nakedness. The word for “told” (wayyaggedh) means that he told them with delight (H.C. Leupold. Genesis, Vol.1, p.346). He actually got joy and satisfaction in telling them. He was able to ridicule and mock his father’s behavior, to show scorn and contempt in the hope that his brothers might feel ill will toward their father as well.

d. Ham apparently had turned away from the faith of his father. Basically—in the core of his being—Noah was a very godly man, despite his serious and tragic fall at this point in his life. Noah had been chosen and used by God in a great way, and he was a true preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5). Ham, if his heart had been right with God, could not have shown such dishonor and scorn toward such a godly man as Noah, no matter how far the godly man had fallen. In fact, no true believer can show dishonor and scorn toward any person, no matter how terrible a sinner the person may be. True believers just do not dishonor, ridicule, and scorn other persons. This could be the chief reason why Ham felt so much ill will toward his father: he felt dissatisfied and unfulfilled because he had rejected both the God and the preaching of his father.

First, Shem and Japheth showed the greatest respect and honor for their father. They controlled themselves and did not join in the mockery of their father. They took some garment, walked backwards into the tent to the bed of their father, and covered their father’s nakedness. They walked backwards so they would not see their father’s nakedness. What a contrast to the behavior of Ham. Their act—the very way they went about covering their father—stands in stark contrast to Ham’s behavior. Their respect and honor show how terrible Ham’s dishonor toward their father was.

Second, the curse placed upon Ham shows how serious Ham’s sins were. This is the discussion of the next few verses (Genesis 9:24-27, note 5).

The Cursing of Canaan (9:18‑29)

The verses we are considering should be understood in the context of the section in which they are found. Genesis 9:18 begins a new division which continues to chapter 11, verse 10. Moses wrote of the repopulation of the earth through the sons of Noah. Genesis 9:20‑27 explains the three‑fold division of the race for its spiritual dimensions. While the Canaanites are under God’s curse, Shem will be the line through whom the Messiah will come and Japheth will find blessing in union with the line (and the seed, ultimately the Messiah) of Shem.

Chronologically, chapter 10 should follow the confusion at Babel (11:1‑9). Those verses in chapter 11 explain the reason for the dispersion of the nations. Chapter 10 describes the results of that dispersion. But chapter 10 is given first to allow the emphasis to fall upon the narrowing of the godly line down to Abram.

After the flood, Noah began to farm the land by planting a vineyard. The result of his toil was the fruit of the vine, wine. While the first mention of wine is not without its negative connotations, we should not conclude that, due to its abuse here, the Bible consistently or without exception condemns its use (cf. Deuteronomy 24:24‑26; I Timothy 5:23).

Many have been troubled at the deplorable condition of Noah, the man who before the fall was described as a “righteous man, blameless in his time” (6:9). Some have suggested that fermentation may not have occurred until after the flood, and that Noah was simply suffering the innocent results of his inventive efforts.

While we should not seek to excuse Noah, we must recognize that Moses did not emphasize the guilt of Noah, but rather the sin of Ham. Some have suggested various types of evil took place within Noah’s tent. While the language employed might leave room for certain sexual sins (cf. Leviticus18). I do not personally find any reason for assuming any misconduct on the part of Noah beyond the indiscretion of drunkenness and its result in nakedness. Perhaps the best description of Noah’s conduct and condition is that of the word “unbecoming.”

I am impressed with the way in which Moses reported this incident, with a minimum of details and description. To have written any more would have been to perpetuate the sin of Ham. Hollywood would have taken us inside the tent in wide‑screen technicolor. Moses leaves us outside with Shem and Japheth.

It would seem that Ham and his two brothers were alerted to Noah’s condition so that all three of them were standing outside the tent: “And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside” (Genesis 9:22).

While Shem and Japheth refused to go inside, Ham had no reservations about entering the tent. Whatever the failing of Noah, he was inside his own tent, in privacy (9:21). That is the way Shem and Japheth wanted it. Ham entered in, violating the principle of privacy, yet not to assist his father but to be amused at his expense.

Ham did nothing to preserve the dignity of his father. He did not see to it that Noah was properly covered. Instead he went outside to his two brothers and graphically described the folly which had overtaken their father. It seems to me that Ham also may have encouraged Shem and Japheth to go into the tent to see this for themselves.[3]

The lengths to which Shem and Japheth went in order not to see their father seem almost extreme in our sexually permissive society. But then, our televisions have desensitized us to nakedness or rudeness. There is nothing which is not advertised, even products which once were considered very private.

Taking “the” garment, the one which Noah should have been wearing, upon their shoulders, they went backward into the tent. Without looking upon their father, they covered him and left the tent.

In the morning, when Noah awoke from his drunkenness, he knew what had happened. We do not know how he learned of this. Perhaps he was alert enough to remember the events of the previous night. One thing I am certain about—Shem and Japheth did not tell Noah, or anyone else. I suspect that the story was well known around the camp the next morning, and probably due to Ham. If Ham did not hesitate to tell his brothers, why hesitate to tell all?

Regardless of Noah’s source of information, his response was one with broad implications. Canaan, the youngest son of Ham, was cursed. He was to be the lowest servant[4] to his brothers. While some understand the “brothers” of verse 25 to refer to his fellow man, I believe it refers specifically to Canaan’s earthly brothers, the other sons of Ham. In this way, Canaan’s curse is intensified in these three verses. In verse 25, Canaan will be subservient to his brothers; in verses 26 and 27, to his father’s brothers, Shem and Japheth.

Viewed in this way, it is impossible to see any application of this passage to the subjugation of the Black people of the earth. Ham was not cursed in this passage, but Canaan. Canaan was not the father of the Black peoples, but of the Canaanites who lived in Palestine and who threatened the Israelites.

In verse 26, it is not Shem who is blessed, but his God: “He also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant” (Genesis 9:26).

By this, the godly line is to be preserved through Shem. From his seed the Messiah was said to come. The blessing comes not from Shem, but through Shem. The blessing flows out of the relationship which he has with Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. And the servitude of Canaan is one of the evidences of this blessing.

The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they shall come out against you one way and shall flee before you seven ways. The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself as He swore to you, if you will keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and walk in His ways (Deuteronomy 28:7‑9).

Just as Shem’s blessing consists in his relationship to Yahweh, Japheth will be blessed in his relationship to Shem.

May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant (Genesis 9:27).

The name “Japheth” is thought to mean ‘to enlarge’ or ‘to make wide.’[5] By a word play, Noah blessed Japheth by using his own name.[6] The blessing of Japheth is to be found in relationship to Shem and not independently. This promise is stated more specifically in chapter 12, verse 3: “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

God promised to bless Abram, and the other nations in him. All who blessed Abram would experience God’s blessing, while all who cursed him would be cursed. Again, Canaan will be subjected at those times when Japheth is found in union with Shem.

There is a clear correspondence between the activities of Ham, Shem, and Japheth and the curses and blessings which follow them. Shem and Japheth honored God when they acted together to preserve the honor of their father. Ham dishonored both his father and his God by relishing the humiliation of Noah. So Ham was cursed and Shem and Japheth were blessed in cooperative unity.

The problem which must arise from the cursing of Canaan is this: Why did God curse Canaan for the sin of Ham? Beyond this, why did God curse the Canaanites, a nation, for the sin of one man?

The explanation which best seems to answer these questions is that the words of Noah convey not only a cursing, and a blessing, but a prophecy. While it is true that the sins of the fathers are visited on the sons, this is only “to the third and fourth generations” (Exodus 20:5). If this principle were to be applied, all the sons of Ham should have been cursed.

By prophetic revelation, Noah foresaw that the moral flaws evidenced by Ham would be most fully manifested in Canaan and in his offspring. Knowing this, the curse of God falls upon the Canaanites because of the sinfulness Noah foresaw.[7] The emphasis thus falls upon the fact that the Canaanites would be cursed because of their sin, not due to Ham’s. I think this explains why Canaan is cursed and not Ham, or the rest of his sons.

The words of Noah, then, contain a prophecy. Canaan will most reflect the moral flaws of his father, Ham. And the Canaanites will manifest these same tendencies in their society. Because of the sinfulness of the Canaanites foreseen by Noah, the curse of God is expressed. The character of these three individuals and their destiny will be corporately reflected in the nations which emerge from them.

(9:24-27) Canaan— Shem— Japheth— Race, Human— History— Prophecy: the future of the human race was predicted. When Noah awoke from his drunken stupor, he noticed something different, perhaps the way the covering was thrown over him. Apparently, he asked his sons about the matter, and the older sons told him what had happened. Noah’s heart, as any godly father’s heart would be, was broken...

But more than Noah’s heart being broken, God’s heart was broken, broken because His servant had fallen into sin and tragically affected his testimony and family so much. God convicted Noah, and Noah repented. How do we know this? Because God moved upon Noah with the spirit of prophecy and led Noah to predict the future of the human race. Remember, Noah’s three sons stood at the head of the three branches of the human race. The three sons—the three branches of the human race—now became the focus of Scripture (Genesis 9:24-11:32). God is leading Noah to reveal the future of the three branches of the human race. It is critical to know this: Noah is not reacting against Ham in this passage, for Noah stands as guilty as his son, if not more guilty, because of his call and position as a minister of righteousness. What is happening is due to God: God is using Noah and the terrible incident to predict the future of the human race. God wants to use the prediction...

· as a guide to show the utter necessity of following God instead of the ways of the world.

1. There was the prediction about the youngest son of Ham, Canaan: he was predicted to be the father of an enslaved people. Note several significant facts.

a. Why is Ham’s son, Canaan, predicted to be the father of a cursed people instead of Ham? That is, why was Canaan cursed and not Ham himself? All kinds of reasons have been suggested by various commentators, but the truth seems to lie in the following.

First, Canaan was already walking in the footsteps of his father, living a sensual life and denying the faith of the God of Noah.

Scripture definitely teaches that a man sows what he reaps (Gal. 6:7) and that the sins of the fathers are passed on down through generation after generation (Exodus 20:5). Life demonstrates this truth time and again. Unfortunately, a father sins and falls. Although he might regret his sin and even repent, his son still follows in his sinful footsteps and never repents.

The influence of parents upon their children is undeniable. Their influence is great, almost incompre-hensible. For example, we know today how influential parents are through their genes and behavior: every child...

This does not mean that a child cannot break the behavioral pattern of a bad parent; he can. He can choose to act differently, to behave properly, to live a good and moral life. But most do not; most continue on in the kind of immoral life their parents lived.

Apparently, Canaan followed a sinful path in life, following in the footsteps of his father, Ham. Noah observed his evil, and under the inspiration of God’s Spirit, Noah prophetically uttered the course of Canaan’s life. In addition, Noah saw that the impact of a father’s influence upon his son was to be demonstrated time and again down through history in the seed of Canaan.

Second, the very name “Canaan” means the submissive one. It comes from the Hebrew meaning to stoop, submit, bend, subjugate. Why would Ham give his baby son such a name? Ham had to be thinking of obedience, of the submission a son owed to his father. Was Ham a tyrannical—perhaps abusive—father? The great Old Testament commentary Keil and Delitzsch thinks so:

“The father, when he gave him this name, thought only of submission to his own commands” (Keil and Delitzsch. Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol.1, p.157-158).

b. Why was Canaan alone cursed and not the other sons of Ham? First, some commentators say this: that all the sons of Ham were not to be enslaved and dominated by other nations down through history. Therefore, the prediction of being a cursed people did not apply to them; it applied only to Canaan and his seed or descendents. The other sons of Ham were just to be insignificant in their influence down through history; therefore, there is not a prediction of either a blessing or curse upon them. Second, other commentators hold to the position taken by Keil and Delitzsch:

Þ That the curse predicted does fall primarily upon Canaan and his seed or descendents.

How can this be, when Scripture does not specifically say so? By implication. The proof is this:

Þ Ham and his sons are not included in the blessings pronounced upon the other sons.

Þ They must, therefore, be included in the curse pronounced upon Canaan and his seed.

God is predicting through Noah the future of the human race, of the three branches that are to spread out and cover the earth. If Ham’s other sons are not included in the curse predicted upon Canaan, then three quarters of Ham’s branch is not covered; a good portion of the human race is omitted. This would not make sense when the very prophecy is focusing upon the future of the human race as a whole. Therefore, Ham himself and his other three sons must be included in the prediction made about Canaan, or else the prophecy is incomplete.

Þ “The Canaanites were partly exterminated, and partly subjected to the lowest form of slavery, by the Israelites, who belonged to the family of Shem; and those who still remained were reduced by Solomon to the same condition (1 Kings 9:20-21).

Þ “The Phoenicians, along with the Carthaginians and the Egyptians, who all belonged to the family of Canaan, were subjected by the Japhetic Persians, Macedonians, and Romans.

Þ “The remainder of the Hamitic tribes either shared the same fate, or still sigh, like the negroes, for example, and other African tribes, beneath the yoke of the most crushing slavery” (Keil and Delitzsch. Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol.1, p.158.) (Outlined by us for simplicity.)

Now, having said all this, note what the verse says: “A slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers.” This term “slave of slaves” most likely refers to his other three brothers. They were to be enslaved, but he (Canaan’s descendents) was to be a slave of slaves, the lowest of slaves. He was even to be enslaved by his enslaved brothers.

c. The prediction about the Canaanites was this: he was to be “a servant of servants” (Genesis 9:25). The phrase means the lowest of servants or slaves. The Canaanites were the people who occupied Palestine or the land of Canaan when Israel set out from Egyptian slavery to conquer the land of Palestine. They were primarily conquered by the Jews under the leadership of Joshua (Joshua 9:22-27; cp. Joshua 9:1-21) and of Solomon (1 Kings 9:20-21).

d. James Montgomery Boice makes a statement that is worthy of quote, a statement that shows the deep-seated prejudice of the human heart and how far men will go in stretching and abusing the Scriptures:

“We are going to see in the next chapter that this curse was pronounced on the ancient peoples of the Near East, most of whom were later conquered by the Jews under Joshua. But notice this: they were not the Negro races. In an earlier generation prejudiced minds used this text to justify their enslaving of Africa’s black populations, but this is without any biblical basis and is a proof rather of the expositors’ sin. Not until the middle of the nineteenth century, when the slave trade was at its height, did anyone ever imagine that Ham was the father of the black races or that there was a curse on them” (Genesis, An Expositional Commentary, Vol.1, p.321-322).

2. There was the prediction about Shem: he was to be the father of a people whose God is to be blessed (Genesis 9:26). Note that God is blessed here, not Shem, not directly. Shem’s blessing is all wrapped up in God Himself. Two things are meant by this blessing:

Þ The knowledge of God—of the only true and living God, of the true religion—was to come through Shem and his descendents. Abraham was to be part of the seed, a descendent of Shem, and through Abraham the nation of Israel was to be born.

Þ The promised seed, the Savior of the world, was to come through the line of Shem.

Thus, the God of Shem is to be blessed because He is going to choose the line of Shem...

One other thing is said about Shem: he is to rule over Canaan. Canaan is to be the servant of Shem. As pointed out above, the Jews did conquer and enslave the Canaanites (pt.1c above).

3. There was the prediction about Japheth (Genesis 9:27). Three things are forseen and predicted by God through Noah.

a. Japheth will be enlarged by God; that is, his territory and prosperity will be enlarged. The descendents of Japheth were to be the great Indo-European nations of the earth. This will be seen in Genesis 10. The largest portion of land and wealth would be held by the great Gentile nations of the earth, the descendents of Japheth.

b. Japheth shall live in the tents of Shem. This refers to sharing in the spiritual blessings of Shem:

Not every descendent or person within the Gentile nations—in fact, not many when compared to the whole population—believe in God and Christ. But all have the opportunity to live in the tents of Shem, in the spiritual blessings of the promised seed, of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

c. Japheth, too, was to rule over Canaan. Some of the descendents of Japheth were to conquer and enslave some of the descendents of Ham.

(9:28-29) Death— Noah: the death of the human race was demonstrated. Think what a great and courageous man Noah was:

Þ He was the man who stood against the world as a testimony to the only living and true God, who stood when everyone else—everyone—forsook God.

Þ He was the man who obeyed God and built a huge barge-like boat out in the middle of nowhere, all the while preaching that a terrifying judgment was coming unless people repented and turned back to God.

Þ He was the man whom Scripture declares was righteous and perfect and walked with God (Genesis 6:9).

Yet Noah died. At age 950, he died. The point is this: if such a godly man as Noah died, then we all have to die. The death of Noah stands as a demonstration of the grip sin has upon the human race. We shall all die. This is the reason we must turn to the God of Noah and to the promised seed, the Savior of the world. The Lord Jesus Christ is our only hope of conquering death and of living eternally with God.

[1] “The theology of the Reformed churches, in the place which it gives to the covenants, has its prototype in patristic theology as systematized by Augustine of Hippo. It represents the whole of Scripture as being covered by two covenants: (1) the covenant of works, and (2) the covenant of grace. The parties to the former covenant were God and Adam. The promise of the covenant was Life. The proviso was perfect obedience by Adam. And the penalty of failure was death. To save man from the penalty of his disobedience, a second covenant, made from all eternity, came into operation, namely, the covenant of grace. Throughout the OT period there were successive proclamations of this covenant.” “Covenant Theology,” Baker’s Dictionary of Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1960), p. 144.

[2] One would initially expect the reference to the cursing of the ground to refer to Genesis 3:17 and 5:29. Both theologically (cf. Romans 8:19‑23) and practically we know the curse of 3:17 has not been removed. Any gardener knows this from experience.

The word for ‘curse’ in Genesis is Qalal, while in 3:17 and 5:29 the word is Arur. Interestingly, both words are employed in Genesis 12:3. The curse of the ground in Genesis 8:21 is the flood which destroyed every living thing, not the curse of Genesis 3:17.

[3] Some have accused Ham of committing a homosexual act with Noah, while he was in his drunken stupor. Our text says that Ham “saw the nakedness of his father” (verse 22). While the expression ‘to uncover the nakedness of another’ can be a euphemism for sexual relations (cf. Leviticus 18:6ff), this is not the language employed in our text. Furthermore, there is a contrast in our passage between Ham, who saw the nakedness of Noah, and Shem and Japheth, who did not (Genesis 9:23). The description of how they turned their faces so as not to see Noah in his condition strongly implies that seeing or not seeing was the essence of the situation. The suggestion that Ham saw Noah and his mother in the midst of sexual relations has the same weaknesses.

[4] The expression “servant of servants” (verse 25) is similar to that of ‘Lord of Lords’ or ‘king of kings.’ It is an emphatic way to express an extreme either of sovereignty, or of servitude.

[5] “Both the ancients and the moderns have explained this word in the sense of ‘make wide’ on the basis of Aramaic usage, . . . and this appears to be the correct interpretation.” U. Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis (Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, 1964), II, pp. 168‑169.

[6] Shem means ‘name’ and is likely a word play also.

[7] This is the conclusion of Leupold, who writes, “But how about the Justice of this development of history? From our point of view most of the difficulties are already cleared away. We render ‘Cursed is Canaan’ not ‘be’ (A.V.); and ‘servant of servants shall he be,’ not in an optative sense may he be. The evil trait, displayed by Ham in this story, had, no doubt, been discerned by Noah as marking Canaan, the son, more distinctly. Cannan’s whole race will display it more than any of the races of the earth. To foretell that involves no injustice. The son is not punished for the iniquity of the father. His own unfortunate moral depravity, which he himself develops and retains, is foretold.” H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1942), I, p. 350.