1. Introduction
They are given the same directive at the beginning: to repopulate the Earth. There is a reset back to Genesis 1:2.
2. God’s Covenant with Noah
They were to rule over the Animal Kingdom, and they would fear mankind and they would rule over them. They were moving from a solely vegan diet to now include meat. The animals went from domestication to becoming wild. This meat had to be drained of blood. See later in Leviticus 17:10-11, 14. God gives a strong prohibition.
We get our understanding of capital punishment from verses like these which is a principle before the giving of the Mosaic Law. God made man in his own image. To murder someone is to take the life of someone made in His image. It is an attack also on God. A life for a life. This is why we believe in the sanctity of life. This does not apply for warfare. It is for murder of one person by another.
God promises that there will never be a global flood to destroy the Earth. There will be floods but not one to destroy all life. God is not admitting to any wrongdoing. He has done this in righteous judgment. The first sign of this Noahic covenant is the rainbow in the sky. It is the same word used as a bow mentioned in a bow and arrow. This is the first time that a rainbow was ever seen. There was no longer a vapour barrier (mist) to protect the Earth. There is mention of a rainbow around the throne of God. See Ezekiel 1:28 and Revelation 4:2-4. This symbol has been stolen in our culture for something that will be judgment upon the Earth.
3. The Drunkenness of Noah
The descendants of Noah are mentioned. Shem, Ham and Japheth. Ham will be the father of Canaan whose descendants will be known as the Canaanites.
Noah has a vineyard and gets drunk by taking too much. This the first-time drunkenness is mentioned in the Bible. Ham saw his father drunk and naked but went to tell his brothers. Rather than protecting the dignity of his father but went to tell his brothers which was a way of humiliating his father by doing nothing and instead talking about it. Shem and Japheth do the right things and respect and cover their father from his indignity.
4. The Curse upon Canaan
When Noah comes to his senses and finds out what has happened. Noah prophetically curses Ham’s son Canaan. We don’t know if Canaan had any involvement as it only seems to be Ham who did the wrong thing. It is Ham’s moral depravity that is ultimately going to define Canaan and his descendants. There is a prophetic blessing for Shem whose descendants will be the Jewish people. It is from Shem that we get the word “Semites” and those who are “antisemites” is often used for those who hate Jews. Japheth is also blessed that he will expand, and he is seen as expanding towards Europe. This verse of Canaan being a slave to his brothers was twisted to be used for proof of African slavery being allowed by Europeans. We are to rightly to divide the Word of Truth. Canaan will have a significant role later in the history of Israel as the Lord gives Israel the land of the Canaanites. The conquest will be payback for hundreds of years of idolatry and unthinkable debauchery. The Canaanites, as a whole culture, committed sins of idolatry, holy temple prostitution, adultery, homosexuality, incest, murder, bestiality, gang rape, and child sacrifice. They stood out for their sin.
5. Noah Dies
Noah lived 350 more years after the flood and was 950 years old. Noah was a remarkable man who served God in his generation. Yet his last years do not match the glory of his first years.
Noah was a man of great triumph and weakness. The New Testament remembers his godliness, marking him as a man of faith (Hebrews 11:7) and a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5).
6. The Table of the Nations
Israel will become God’s special nation. The nations that are relevant to the nation of Israel are the ones covered that are relevant to the narrative.
There are some important names. These people will spread out because of languages and the reason for them scattering will be explained in the next chapter at the Tower of Babel. Things are not always in chronological order. There will be a flashback to how this dispersing happened. Shem is the father of the Jews.
7. The Tower of Babel
There is a self-focus that is happening in Babel rather than a God-focus. They want to make a name for themselves and that they are strong, might people to be remembered. This is the pride of life. They did not want to be dispersed upon the Earth as God had commanded. They are rebelling against the directive of God. It is like a spoiled child defying their parent. There is defiance everywhere today.
- People separate from marriage even though God says to stay together.
- Marriage is redefined from being one man and one woman.
- God says there is only male and female but those who rebel say there are many more. You can be whatever you want to be!
Nothing has changed. There is defiance rather than surrender and submission. Man wants to be his own God. Christians are to not shake their fist at them. We need to tell as many people as possible that Jesus is Lord, there is only one way to be saved, and Jesus is coming back to judge the world. We think we are being our own god, but we are instead following the god of this world (Satan/Devil) who also rebelled and whom mankind listened to in the Garden of Eden. He is the god of this world. See 2 Corinthians 4:4.
God sees what is going on and decides to intervene. God always gets His way. You can complain all you like but God’s will be done. If only they had believed and obeyed in the first place. They are dispersed throughout the Earth as God had planned. There are now multiple languages, and they can no longer communicate and collaborate for their grand scheme to build the Tower of Babel. They are forced to scatter over the face of the Earth.
There can be great advantages to unity such as working together to achieve great things and having a common language or communication. However, this unity much be according to God’s will, or He will put an end to it. In the New Testament we are to strive to maintain unity within the Church. See Ephesians 4:2-6. Which must be based on a common standard and following God’s Word. See John 17:20-21 and Philippians 3:16-19.
8. The Lineage to Abraham
The narrative centres on the birth of the Jewish nation and focuses on the lineage to Abram. Abrah comes from the lineage of Shem. We are told that Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters. We finally come to Terah who fathered Abram. Then we are about Abram’s family as they took his nephew Lot with them on their way to Ur of the Chaldeans with Terha dying along the way.
Categories: Genesis
Feed My Sheep 
Leave a Reply!