Noah

Good morning Class

Question of the day: When was a time in your life when you got a "start over"  or a "rebute" or you wish you had one? 

Today we are going to try to cover a lot of ground.  This is several chapters long, but it is a very familiar story.  Perhaps one of the most familiar children's stories.  I chose to use this picture because it looks so peaceful.  Ironic in a way.  This story when we really dive into it is not peaceful at all.  In fact I began to wonder why do we use this story in children's nurseries etc.  It is a story of 'de-creation'.  A restart. 

In an attempt to cover this story we will be looking at Genesis chapter 6-9.  I realize if you were looking at the blog schedule that I added chapter 9.  Sorry about that, I will adjust the schedule but I believe it is better to look at the entire story. 

GENESIS 6-9

Genesis 6:1-4

Wickedness in the World6 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with[a] humans forever, for they are mortal[b]; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

So right of the bat here we find this interesting or confusing passage.  What is this "the son's of
God and the son's of daughters?  Also what the world is Nephilim? 

Once again, there are lots of theories.  Theories that have changed over time, and others that are still debated.  Everything from sons of God being fallen angels, or this language simply meaning the different classes, but neither of those hold up.  The word Nephilim is a Hebrew noun that comes from the verb napal which means "to fall".   Specifically it is usually used to speak of wreaking havoc or falling by the sword.  Bottom line, it is more likely that these were great warriors or infamous "heros". 

It is also likely that these four verses would be better suited at the end of the previous chapter.  These verses are simply telling the how of chapter 5 and not the introduction to the flood. 

The introduction to the flood starts in verse 5.  So let's continue.

5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Just a few chapters ago we heard God talking about resting and enjoying his creation.  We saw him admiring it and we all loved the idea that God was delighting in earth and all that he created it to be.  Now.... what has happened?

As we look at this story I want to suggest that the  most important figure is not Noah or his wife, or his son's and their wives but God.  It is less about the humans and very much a story of grace. 

So what do we see about God in this passage?

What a huge change from the beginning of time?

Noah and the Flood9 This is the account of Noah and his family.Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress[c] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.[d] 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit[e] high all around.[f] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you,and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Notice that Noah is quite silent.  This whole passage is God giving instructions and Noah says nothing.  It just says, Noah did everything God commanded him.  

What does this tell you about God?

What do we learn from this passage?

"Noah walked faithfully with God."

I want us to think about this for a moment.  The earth was a mess.  So much so that God regretted creating it.  That is bad!  Yet Noah walked faithfully with God.  Now usually we think of how great Noah was, but I want you to shift your view and turn your eyes on God.  

We think of Adam and God walking and talking together.  Before sin.  But after?

When sin came into the picture I admit, I always saw then the great separation.  This  walking together being replaced by the big stern guy up in the sky looking down at the mess that unfolds, and those on earth left alone, to figure it all out. 

But what does this sentence tell us about God?

In this crazy sinful world where EVERY thought was ONLY evil, he still came and walked with, Noah. 

What was the difference?

Was it that God only wanted to walk with Noah?

What does this say to us today?

We also live in a time not to unlike that of Noah's time. Sometimes it feels very much like God has left us, but has He?

Here is a beautiful lesson of who are God is!  Willing and wanting to walk with you.  We KNOW this for sure because Jesus said it when he left.  He didn't want us to be alone and so He gave us the Holy Spirit to be with us always!

God has always and will always want to walk with you!  The only question is will you walk with Him?

Let's continue with Chapter 7 and 8 is the story we all know so well. 

Anything in this story that struck you this week?

Can you imagine the craziness of this time for Noah and his family?

Again, what do we see or learn about God in this part of the story?

In Patriarchs and Prophets Mrs. White talks about the ark being tossed around in the violence of storm  but how, "Angels that excel in strength were commissioned to preserve it." 

What does that tell you about God?

I see two things.

1. Even in a perfect world, God created even the angels for different purposes.  Example, some had great strength, and others were great musicians.  They didn't all have to be everything.  Perfection isn't being good at ALL THINGS.  

Doesn't it give you pause.  Hmmm what was I created to do? Where are my gifts, talents?

2. I read many accounts of how it isn't possible for the flood to actually happen. One of those reasons being that the ark couldn't have survived.  Well, here is the answer.   If you put a host of angels who excel in strength and commission them to preserve it... well perhaps it is possible that it would survive.  

With God ALL THINGS are possible!  It tells me that his ways, are unimaginable to us, but especially His plan for our Salvation is REAL! 

Let's take a look at chapter 9

God’s Covenant With Noah9 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.
4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.6 “Whoever sheds human blood,    by humans shall their blood be shed;
for in the image of God    has God made mankind.7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

Do you see any similarities here to another story we just studied...?

So here we have God, told them once again to be fruitful and multiply. 

Is there anything here that surprised you.  That perhaps you had not heard in the children story? 

Now for the ending of chapter 9. 

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

What a beautiful covenant.  I am a visual person and the idea that God left this beautiful thing, to remind us all speaks to me.

I can't help but think of how wonderful it is today when we see a rainbow.  Beautiful rainbows grab our attention and we have all seen many.  Can you imagine Noah after the darkness of the storm, the intensity of the whole ordeal, then hearing these words from God and seeing the bow  for the very first time. 

Wow!

I almost wish we could end it there but there are a few more verses....

The Sons of Noah18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth.
20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded[a] to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,“Cursed be Canaan!    The lowest of slaves    will he be to his brothers.”26 He also said,“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem!    May Canaan be the slave of Shem.27 May God extend Japheth’s[b] territory;    may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,
    and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.

What a downer...

Now do you understand why I wish we could have ended with the beautiful rainbow.

However this story is important so we are going to just take a couple minutes.

This is one of those stories that we are quite sure made much more sense to those who wrote it and originally read this text.  We are missing something that was obvious to the readers. 

There are many theories and once again many are quite salacious. 

I will not take the time to write all I found and all the different possibilities, it would take way too much time.  We may go over some of them in class. 

Perhaps the most interesting for me was to look at how this passage reflects or connects to the whole story of creation. 

We just saw how God told them to be fruitful and multiply just like it said to Adam and Eve. 

So what are some of the other similarities here.

Well we obviously see a curse (even if we aren't exactly sure why seeing his father naked deserved such a reaction.)

So there must have been some major issue or sin.

If you look at Eve and Ham, both of them "saw".  Eve saw that the fruit was good and Ham saw his fathers nakedness. 

Both tried to get others involved,  Even went to Adam and Ham to his brothers.

Adam joined Eve, but the brothers did not.

No matter what the "sin" there seems to be some interesting similarities. 

That is where most authors left it.

However I found one more that I think is perhaps the most interesting.

What about the two brothers who didn't join in the sin?

What did they do?

Where do we find a similar thing happening in the creation story?

No matter why it was so grievous to see their fathers nakedness, these men, found a way, to enter his room, and cover his nakedness.  It is interesting to me that they didn't just leave him in his exposed state.

Just like God didn't leave Adam and Eve in their shame,  Shem and Japheth went in and covered their father.

So what does this all tell us today?

What can we take away?

We once again in this story see the redemptive story.

We see God's desire to walk with us.

We see His compassion to save all that he can.

We see His covenant clearly displayed in the sky.

We see a story that reminds us of his covering of our shame.

We see the importance of being on His team.

Are we walking with God?

Listening to His instructions for our lives?

Are we doing our best to find a way to help cover the shame of others or are we trying to expose it?

Whose side are you on?