BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

Lesson 7

Promises Kept

Genesis 9  

Me-

As I began thinking about this lesson it dawned on me that promises are only as good as the one making them.  I cannot even remember all of the times that I have made one only to break it. There have been occasions when a leader in a church service or retreat setting has challenged me to make some type of commitment only to find myself breaking it within a short time frame.

Because of this failure it is a wonder that anyone would put confidence in what I say.  I quite often let other things get in the way.  Another aspect that gets me in trouble is committing to too things at one time.  The to-do-list becomes longer than I can possibly hope to accomplish.  This is an area that I have to work on to make sure that I do not promise to do something and then fail to carry it out.

We-

All of us are guilty of making vows and commitments to the Lord that we fail to keep. Sometimes we make them and then quickly forget all about what we have said.  A very simple example would the promise to pray for someone.  We all have said this at one time or another and then have not followed through.  The list could go on and on.  We need to think seriously before we utter the first word.  We should only commit to those things that we truly plan to do and nothing more.

God made a contract, called a covenant, with Noah which would be universal in nature.  It would impact man from that point on until the promised seed of Noah would come to the earth.

God-

Genesis 9:1

Part of God’s words and actions included a blessing on Noah and his family and then a command.  They were to have children to repopulate the world.  Coming from a background of a godly linage the hope would be that God’s kingdom would be established through that family.

1. Why would God bless Noah and his family?
2. What did it mean to Noah to receive the blessing of God?
3. In what way does the command to multiply speak of God’s plan for the future of man?

 

Genesis 9:2-4

There was now to be a new relationship between man and the animal world.  No longer would there be the docile relationship that was present from creation until man and animal disembarked from the ark.  In order to protect man from his natural enemy God instilled into animals and birds a terror and fear of man.  Man would still have dominance over the animal world, but no longer the rule as he had possessed before the flood.

God also established new dietary laws.  No longer would man’s diet be primarily vegetables but he would be allowed to kill and eat meat.  There is no indication that this practice was specifically prohibited before the fall but was now spelled out clearly for man.  The one prohibition at that point was that man was not to eat raw meat.  God specifically stated that the life of every living creature is in the blood.  Since these dietary laws were given before the time of Moses meant that they would apply to all people universally.

1. What changed after the flood that put man and beast at enmity?
2. What protection did God provide for man from the attacks of the animal kingdom?
3. In what ways would man still dominate the animal world?
4. What new thing did God allow after the flood?
5. Why was man required only to eat food that had been well cooked?
6. In what ways is this still important today?

Genesis 9:5-6

The admonition against shedding blood for the sake of indiscriminate killing was carried one step further.  God established what would be referred to today as capital punishment.  If a person took someone’s life he would pay for that act with his own life. He reinforces the reasoning behind this idea by once again expressing that man was created in His image.

1. How did God deal with act of murder?
2. What is the importance of blood?
3. How is this new command different than His dealing with Cain and Lamech?
4. What does this command mean for us today?

Genesis 9:7

Once again God commands Noah and his sons to repopulate the earth.

1. Why did God repeat this command?
2. Why would Noah and his sons be hesitant to have children?
3. What assurances did this give to Noah and His family?

Genesis 9:8-19

Here is the most important part of these two chapters.  God made a new covenant with Noah and his family and those who were to follow them.  This covenant has not been revoked down to the present time.  He promised that He would never destroy the whole earth by water.  Notice He did not say that there would never be floods or other disasters but only that He would not judge the world by a flood covering the entire planet.  To confirm this covenant, in a way, God wrote in the sky the sign that would signify the fulfillment of the promise when it rained.  Man was given the rainbow.

1. What was the important covenant made with Noah and his sons?
2. What evidence do we have that this covenant is still in place?
3. Why does man need a sign?
4. What events in nature were not covered in the covenant?
5. Why did God only include the fact of a universal flood in His promise?

Genesis 9:18-19

Noah’s three sons are once again named.  Through them the earth would be repopulated.  It is important to note that the son of Ham is mentioned.  In the following verses will be seen how he fits into the narrative. He and his descendants were to be an integral part of the history of the nation of Israel as will be seen later.

1. Why were Noah’s three son named?
2. What part would they play in the history of mankind and the future of the nation of Israel?
3. Why was only Ham’s son mentioned by name at this point?

Genesis 9:20-23

Some time had to elapse since the flood.  Noah took up farming, following in the occupation held by Adam.  One of the things he did was to plant a vineyard.  The resulting harvest was turned into wine. Although there is nothing wrong with wine, it brought terrible consequences to the family of Noah.  He drank too much and in his drunken stupor undressed himself and lay is his tent naked.  Like so many others who find themselves under the influence of alcohol or drugs they lose a sense proper behavior and control over their actions.  His son Ham saw him in that shameful condition and rather than covering up his father or keeping the news to himself, he proceeded to tell his brothers Shem and Japheth.  As shall be seen in the response of Noah the way he told the story must have been a way that showed little respect for him.

Shem and Japheth, unlike Ham, went into the tent with their eyes cover.  They even walked backwards to eliminate any possibility of seeing Noah.  As they entered they covered their father with a garment.  Here is a picture of the covering that God made for Adam and Eve after they had sinned and discovered, to their shame, they were naked.

1. Why did Noah return to the occupation of farming?
2. What problems did he cause for himself and others?
3. How does being under the influence of drugs or alcohol affect those around the person who has indulged in them?
4. What was wrong with what Ham did?
5. How different was the way Shem and Japheth handled the situation?
6. What does it say about the character of each of the brothers?

Genesis 9:24-27

 Now Noah had to be a man of great perception.  When he woke, he immediately came to the conclusion that Ham had been somehow been involved.  Although it may seem strange that he cursed Canaan and not Ham there are other examples where prophecies were made about particular individuals.  Jacob spoke of what would happen to the different tribes in the future. (Genesis 49)  Moses also spoke of each tribe in Deuteronomy 33.  One commentator said that Noah could not curse Ham who God had already blessed.

The curse on Canaan actually did not occur for many years.  His descendents would not become slaves to the Israelites and Japheth for hundreds of years.  Only after the time spent in Egypt would Israel gain dominance over the Canaanites which include the Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites etc. Later the Persians, Greeks and others would control that part of the world.

1. How would Noah have known that Ham was the culprit in what had taken place?
2. What examples are there in the Scriptures that have the speaker prophesying what will happen in the future to a people, especially the Israelites.
3. In what ways does this reflect the idea of the sins of the father being passed down to the third and fourth generation?
4. Why did He curse Canaan, the son of Ham, instead of Ham?
5. How did this curse play out in the history of the Canaanites?

Genesis 9:28-29

At his death Noah was the last of the pre-flood lineage which began with Seth.  He was the bridge between the old world and the new.  After him it would be up to his sons to carry on in that new world. He was nine hundred and fifty years old.  He would also be the last to live to such an old age.  Notice that unlike those who had gone on before him he did not have other sons and daughters but just Shem, Japheth, and Ham.  Like every member of the godly descendents of Seth the Bible tells us, “He died.”

1. What was important about the role Noah played in history?
2. Why was God so specific about giving us the age of Noah at his death?
3. In what ways was he different than his ancestors?
4. How was he the same?
5. What legacy did he leave for us?
6. What was to be the tasks of his sons?

You-

• Consider some promises that you have made in the past.
• Now think about those you have kept.
• And those you have broken.
• Think about the consequences of the broken promises.
• Ask God to forgive you knowing He will keep His promise to forgive us.
• Ask yourself when have been the times when you have not been able to stay under control in areas like overindulgence etc.
• If they instances have brought harm to others ask for their forgiveness and seek it also from your Father.

God- 

We can be so truly thankful that we serve a God who keeps His promises to us.  This happens to be written to be taught after Resurrection Day.  As we reflect what that means may we truly understand that what happened is part of a covenant that was made thousands of years ago in the Garden of Eden when God promised to destroy the power that satan had over mankind through Eve’s descendant.  The Scriptures are replete with the narrative of how God has preserved His people inspite of our weaknesses and sinful nature.

When God sent His Son it was the fulfillment of all that has been prophesied over thousands of years.  Satan has tried to destroy man since the Garden of Eden but 1Corinthians 15:55-57 is the answer for him.  It says, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Thank you Father for Your everlasting faithfulness.

Additional Notes:

WM-After the flood the trusting relationship between man and beast was replaced with fear. (Gen. 9:2)

C-Before the flood there is no indication that man ate anything other than vegetation.  Following the flood God gave Noah and his descendents permission to eat meat as well as plant life. (Gen. 9:3)

GC-One of the first commands given to Noah in this brand new world was to respect life.  To fail to do so would bring death to the offender. Why do you think God gave this command at this time?  (Gen. 9:4-6)

TM-At the very beginning of the fresh start God gave mankind after the flood, He gave specific commands concerning the consequences of the shedding of man’s blood.  How have we minimalized God’s command given here and in the Ten Commandments found in Exodus? (Gen: 9:6)

RT-Life is of upmost importance to God because man is made in His image.                      (Gen. 9:6)

C-God established a covenant relationship with Noah and his family and all mankind through him.  Part of the covenant included the promise that God would never again destroy all flesh by means of flood.  He gave the rainbow as visible sign to seal the covenant. (Gen. 9:8-17)

WM-Noah showed not restraint in indulging his appetite and became drunk.  His lack of self-control would affect all generation from that time forward. (Gen. 9:21)

WM-Ham did not show respect or honor for his father but told Shem and Japheth about Noah’s nakedness and drunken condition.  His actions led to the curse on his descendents.     (Gen. 9:22)

GC-“Do not be drunk with wine for that is dissipation.” Seen in the passage in Genesis is the result of disobeying the command.  A whole nation is cursed because of the inadvertent act of Ham. His mistake was telling his brothers that he had seen his father naked in a drunken condition.                                                                                               (Gen. 9:21; Prov. 20:1; 23:20-21, 30-35; 21:4-7; Is. 5:11, 22; 28:7-9; Eph. 5:18)

GC-If we do those things that are proper we eliminate the possibility of causing shame, disgrace, gossiping, cursing and anger.  Noah by becoming drunk started a whole chain of events that led to the disgrace of his son and enslavement of his descendents.            (Gen. 9:21-25)

GC-There are real consequences in gossiping or repeating a rumor.  Ham found out the hard way. (Gen. 9:22; Ex. 23:1; 2 Kings 7:16; Prov. 11:13; 17:9; 20:19; 25:23; 26:22)

GC-Ham failed to honor Noah and protect his reputation. (Gen. 9:22; Prov. 20:20)

WM-Noah forgot how much grace God had shown him and cursed his son Ham through his grandson Canaan. (Gen. 9:25-27)

UE-How, in my way of thinking, sad it is that a man considered righteous by God would in his anger put a curse not on his son but his grandson, Canaan. (Gen. 9:25-27)

C-Shem was given the preeminent position in his father’s house.  The descendents of Canaan, Ham’s son, were to be his servants.  Japheth’s descendents were to dwell in the tents of Shem.  This set in motion the lineage through which Jesus was to come.            (Gen. 9:25-27)

DM-When Noah put the curse on Ham through his descendents.  They became the godless Ites of the Old Testament. (Gen. 9:25; 10:6-18; 1 Chron. 1:13-16)

RT-Of all of ham’s sons Noah singularly put the curse on Canaan’s descendents who would be the people who would possess the Promise Land for over four hundred years and would be driven out by Abraham’s descendents. (Gen 9:25; 1 Chron. 1:8)