Daily Power-up: Genesis 9:18-28
The Sons of Noah
18 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 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 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.
Personal Reflection: Noah
Alcoholism is a disease that plagues millions of people around the world. Sadly, it is no stranger even in the finest of Christian families. Would it surprise you to know that even Noah, chosen by God--had a weak moment and was found drunk in his tent?
The Bible does not elaborate on what caused Noah to make this choice, we can only speculate. Can you imagine what it must have been like? The whole world of people gone? The environment he once knew wiped out of existence? The animals no longer friendly to each other--as they had been in the Ark and before the Flood? Now the animals would fear man, and each other! Animals would also hunt each other too! Noah had been a farmer, but now, he and his sons were given permission to hunt the animals for food. Transformed into hunters to kill under certain conditions and given rules regarding the treatment of the lifeblood.
What did they use for permanent shelter? Chapter 9 still mentions tents--but were they planning to make permanent structures? If so, how long were they to wait for suitable trees to grow? Today people claim to have found the Ark. It has struck me, what if there is no Ark to find as this first family surviving after the flood needed to deconstruct it for survival? Great source of wood for building homes, fuel, and such.
They needed to build fires for sacrifices to God--wood from the Ark would have been needed, are we to assume there would have been downed trees conveniently left all over?--Despite the fact of all the proof today that the vegetation and dead biological matter had somehow been covered up in huge dumps all over the world in order to create caches of oil to be later discovered?
I believe the shock of finding a new, changed earth, new environment, changed animal behavior, everything Noah had known from before, except His God--took a toll on him. He finally cracked, just once. It was his two sons, Japheth and Shem who loved their father and respected him the most who did the loving thing and covered their father's nakedness.
Instead of waiting to pounce on their father--to pick on any kind of mistake--in love and in kindness they gave him respect. God had, after a terrible rain storm--saved them. Their father had listened to God--instructed them to build the Ark. His faith had proven true. These two sons had seen these miracles, their hearts touched--their love and respect for their father was true and unending, even when their beloved father became a bit stressed out and lost it for a moment and sinned.
Ham, on the other end of the scale, apparently waited for a moment to pounce, took advantage, mocking, and wanting to share his father's indecencies ran off to tell the others! He could have covered his father--quietly and never said a thing. He did not have to make public his father's mistake. He was anxious to find error. Later, Noah woke up and knew HIS mistake had been discovered. His blessings were pronounced on the offspring of those sons based on what had transpired.
The offspring of Ham would be servants to the Israelites; and offspring of Shem would be those Israelites, tasked with the burden of being the light of the world; the offspring of Japheth would the Gentiles of the world--who would need that light.
Whenever there is sin, and mistakes, and people are hurt, think about what position you are in for that moment. Are you a light for others to help and to guide? Will you be a servant? Or will you be the lost ones, needing the light? Remember, Christ died for everyone--and there are no perfect people. I continually think of 1 John 1:9-10-- to sum up: we must continually confess our sins, and remember we are not without sin--or we are liars or no light resides within us.
Love covers a multitude of sins and mistakes. Make a new beginning today--make it practice to not gossip at someone else's misfortune--instead love that person--be respectful in love make a commitment to be a light, be a servant to God.
Michelle Reed
and her father did some genealogy research on their family. He gave her enough information to research and find that the Reed side of the family traces back to the Celts, all the way back through the lines of offspring to Japheth! This would be Noah's Japheth. She was shocked.
She has made it her life's hobby to study the book of Genesis since age 10 when a very plucky atheist who was her 5th grade teacher tried to convince her to give up her new found faith in Christ Jesus! She has read everything from Darwinism to Creation Science on all disciplines of earth science that could possibly apply to understanding the Universe. It is a life pursuit. Having read over 1000 books, watching hundreds of documentaries, and prayerfully reading the Bible as her main source of information--she believe the Bible to be 100 percent accurate and true account of Creation. She feels even closer to Noah, having found a real-life connection to her family.
God bless you in your own spiritual journey!
Bible in a Year: Job 32-34
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Job 32
Elihu
1 So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. 3 He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. 5 But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.
6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:“I am young in years,
and you are old;
that is why I was fearful,
not daring to tell you what I know.
7 I thought, ‘Age should speak;
advanced years should teach wisdom.’
8 But it is the spirit in a person,
the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.
9 It is not only the old who are wise,
not only the aged who understand what is right.
10 “Therefore I say: Listen to me;
I too will tell you what I know.
11 I waited while you spoke,
I listened to your reasoning;
while you were searching for words,
12 I gave you my full attention.
But not one of you has proved Job wrong;
none of you has answered his arguments.
13 Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;
let God, not a man, refute him.’
14 But Job has not marshaled his words against me,
and I will not answer him with your arguments.
15 “They are dismayed and have no more to say;
words have failed them.
16 Must I wait, now that they are silent,
now that they stand there with no reply?
17 I too will have my say;
I too will tell what I know.
18 For I am full of words,
and the spirit within me compels me;
19 inside I am like bottled-up wine,
like new wineskins ready to burst.
20 I must speak and find relief;
I must open my lips and reply.
21 I will show no partiality,
nor will I flatter anyone;
22 for if I were skilled in flattery,
my Maker would soon take me away.
Job 33
1 “But now, Job, listen to my words;
pay attention to everything I say.
2 I am about to open my mouth;
my words are on the tip of my tongue.
3 My words come from an upright heart;
my lips sincerely speak what I know.
4 The Spirit of God has made me;
the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 Answer me then, if you can;
stand up and argue your case before me.
6 I am the same as you in God’s sight;
I too am a piece of clay.
7 No fear of me should alarm you,
nor should my hand be heavy on you.
8 “But you have said in my hearing—
I heard the very words—
9 ‘I am pure, I have done no wrong;
I am clean and free from sin.
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
he considers me his enemy.
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;
he keeps close watch on all my paths.’
12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
for God is greater than any mortal.
13 Why do you complain to him
that he responds to no one’s words?
14 For God does speak—now one way, now another—
though no one perceives it.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak in their ears
and terrify them with warnings,
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
and keep them from pride,
18 to preserve them from the pit,
their lives from perishing by the sword.
19 “Or someone may be chastened on a bed of pain
with constant distress in their bones,
20 so that their body finds food repulsive
and their soul loathes the choicest meal.
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
and their bones, once hidden, now stick out.
22 They draw near to the pit,
and their life to the messengers of death.
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
a messenger, one out of a thousand,
sent to tell them how to be upright,
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
‘Spare them from going down to the pit;
I have found a ransom for them—
25 let their flesh be renewed like a child’s;
let them be restored as in the days of their youth’—
26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,
they will see God’s face and shout for joy;
he will restore them to full well-being.
27 And they will go to others and say,
‘I have sinned, I have perverted what is right,
but I did not get what I deserved.
28 God has delivered me from going down to the pit,
and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’
29 “God does all these things to a person—
twice, even three times—
30 to turn them back from the pit,
that the light of life may shine on them.
31 “Pay attention, Job, and listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
speak up, for I want to vindicate you.
33 But if not, then listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Job 34
1 Then Elihu said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men;
listen to me, you men of learning.
3 For the ear tests words
as the tongue tastes food.
4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right;
let us learn together what is good.
5 “Job says, ‘I am innocent,
but God denies me justice.
6 Although I am right,
I am considered a liar;
although I am guiltless,
his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’
7 Is there anyone like Job,
who drinks scorn like water?
8 He keeps company with evildoers;
he associates with the wicked.
9 For he says, ‘There is no profit
in trying to please God.’
10 “So listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to do evil,
from the Almighty to do wrong.
11 He repays everyone for what they have done;
he brings on them what their conduct deserves.
12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,
that the Almighty would pervert justice.
13 Who appointed him over the earth?
Who put him in charge of the whole world?
14 If it were his intention
and he withdrew his spirit and breath,
15 all humanity would perish together
and mankind would return to the dust.
16 “If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.
17 Can someone who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn the just and mighty One?
18 Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’
and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
19 who shows no partiality to princes
and does not favor the rich over the poor,
for they are all the work of his hands?
20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;
the people are shaken and they pass away;
the mighty are removed without human hand.
21 “His eyes are on the ways of mortals;
he sees their every step.
22 There is no deep shadow, no utter darkness,
where evildoers can hide.
23 God has no need to examine people further,
that they should come before him for judgment.
24 Without inquiry he shatters the mighty
and sets up others in their place.
25 Because he takes note of their deeds,
he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
26 He punishes them for their wickedness
where everyone can see them,
27 because they turned from following him
and had no regard for any of his ways.
28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,
so that he heard the cry of the needy.
29 But if he remains silent, who can condemn him?
If he hides his face, who can see him?
Yet he is over individual and nation alike,
30 to keep the godless from ruling,
from laying snares for the people.
31 “Suppose someone says to God,
‘I am guilty but will offend no more.
32 Teach me what I cannot see;
if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’
33 Should God then reward you on your terms,
when you refuse to repent?
You must decide, not I;
so tell me what you know.
34 “Men of understanding declare,
wise men who hear me say to me,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge;
his words lack insight.’
36 Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost
for answering like a wicked man!
37 To his sin he adds rebellion;
scornfully he claps his hands among us
and multiplies his words against God.”