The Bible: One Bite at a Time Expository Sermon Series Notes Genesis to the Revelation Sid Galloway © 1999 .....

Alcohol, Nakedness, Devolution  Two Families - Two Ways  Genesis 9:18 - 10:32

Audio Tapes # 38 August 6, 2000       (Notes Updated August 3, 2000)

Don't miss the pictures of the zoo days. The Lord willing, Creation Creature Features soon.

Review: (Gen 1-9:17) See the notes on the Web -
Creation - Rebellion - Global Greenhouse Canopy - Violence - Flood - Noah's Ark
     Remember that God's primary punishment in Gen 3, and all throughout History (His Story) is that He withdraws His Hand that holds all things in order. The rebellion of Adam (Gen 3) and the subsequent escalation of "entropy" (disorder, death, & decay - dysfunctional 2nd law of thermodynamics) is the reason for imperfections as well as the selfish competition, violence, pain, suffering, fear, and death we see in the "wild kingdom" now.  *  The second law of thermodynamics was functional before Adam sinned, such as in the process of digestion, chemical processes, etc., but death and disease were not.

Yet God's sovereign mercy and grace always makes a way to fulfill His plan and its promise (Rom 8:28-29)! God will bring out of this dying world, a remnant of followers, by grace alone through faith alone in the person and sufficient work of Messiah, the seed of a woman.

The Text: Genesis 9:18 - 10:32

Brief Exposition and Commentary - (Gen 9:18 - 10:32 )

Genesis 10:5, 20, 31

- "families"; The emphasis of Scripture throughout these chapters and in fact the whole of the Bible is the contrast between two families.  One is the family of God (Eph 3:14), and the other is the family fathered by Satan (John 8:44).
- These three verses highlight the point that functional family relationships that glorify God are the priority.
- Remember that Noah and his family got off the Ark and worshipped God at the altar through sacrifice.  Now here, sin shows itself through Noah even in his old age, just like David, Solomon, etc..

Genesis 9:18-19

- Noah had only three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  From these three men the whole earth was populated. 
- All mankind originated from Adam through Noah and his three sons.  One genetic blood-line, one race (Acts 17:26).
- Ham is further described as "the father of Canaan".  Why?  Because of the infamous sin and consequences that spread throughout his extended family.  Sinful socialization (destructive discipleship) always leads to an escalation in sin and cursed consequences.  Godly socialization (disciplined discipleship) leads to holiness and happiness (J.O.Y.).

Genesis 9:20-29

- Years of post-flood stress and pressures (perhaps a decade or more) have tempted Noah with exhaustion and he decides to get drunk.  Surely he knew from pre-flood experience that people get drunk on fermented grape juice.  By the way, fermentation is a process of decay that would never have happened in the garden of Eden.
- Noah in his old age lets down his guard over his soul and embraces the Solomon Sindrome.  Beware lest you think you stand above temptation, especially after you've walked straight for a long time.
- Instead of turning to the pleasures of this world (1 John 2) when stress and conflict arise, we should turn to the Lord.  Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are tired and heavy laden (stressed out), and I will give you rest". (Mat 11:28-30)
- Alcohol is just one of many chemicals (drugs) that give us cheap pleasures that seem good at the time, but never satisfy.  The Word commands that we not be "drunk with wine" (intoxicated and controlled mentally by any chemical - Eph 5:17-18).  We are to be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit as we willfully submit our brains and bodies to His will (Rom 12:1-3).
- Even food is a package of chemicals that if misused can dull our mental discernment, which is why fasting is such an important discipline for every disciplined disciple.
- The Greek term for sorcery is pharmakia, from which we get the modern term pharmacy.  This does not imply that all use of medication is wrong, but that mind-altering drugs are very dangerous.  When your brain is under the control of chemicals, especially psychoactive drugs, you cannot submit it to the Lord.  Your sin tendency (the flesh) will bubble to the surface like scum in a swamp and you will do what is natural not supernatural.
- Immorality is the fruit of the flesh, when we do not deliberately control it (Gen 4).  Note that Noah did not premeditatedly plan to expose his nakedness, but through drunkenness it happened by lack of self-control.
- The drunkenness not only exposed Noah's nakedness, but was the temptation to expose Ham's sinful heart.  Ham chose disrespect and disobedience to both His father and to God, by making a joke out of Noah's foolishness.  But Shem and Japheth chose to exercise submissive faith, in order to honor/glorify their authority Noah, and God whom he represented.
Ham: Disrespect > Disobedience > Disorder/Devolution > Dysfunction > Destruction > Dishonor of God's Image

A Prophecy Not A Curse: Neither Noah nor God personally cursed the grandson Canaan for the sin of his father, Ham.  The Bible in Ezekiel 18:20 makes it clear that such is not the Way of God.  This is a prophecy from the patriarch Noah, led by the Spirit of God, to proclaim the future for God's glory (Isaiah 41-48 Prophecy's Purpose).

Canaan: The name Canaan means submissive and may have been given by Ham in a desire that the boy would obey his authority.  Yet Ham's gross failure to provide a proper socializing family model, would lead to increasing sin down the line of his descendants.   The cursed consequences for their continued decision to walk out from under the authoritative hand of God (1 Pet 5:5-9) would be to become "servants of servants", struggling against the goad.  John 8 reveals the fact that such a choice leads to slavery to sin and Satan, even though outwardly it appears that men are the masters.  After the tower of Babel's confusion, Canaan's descendants settled in the area south of the promised land, so they populated Africa and it's surrounding regions.

Shem:  The Yahweh (Jehovah) God is praised by Noah because He has shown His Holiness through the faithful submission of Shem.  Shem is the father of the line of Eber (the Hebrews), through whom would come Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and the prophesied seed of a virgin woman, Messiah Jesus.  Note the parallel prophetic praise and blessing given by God to Abraham.  Shem's descendants settled the middle-east and the far east.

Japheth:  Noah prophesied that Japheth's descendants would spread (enlarge) across the earth and that they would share in the blessings of Shem ("dwell in the tents of Shem").  Japheth's descendants spread north and west and populated the Indo-European nations.  The primary percentage of non-Hebrew people to share in the spiritual blessings of Messiah/Christ have been the Christianized nations of Europe and America, just as prophesied by Noah.  These simple prophecies, like those of Daniel, have proven to be amazingly accurate.  As Isaiah 41-48 proclaim, this is the primary proof promised by God for the transcendent authorship of Scripture.

Genesis 10:1-32

- Why does chapter ten mention a division of languages and nations, when 11:1 follows with the statement that the whole earth had one language?  These two chapters are arranged just like Genesis 1 and 2.  The first chapter is a generic outline of the historical events, while the next chapter is a personal look at a specific event in the outline and the details of the lives and relationships involved.  Genesis 2 is a personal look at the creation of man.  Chapter 11 is a personal look at how the various languages came about, and how God called out His faithful family through Shem.  The rainbow covenant is unconditional.
- God led Moses to record a few details of personal lives in Chapter 10.  Nimrod's name means "let us rebel" and he founded both Babel (Babylon) and Nineveh.  Perhaps his father was tired of being a servant of servants and hoped that this boy would rebel and gain false freedom from authority for his family.  So Nimrod grows up and becomes a "mighty one on the earth".  This phrase implies he was infamous, like other tyrants of history (Hitler, Stalin, etc.).  The phrase a "might hunter" does not necessarily mean of animals.  Nimrod as a dictator may have hunted (captured) men to enslave them and use them as the Lord Jesus describes in Mat 20.  This is the interpretation of many respected commentators such as Leupold, Keil, etc..

Nimrod's Babel (Babylon):  (More on this next week in the Genesis 11 sermon notes....)

 

 

- Next week we'll look at the culmination of man's disobedient disorder, the tower of Babel, and God's response.  The Tower of Babel was the first United Nations building, where men tried to unite apart from God to make a name (authority) for themselves.
- Today, we are witnessing the formation of a new Mystery Babylon, which has the same arrogant and rebellious spirit driving its formation.  The goal of Lucifer and sinful man is the same as it was in Eden and Babel, to achieve self-deification, to become their own "I AM".  

Never forget.  When God says: "I AM", He is also saying "You are not"!

 

 

 

 

 

 

How does all of this apply to: Are you, your family, and your church functioning as a Shem and Japheth's families did? Are your relationships socializing others to become disciplined disciples or dysfunctionally dishonoring rebels like Ham, Canaan, and Nimrod? 

* Yourself?

* Your Family?

* Your Church?
 Do you genuinely L.E.A.D. your sheep toward restoration and maturity in Christ?

Use the following chart to examine yourself, and change by putting off habit patterns of attitude, behavior, & countenance.