2024-08-23
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The Holy Spirit has been giving me reconnaissance to write about the story of Noah and his sons in the last week that I am to share with you. PR 16: 18, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” You’ll remember that Noah’s son, Ham, the father of Canaan, had viewed his father’s nakedness in his tent the night Noah had gotten drunk on wine. His other brothers, Japeth and Shem came upon them and covered their eyes and their father with a blanket [GN 9: 22-23]. God had already made the “Rainbow” Covenant, promising he would never wipe out His human creation by a flood again [GN 9: 12-15]. Ham’s disobedience in a certain way put God’s back up against a wall. It was serious enough that it couldn’t be ignored. That was when God decided that the descendants of Ham would be slaves to those of his brothers [GN 9: 25-26].
From JS 9: 1-27 we read the story of the Gibeonite deception and is one result of disobedience that God needed to endure from the Israelites. The Gibeonites were descendants of Ham who lived not far from Canaan [the original name for Israel] but these Canaanites lied and told the Israelites they were from a distant foreign land. They deceived the Israelites by making their provisions appear worn and rotten --outdated for use. Upon hearing this Joshua and his men neglected to inquire of God and offered to make the Gibeonites their woodcutters and water carriers. This was surely not following God’s command that all the Canaanites should be killed [JS 9: 24]. It had been God’s intention that the Promised Land would be cleared of all its former inhabitants and their animals and made ritually clean. This disobedience flew in the face of God’s will. How long would God endure it? GN 6: 3 tells us, “The Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be 120 years.”
Before leaving the subject of Noah, we need to look at his life. He had been righteous all his life—building the ark, following God’s commands to load it with his family of 7 humans and two of each kind of animal, waiting until the days elapsed after the flood to leave the ark, and so on. Noah had pronounced a curse on Canaan after his youngest son Ham’s son, due to his father’s dishonorable behavior, extended his eldest son, Japeth’s, territory and offered praise to God for his middle son, Shem, and Japeth [GN 9: 25-26]. Noah had preached righteousness, which is why God had brought the floor on unrighteous people but protected Noah and the seven others-- not sparing judgment in the ancient world [2 PET 2: 5]. A further example of Noah’s righteousness is shown in GN 8: 20-22, “Then, Noah built an altar to the Lord, and taking some of the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart, ‘Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.’”
Noah and his family were told to “be fruitful and multiply” populating the earth. Humans were responsible for all other living things, some were given some animals for food, just as plants had been. Even the rudiments of a dietary system and system of law are mentioned in GN 9: 4-6. We mustn’t forget about the patience God shows us, even now. 2 PET 3: 9, 15, “The Lord is now slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance…Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother, Paul, also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.” Remember that Greek word, “Makrothumia” which refers to patience with mercy. Realistically, we can’t help but conclude that that our God is mercifully patient with us.
PRAYER: O Lord, as Your human creation, we need to return the enormous patience You show to us with faithful obedience to Your will. Part of that is learning the lessons that have come out of comparing Noah and his sons, Japeth and Shem, to his son, Ham, and Ham’s son, Canaan. By reading these histories from the Scriptures, Your “Love Letter” to Your human creation, we can obey Your will as it is in RO 12: 1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sister, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Then, you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good and pleasing and perfect will.” The very fact You want us to repent and to be saved for eternal life with You demonstrates the loving patience and mercy You have for us. Praise and thanksgiving be to You, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: Next week, I’m commanded to write about human judgments. Learning patience is an act of mercy. We are surrounded by people who pass judgment on others and act on it. How often people are kind to a person’s face and then say derogatory things about them behind their backs. This behavior is not what our Lord wants or Who He is. LAM 3: 22-23, “The Lord is unfailing; His love and mercy continue fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.” PS 30: 5, “His anger lasts only a moment, His goodness for a lifetime-tears at night but joy in the morning.” Patience and judgment are opposites; being patient is being filled with the Holy Spirit. Blessed be Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2024. All Rights Reserved.
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