Today we’re back to Genesis 9.
Genesis Chapter 9 is an interesting chapter because it covers the beautiful and striking symmetry to the first chapters of Genesis, full of blessing and instruction. Yet, it the last third of the chapter, after everything God has done, we see human nature at its worst starting to come back into play.
It’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to do anything wrong after such an awesome display of God’s power, yet as time passes, we humans tend to forget. When we forget, we are open to be led astray.
It’s really sad to see Ham’s response to seeing his father drunk and naked. While the bible doesn’t condone Noah’s behavior, it denfinetly takes a strong stance against Ham and his mocking of his father. Human nature always comes back to its brokenness. If we believe we can be any different without the work of God in our lives, we deceive ourselves. Do we think we are any better than those who physically heard God’s promises and saw His might hand at work? Of course not! No matter how mighty or how amazing God’s work of salvation is, without Him it will grow bitter in our lives and it will no longer impact us. This can be seen time and time again through out the bible, in this story, particularly through the over aching narrative of the Isralites and right through until our current times. It is vital that we stay in connection with our vine who is the source of our salvation, always dwelling in the on going work, instead of letting the mighty works grow old.
All that being said, one take away I really love from this story, is the fact that Ham was still on the ark. God knew this would happen, that Ham would act so shamefully as to be cursed by his own father, yet God still saved him from the flood. While I don’t yet understand the deep significance of it yet, I take comfort in the fact we have a loving and forgiving Father in heaven who loves us and cares so much for us, no matter what we have done.
♡
Musings by Tee 