Genesis 9:1-29

After the flood, God instituted some changes on the earth.  However, it became very clear that some things had not changed.  The evil in man’s heart was not washed away by the flood, so God instituted some changes to help men govern in the midst of this evil.  The changes that God made are further steps of God revealing Himself to man along the path of redemption.

THE PROTECTION OF PEOPLE: God’s command to Noah and his family was to multiply and fill the earth.  He gave man the right to use all of the animals as food, so it seems that up until this time, all men were vegetarians.  The most significant change was that God protected human life by making murder be punishable by death.  Men were not permitted to kill Cain after he murdered Able.  This prohibition seemed to embolden Cain’s grandson Lamech who killed two men.  As time went on men became more and more violent to the point that prior to the flood murder was very likely a common occurrence.  God made man in His own image and established the sanctity of human life by requiring the life of those who took the life of others.  This institutes a new responsibility for man to exercise authority and self-government.  The principle of man enforcing laws and regulating one another’s actions is a new responsibility as well as a restraint for men.  God is deeply committed to protect the lives of men who are created in the image of Himself.

THE PROMISE OF PEACE: I would imagine that the terror of the flood on the earth would cause future generations to live in constant fear that they too would be killed in a future flood.  They may have run for high ground at the first sign of rain.  In order to prevent this kind of panic and promote peace in the hearts of men, God promised never to destroy the earth by flood again.  He made the rainbow as a symbol of this covenant to remind men of His promise.  Every time we see a rainbow it should be a reminder to us that God keeps His promises.  Today we can rest secure in God’s promise to forgive all sins of those who have placed their faith in Christ.  We can live in perfect peace before God because He keeps His promises and He has made provision for our sin.

THE PERSISTENCE OF PERVERSION: Noah cultivates grapes, makes wine and becomes drunk on this wine.  As a result of his drunkenness, he lies in his tent naked.  Ham sees his nakedness, makes fun of his father, takes advantage of his being drunk and then tries to get his brothers to do the same.  Shem and Japheth act with honor and cover their father, but it is obvious that the problem of sin was not resolved in the flood.  Noah should not have become drunk and Ham should not have committed this perversion against his father.  When Noah wakes up, he remembers Ham’s behavior and pronounces a curse on Ham and his descendants.  Ham was the father of Canaan and the Canaanites have been a constant problem for the children of Israel throughout history and to this very day.  The fact that God would not flood the earth did not eliminate God’s judgment on sin.  God continues to hate sin and punishes individuals who persist in the practice of sin.  On the other hand, He blesses those who live and act in obedience.