Genesis 8:1-10:32; Matthew 4:12-25; Psalm 4:1-8; Proverbs 1:20-23
“But God remembered Noah and all the animals in the boat…. Then God said to Noah, ‘Leave the boat, all of you….’ From these three sons of Noah came all the people now scattered across the earth.”
“Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!’ And they left their nets at once and went with Him.”
“How long will you fools fight the facts? Come here and listen to me! I’ll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise.”
Eventually, Christ will have His way. The simple message of the Bible is “God wins!” no matter what obstacles or rejection we throw at Him. So, I need to stop wasting time doubting the Lord (and myself in Him) and just get with His program.
It’s actually pretty amazing how many opportunities and how much time I waste asking questions: “Lord, where’s the time?” (Oh, yeah, the irony of that is pretty obvious!) “How am I supposed to do that?!?” Or, the ever popular, “Who’s gonna pay for this?” My greatest sin might be wasted time. It is so precious (especially as middle age arrives!). I shudder to think how much of mine has been completely unproductive, bound up in doubt….
Already, I’ve found a recurring theme: don’t question; go! Quit fighting the facts of pragmatism and practicality. God offers an adventure of faith! That’s not to say we’re supposed to be stupid or lose ourselves in reckless abandonment. It is to say, simply, that when God calls us to Him – or to be part of His plan – we need to recognize that His call carries with it the promise of divine provision. Since when has God ever been bound by logic or what is? He’s the ultimate Creator, for goodness’ sake! When He calls, He will equip. The key for me is to be sure I am following His call, and not just my desires. Following Christ most definitely does not guarantee comfort or “success.” It does guarantee closeness to Christ. Ultimately, that is the only destination that promises eternal life, and the one goal worth having.
4 comments:
In todays reading in Genesis 8:20:27, I don't understand why Noah was upset that Ham, his son, had his other sons cover him. Is it because Ham should have done it himself and not told his brothers? And why punish Ham's son, why not Ham himself?
Suzy
Great question, Suzi! Here's what one of my commentaries says:
"Ham shouldn't have entered his father's tent without an invitation. ...One thing is certain: Ham was disrespectful to his father in what he did....
How people respond to the sin and embarrassment of others is an indication of their character. Ham could have peeked into the tent, quickly sized up the situation, and covered his father's body, saying nothing about the incident to anyone. Instead, he seems to have enjoyed the sight and then told his two brothers about it in a rather disrespectful manner. He may even have suggested that they go take a look for themselves. Ham revealed a weakness in his character that could show up in his descendants."
It seems important that, as you note, Ham did not just cover Noah himself; nor did he seek his brothers out to do so. His brothers' compassion was their own doing.
Finally, back to the commentary: "It's too bad that this brief speech has been misunderstood and labeled a "curse," because what Noah said is more like a father's prophecy concerning his children and grandchildren. The word "curse" is used only once, but it's directed at Ham's youngest son Canaan and not at Ham himself. [Without getting too much into semantics, I would add a negative prophecy has more than once been construed in Scripture as a "curse," even when it is only dealing with a future truth.-Tom] This suggests that Noah was describing the future of his sons and one grandson on the basis of what he saw in their character, not unlike what Jacob did before he died (Gen 49). If Noah had wanted to pronounce a curse, it would have been directed at Ham, the son who had sinned against his father(from The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe. All rights reserved.)
A contrary argument could be made that this is a foreshadowing of the principle of Ex 20:5-6: "I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me...." Personally, though, since Noah never claimed God-like authority, and this was far from a hate crime, I am inclined to agree with Wiersbe. However, I also would allow for the likelihood that, as an embarrassed father, Noah deliberately chose this moment to reveal his prophesy, precisely to wound Ham at that moment. Even truth can be abused when our motives are not totally pure.
Hope this helps!
Tom
Tom,
Isn't it amazing how simple Jesus' message really is? "From then on Jesus began to preach. 'Repent of your sins and turn to God for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.'" Can you give a straight forward message.
I often think that we make Christ's message more complex so we can dilute it. We want to make it more complex in order to blunt its power and the demands it makes on us. We act like it is hard to understand because we don't want to accept the depth of His love and sacrifice. The true challenge is the simplicity of His message.
Ya got me, Lee! terrific point, and one I will keep in mind, especially since that is our exact topic in class this Sunday. Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow... and simple!
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