Coachlight Bible Study – Genesis Lesson XXV
The Nations And Noah’s
Sons
Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things
therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth
not in temples made with hands;
Acts 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as
though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all
life, and breath, and all things;
Acts 17:26 And hath made of one
blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath
determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
Acts 17:27 That they should seek
the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not
far from every one of us:
Like Adam, Noah had been instructed by God to fill the earth, but to have
a little different dominion than Adam.
Instead of having dominion over the animals, Now
there would be fear and terror on behalf of the animals toward man. Man now is given animal flesh added to his
diet, except there is a prohibition to eat blood. The institution of human government, now, was
also installed:
Genesis 9:5 And surely your blood of your lives will I
require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man;
at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.
Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for
in the image of God made he man.
The word “require” in verse 5 is a judicial term, with God appearing as a
judge Who mandates a strict and severe penalty for the
infraction of murder. Man’s life was more sacred than that of animals, because
man was made in the “image of God”. If a
beast kills a man, the beast must be put to death. If a man kills another man, then he must be
put to death by “every man’s brother”.
In the case of man, it is assumed that the murder was willfully
executed. This, of course, is not
intended to allow family revenge, but to teach that all brothers are
responsible to make sure that justice is executed. At the time of God giving this mandate, all
men were truly brothers. In a real
sense, today, all men are brothers, because we all came from Noah’s three sons.
(Verse 19) This mandate was an
establishment by God of human government including capital punishment that
hadn’t existed before the flood. It is clear that the authority for capital
punishment implies the establishment of laws governing activities that most of
the time leads to murder such as robbery, adultery, etc.
Noah allowed his guard of sin down which revealed the notion that not all
of Noah’s sons totally respected God’s establishment of human government.
God handles this situation similar to the way He handled Adam’s sin, and
this story is a testimony to God’s righteousness, mercy, and grace. Noah truly
gave comfort to the world after the curse:
Genesis 5:29 And he called his
name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of
our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
I. Noah’s Sons
Genesis 9:18 And the sons of
Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is
the father of
Genesis
A. All men living today are
descended from Noah through Shem, Ham & Japheth
1. All these sons were born after Noah was 500 years old (Genesis
2. These sons must have been born when Noah was about 575 years old –
They were grown and married before Noah was 600 years old
3. The physical characteristics of all tribes & nations were present
in them
4. All various groups of races and nations developed from this beginning
B. Ham is the Father of Canaan
1. He was probably Ham’s youngest son
2.
II. Noah Plants A Vineyard
Genesis 9:20 And Noah began to
be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
Genesis 9:21 And he drank of the
wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
A. Noah lived 350 years after the flood (Genesis
B. Noah planted a vineyard and made wine
C. By drinking too much of his wine, Noah let his guard down – Peter
instructs:
I Peter 5:8 Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
D. Satan had not been able to corrupt Noah or his family before the flood
E. The effect of wine sometimes has the effect of an artificial heat
F. Noah cast off his clothes and passed out
III. Noah Plants A Vineyard
Genesis 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw[07200] the nakedness of his father, and told his two
brethren without.
Genesis 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and
laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness
of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s
nakedness.
A. Ham entered Noah’s tent, but did more than ‘see” Noah passed out
B. The word rawaw, translated “see”
actually means “gazed at with satisfaction”
From Strongs:
07200 har raÆah raw-aw’; a
primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications,
direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):— advise self,
appear, approve, behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have
experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another,
one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near,
perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let)
see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), X sight of
others, ( e-)spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.
C. It is evident that Ham had a
long hidden resentment to Noah’s authority
1. A rebellious nature began to appear in Ham
2. Ham rejoiced at the sight of Noah’s moral lapse
3. Ham’s sin was not immoral lust
a. It was rebellion to Noah’s authority
b. It was resentment to the moral standard taught by Noah
c. It was a resentment ultimately against God
who gave the standard
4. Revealed a character trait which would undoubtedly surface in his
descendants
5. Ham undoubtedly thought his brothers would share the same attitude
D. Shem & Japheth acted differently than Ham
1. They went in – Not to reveal Noah’s nakedness, but to cover it up
2. They refused to look upon their father’s nakedness
IV. Noah Wakes Up
Genesis 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what
his younger son had done unto him.
A. Noah notices the garment
placed on him
1. Noah realized the rebellion of Ham
2. Noah realized Japheth’s and Shem’s respect to Noah & God
B. Noah is inspired by God to
give the prophecy of verses 25-27
V. Noah’s Prophecy – Part I - The “Curse” On
Genesis
A. This curse doesn’t only apply
to Canaan
1. The entire prophecy seems to concern all of Noah’s descendants
2. It would have only been fulfilled sporadically if it only concerned
a.
b. These two were two of the greatest nations of antiquity for a long
time
c. Some of these were destroyed by enemies, also true of Shem &
Japheth
3. It was Ham’s sin – Not Canaan’s that brought on this curse
B. A “Servant of Servants” does
not mean a “Slave of Slaves”
1. “Servant” is used many times in the Bible – Sometimes means slave
2. This is the only occurrence of “Servant of servants”
3. Slavery has never occurred among any of Ham’s descendants – Even
Canaan
4. Ham’s descendants included the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Ethiopians –
Some of the Asiatic Nations as well
5. Ham is to be servant to Japheth and Shem – Or the rest of the world
6. The word “servant” can also mean “Stewart” in the Bible:
Genesis 24:2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant
<05650> of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee,
thy hand under my thigh:
7. The word “Steward” actually means “One who provides a service”
a. Man is God’s steward over the world and the animals
b. Man’s sin brought on the curse of the ground
c. Man then was to develop the resources to sustain life – “Sweat of his
brow”
d. To exercise dominion, first man had to understand his dominon, requiring:
1. Intellectual effort
2. Research
3. Knowledge – In Other words science
e. The greatest of man’s responsibilities was to fill the earth
1. With physical descendants (Genesis
2. With the knowledge of the Lord (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk
Genesis 4:26 And to Seth, to him
also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos:
then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
f. Therefore, Man had three responsibilities or characteristics given by
God
1. Spiritual – Receiving, teaching & preserving the Word of god
2. Intellectual – Learning and teaching the knowledge of the world of God
3. Physical – Providing the material needs so the other two can be
accomplished
Note: All have all three to some degree, but usually one dominates
C. Noah noticed that his thee
sons each had one of the three characteristics
1. Shem – Spiritual service
2. Japheth – Intellectual service
3. Ham – Physical service – A “servant of servants” serving both Shem
& Japheth
(food, clothing, shelter, weapons, machinery,
transportation, & technology)
D. Ham’s Part is closer to the
cursed ground – He would feel it more
E. Remember The
Lord’s Prophecy about Noah
Genesis 5:29 And he called his
name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of
our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
F. The Semitic Nations
1. Jews 2. Arabs 3. Syrians 4.
Assyrians 5. Babylonians 6.
Persians
G. Japhetic Nations
1. Greeks 2. Indians 3. Russians
4. Germans
H. Hamitic
Nations
1. Egyptians 2. Sumerians 3. Phoenicians 4. Hittites 5.
Canaanites 6. Modern African Tribes 7.
Modern Mongol Tribes
I. Quote from Noah’s Three Sons by Authur
Constance Page 368
“If one traces far enough, he will
find that practically every other basic device or system needed for man’s
physical sustenance or convenience originated with one of the Hamitic peoples.”
J. Some examples of the Hamites being Truly “Servant of
servants”:
1. Original explorers and settlers of almost all of the
world, following
2. Cultivators of most of the basic food staples and domesticators of
cattle
3. Developed most of the structural forms, building tools, and materials
4. 1st to develop most of the fabrics for clothing and sewing
devices
5. Discovered many of the medicines and surgical practices and
instruments
6. Invented most concepts of mathematics, surveying & navigation
7. Invented money, banks, postal systems – Machinery of commerce &
trade
8. Developed paper, ink, block printing, movable type, & writing
& communication
VI. Noah’s Prophecy – Part 2 – The Blessing of the God of Shem
Genesis
A. Shem had demonstrated his love of God
B. Shem knew the covenant God personally – Called Him Jehovah
C. Shem would be the greatest blessing – The line of the “Seed of the
Woman
VII. Noah’s Prophecy – Part 3 – Blessing On Japheth
Genesis
06601 htp pathah paw-thaw’ - a
primitive root; TWOT-1853; v
entice 10, deceive 8,
persuade 4, flatter 2, allure 1, enlarge 1, silly one 1, silly 1; 28
1) to be spacious, be open, be wide
1a) (Qal) to be spacious or open or wide
1b) (Hiphil) to make spacious, make open
2) to be simple, entice, deceive, persuade
2a) (Qal)
2a1) to be open-minded, be simple, be naive
2a2) to be enticed, be deceived
A. Japheth would be “enlarged” –
Does not mean geographical enlargement
1. rachab would have been a better word if that is what
was meant
2. The Hamites & Semites have enlarged
geographically as much as Japhethites
3. The word means to “entice” or “persuade” – root meaning “to make open”
a. The Jephethies have altered their previous
opinions – changed their minds
b. The Japhethites have certainly “enlarged
their minds” – have open minds
c. They have been intellectually curious – explorers of the world of
thought
B. Japheth “Dwell in the tents
of Shem” – Not meaning live in the same tent
1. A figure of speech meaning to “Have fellowship with him”
2. Another Passage showing this figure:
Psalm 84:10 For a day in thy
courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of
my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
3. Here actually means to live in wickedness out of fellowship with God
4. Japheth will enjoy spiritual blessings by fellowship with Shem
C. Canaan will be his servant
VIII. Noah’s Prophecy – The Fulfillment
A. The Semites have dominated by
Monotheism (Jews, Moslems, & Zoroastrians)
B. The Japhethites
have stressed science & philosophy
(Especially the Greeks & Romans – Later the Europeans and Americans)
C. The Hamites are pioneers - opened settlement, cultivation,
& technology
(Egyptians, Phonecians,
Sumerians, Orientals, Africans, etc.)
Note: These are three streams of Nations – Not Races –
All of one blood
IX. Noah’s Fall Parallels Adam’s Fall
A. Both Adam & Noah
Commanded to fill the earth and exercise control over it
B. Each are
the ancestor of the entire world
C. Each sinned by partaking of a
fruit
D. Each was then revealed naked
and covered by someone else
E. The result was a prophecy
that affects all mankind after