v.1-17
1. Compare and contrast between Noah and Adam
Noah's family received the same command and authority as Adam, but more. Everything is the repeated word. Everything is under their authority and everything on land and in the sky will be terrified by them. They might eat everything, including meat.
But, the allowance to eat came with a prohibition, just like Adam, who was allowed to eat from all the tree except one. Those who violated the prohibition will receive punishment. The punishment here was specific for those who shed blood for another person, just like Adam when he ate from the tree he would surely die.
Reasons #1: Perhaps, the prohibition to eat blood reminded people of the sacredness of life, animal life or human life. God is our life giver and no one should take the life away (from another human), or eat the blood (from animal).
(WBC) Respect for life, and beyond that, respect for the giver of life, means abstaining from blood...Whereas an animal’s blood may be shed but not consumed, human blood cannot even be shed
Reasons #2 From each person I will exact punishment for the life of the individual since the man was his relative. (NET) supports the concept of the brotherhood of humankind. According to the Genesis account the entire human race descended from Noah.
Reflection: God sees my life very precious just like all other mankind who is created in the image of God. He gives me privilege to rule and prohibit anyone to shed my blood. He is my Protector! We shall see each other's life precious as well because we are all relatives to each other. Do I see other people this way, especially people with different views to me?
2. Repeated word v.8-17
v.8 Look. I now confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you...every living creature...every living creature of the earth...all those...every living creature of the earth
v.11 confirm my covenant with you: Never again will all living things be wiped out by the waters of a flood; never again will a flood destroy the earth
v.12 This is the guarantee of the covenant...a covenant for all subsequent generations
v.13 it will become a guarantee of the covenant...15 then I will remember my covenant with you
v.16 I will notice it and remember the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures
v.17 This is the guarantee of the covenant that I am confirming between me and all living things that are on the earth.
Why God needed to give a covenant to us? Probably because man might have fear whenever clouds were forming and rain started. Yes, we would have rain, but those were not meant to wipe us out again. God gave us His covenant. It was confirmed and the rainbow was the guarantee.
Reflection: Man failed God again after the flood just like Adam, and God knew that even when He gave us the perpetual covenant of not wiping us out again with flood. However, He wanted us to have peace.
3. Questions
1) Human bears the image of God and is given the authority over all animals. He made animals to fear human.
2) Human can eat animals. Everything is given to us to eat.
v.18-29
1. What Noah did?
He was a farmer of a vineyard and drank some of the wine and got drunk. He uncovered himself inside his tent. Note-Noah got naked inside his own dwelling place. He did not exposed himself for others to see.
Got drunk-(BDB) become drunken Gn 9:21 (J), of social drinking 43:34 (J), Ct 5:1, token of plenty Hg 1:6
Uncovered himself inside his tent-NET Noah became overheated because of the wine and uncovered himself in the tent.
Did he do something morally wrong?? His nakedness was not an issue since he did that in his own tent, but the word "got drunk" is also used in 43:34 to describe the social drinking between Joseph and his siblings.
Summary: (NAC) Or, more likely, his culpability is irrelevant and was passed over by the author since Noah’s drunkenness is only incidental to the narrative’s focus, the curse and blessing.
2. What was the difference between Ham and his brothers?
Ham...saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers who were outside v.22
Shem and Japheth took the garment and placed it on their shoulders. Then they walked in backwards and covered up their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so they did not see their father’s nakedness.
From the actions of Shem and Japheth, one can know that how serious it was to see the nakedness of another person, even he is your own father.
(NET) The point of the text is that Ham had no respect for his father. Rather than covering his father up, he told his brothers. Noah then gave an oracle that Ham’s descendants, who would be characterized by the same moral abandonment, would be cursed. Leviticus 18 describes that greater evil of the Canaanites (see vv. 24–28).
(NET) Saw the nakedness. It is hard for modern people to appreciate why seeing another’s nakedness was such an abomination, because nakedness is so prevalent today. In the ancient world, especially in a patriarchal society, seeing another’s nakedness was a major offense...Besides, Ham was not a little boy wandering into his father’s bedroom; he was over a hundred years old by this time
Summary and reflection: Noah uncovered himself in his own tent, but Ham saw it but did not help him and covering him like his brothers did. He chose to tell his brothers about his father’s nakedness. Do we do something similar to Ham? (We do not help others in their weaknesses, rather, we just to expose that to others)
3. Questions
3) He was disrespectful to his father, Noah
4) Noah cursed the son of Canaan
5) I would disrespect them and angry at them
6) I would not appreciate if someone do that to me. With God's help, I shall not do that to others as well.
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