9:1 And God blessed Noah and his Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, "fruitful" (parah) "Be fruitful" /
sons, and said unto them, Be and God said unto them, Be fruitful To bear fruit, grow, increase. "the fear of you and the dread of you" /
fruitful, and multiply, and and multiply, and replenish the Verse one echos that of chapter one /
replenish the earth. earth, and subdue it: and have "multiply" (rabah) verse eight, but with a major change /
9:2 And the fear of you and the dominion over the fish of the sea, To increase, enlarge, multiply. in the following statements. Fear, /
dread of you shall be upon every and over the fowl of the air, and dread and killing was not a part of /
beast of the earth, and upon every over every living thing that moveth "replenish" (mala) the life in the garden before the /
fowl of the air, upon all that upon the earth. To fill, to replenish. introduction of sin! Adam and Eve /
moveth upon the earth, and upon Hosea 2:18 And in that day will I were instructed to eat of the fruit /
the fishes of the sea; into your make a covenant for them with the "fear" (morah) and seed of the garden. Now Adam is /
hand are they delivered. beasts of the fiels, and with the Fear, dread, terror. instructed that all creatures are to /
9:3 Every moving thing that liveth fowls of heaven, and with the creep- be his food. But in turn fear and /
shall be meat for you; even as ing things of the ground: and I will "dread" (chath) killing has been introduced. Killings /
the green herb have I given you break the bow and the sword and the Crushed, broken, fear, dread. of both man and creature by both. /
all things. battle out of the earth, and will They are now enemies in a battle for /
9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, make them to lie down safely. "flesh" (basar) control and survival. This was not /
which is the blood thereof, shall Deuteronomy 12:23 Only be sure that Flesh, body, skin. the intention when the earth was first /
ye not eat. thou eat not the blood: for the created? /
9:5 And surely your blood of your blood is the life; and thou mayest "life" (nephesh) /
lives will I require: at the hand not eat the life with the flesh. A breathing creature, life. "in the image of God" /
of every beast will I require it, Matthew 26:52 ...for all they that To the Lord His created life was a /
and at the hand of man; at the take the sword shall perish with "blood" (dam) beautiful and sacred thing. He /
hand of every man's brother will I the sword. The juice of life, blood. requires retribution for a unnecessary /
require the life of man. Leviticus 24:17-18 And he that killeth killing, but note that He has placed /
9:6 Whosoever sheddeth man's blood, any man shall surely be put to death. "brother" (ach) the required for retribution on man. /
by man shall his blood be shed: And he that killeth a beast shall Kindred, like, brother. He did not say that He personally /
for in the image of God made he make it good; beast for beast. would inact the required punishment. /
man. Psalms 128:1-3 Blessed is every one "sheddeth" (shapkak) Many scholars propose that the /
9:7 And you, be ye fruitful, and that feareth the Lord; that walketh To spill, to sprawl out, to shed. cleansing of the earth by the flood /
multiply; bring forth abundantly in his ways. was for the reason that violence and /
in the earth, and multiply For thou shalt eat the labour of "image" (tselem) killing had multiplied greatly. But /
therein. thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and To shade, a shadow, an image. one wonders as one looks at the world /
9:8 And God spake unto Noah, and to it shall be well with thee. today, has it gotten as bad now as /
his sons with him, saying, Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine "covenant" (briyth) before the flood, or possible even /
9:9 And I, behold, I establish my by the sides of thine house: thy A compact, a covenant. worse? We now have wonderful weapons /
covenant with you, and with your children like olive plants round of war that can kill millions in /
seed after you; about thy table. "seed" (zera) seconds! Despite the wonderful ways /
9:10 And with every living creature Isaiah 54:8-10 ...but with everlasting Fruitful, child, seed. medical science has to prolong life, /
that is with you, of the fowl, of kindness will I have mercy on thee, the child in the womb will very /
the cattle, and of every beast of saith the Lord thy Redeemer. "cut off" (karath) probably be killed before birth! /
the earth with you; from all that For this is as the waters of Noah To destroy, hewn down, cut off. In so many societies on earth violence /
go out of the ark, to every beast unto me: for as I have sworn that the and killing is an accepted way. /
of the earth. waters of Noah shall no more go over "destroy" (shachath) /
9:11 And I will establish my the earth; so have I sworn that I To decay, to corrupt, to destroy. "covenant" /
covenant with you; neither shall would not be wroth with thee, nor The word covenant is used seven /
all flesh be cut off any more by rebuke thee. "token" (owth) times in the chapter. Such repeti- /
the waters of a flood; neither For the mountains shall depart, and A mark, a sign, a token. tion is obviously an indication of /
shall there any more be a flood to the hills be removed; but my kindness its importance! Man has a history of /
destroy the earth. shall not depart from thee, neither "perpetual" (olam) taking covenants quite lightly, but /
9:12 And God said, This is the token shall the covenant of my peace be Eternity, everlasting, perpetual. not the Lord! Floods today quite /
of the covenant which I make removed, saith the Lord that hath often cause great damage and kill /
between me and you, and every mercy on thee. many, but more often than not because /
living creature that is with you, Revelations 4:2-3 ...behold, a throne "generations" (dor) man does not properly use his know- /
for perpetual generations: was set in heaven, and one sat on the An age, a generation. ledge to locate and build. Man loves /
9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, throne. to build at the seaside and in flood /
and it shall be for a token of a And he that sat was to look upon plains. To him these are usually the /
covenant between me and the earth. like a jasper and a sardine stone: most desirable locations despite the /
9:14 And it shall come to pass, when and there was a rainbow round about "bow" (qesheth) obvious signs left on the terrain as /
I bring a cloud over the earth, the throne, in sight like unto an Of bending, a bow. to how high the water has been in the /
that the bow shall be seen in the emerald. past. Then he curses the Lord when /
cloud: Jeremiah 33:38-40 And they shall be my the floods come! However the Lord has /
9:15 And I will remember my people, and I will be their God: "cloud" (anan) promised us that there will not be /
covenant, which is between me and And I will give them one heart, As covering the sky, a cloud. another diluge. Quite probably an /
you and every living creature of and one way, that they may fear me indicator that He has so modified the /
all flesh; and the waters shall no for ever, for the good of them, and atmosphere that a global diluge is no /
more become a flood to destroy all of their children after them: longer possible. As proposed by those /
flesh. And I will make an everlasting "look upon" (raah) who favor the theory that before the /
9:16 And the bow shall be in the covenant with them, that I will not To see, to behold, to look on. flood a vapor canopy surrounded the /
cloud; and I will look upon it, turn away from them, to do them earth and moderated the climate. They /
that I may remember the ever- good; but I will put my fear in propose that the filtering effect of /
lasting covenant between God and their hearts, that they shall not the canopy would not allow brilliant /
every living creature of all depart from me. "remember" (zakar) rainbows to be visable as we see them /
flesh that is upon the earth. Hebrews 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, To mark, to be mindful of, remember. in the present environment. /
9:17 And God said unto Noah, This is that brought again from the dead our /
the token of the covenant, which I Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of "the whole earth overspread" /
have established between me and the sheep, through the blood of the That a major portion of the popul- /
all flesh that is upon the earth. everlasting covenant, "established" (quwm) ation of the earth originated from the /
9:18 And the sons of Noah, that went Make you perfect in every good work To rise, to ordain, to establish. area of Armenia, most scholars will /
forth of the ark, were Shem, and to do his will, working in you that agree. However, many scholars will /
Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the which is well-pleasing in his sight, contend that there were also other /
father of Canaan. through Jesus Christ; to whom be survivors of the diluge that also /
9:19 These are the three sons of glory for ever and ever. Amen "overspread" (naphats) contributed to the population growth. /
Noah: and of them was the whole Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong To scatter, to disperse, overspread. That the Biblical account provides /
earth overspread. drink is raging: and whosoever is a brief telling of those whom it is /
9:20 And Noah began to be a husband- deceived thereby is not wise. concerned with and not a total account /
man, and he planted a vineyard: Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be "husband" (iysh) of all populations? /
9:21 And he drank of the wine, and overtaken in a fault, ye which are A male, a husband. /
was drunken; and he was uncovered spirtual restore such a one in the "and was drunken" /
within his tent. spirit of meekness; considering "vineyard" (kerem) It would be so nice if we did not /
9:22 And Ham, the father of Cannan, thyself, lest thou also be tempted. A garden, vines, vineyard. have to contend with this short /
saw the nakedness of his father, Exodus 20:12 honor thy father and thy story! Why does man insist on making /
and told his two brethren without. mother thatthy days maybe long upon "drunken" (shikkarown) something terrible of the wonderful /
9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a the land which the Lord thy God Intoxicated, drunken. things of the creation. The Script- /
garment, and laid it upon both giveth thee. ures indicate the good uses of wine /
their shoulders, and went back- Deuteronomy 27:16 Cursed be he that "nakedness" (ervah) ( Zechariah 10:7 and I Timothy 5:23) /
ward, and covered the nakedness setteth light by his father or his Shame, nudity, nakedness. and the evil side ( Proverbs 4:17, /
of their father; and their faces mother:... 20:1 and Ephesians 5:18). One of the /
were backward, and they saw not Leviticus 18:3,6-7 After the doings of "backward" (achoranniyth) many examples of how there is a /
their father's nakedness. the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, Back, backwards. temptation for man to misuse the beau- /
9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, shall ye not do: and after the tiful things of the creation. /
and knew what his younger son had doings of the land of Cannan, "cursed" (arar) /
done unto him. whither I bring you, shall ye not To excrate, a bitter curse. "servant of servants" /
9:25 And he said, Cursed be Cannan; do: neither shall ye walk in their To be a servant of the Lord is /
a servant of servants shall he be ordinances. "servants" (ebed) obviously good, but to be a servant of /
unto his brethren. None of you shall approach to any Bondman, servant. a mans servant is usually demeaning. /
9:26 And he said, Blessed be the that is near of kin to him, to It is not politically correct to say /
Lord God of Shem: and Cannan shall uncover their nakedness: I am the "blessed" (barak) that a group of people is cursed! But /
be his servant. Lord. To praise, salute, bless. the reader can judge for his self the /
9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and The nakedness of thy father, or the status of the descendants of Ham (the /
he shall dwell in the tents of nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou "enlarge" (pathah) Africans and Mongols) as compared to /
Shem; and Cannan shall be his not uncover: she is thy mother; thou To open, flatter, enlarge. the descendants of Shem (Israelites, /
servant. shalt not uncover her nakedness. Arabs and Persians) and that of /
9:28 And Noah lived after the flood Acts 17:26-27 And hath made of one Japheth (Indo-Europeans). All have /
three hundred and fifty years. blood all nations of men for to their serious problems, but the desc- /
9:29 And all the days of Noah were dwell on all the face of the earth, endants of Ham would seem to be mostly /
nine hundred and fifty years: and and hath determined the times before located in the less developed and more /
he died. appointed and the bounds of their deprived nations. There have been /
habitation; many bright moments in their history, /
That they should seek the Lord, if but they are usually soon overcome by /
haply they might feel after him, and terror and violence! /
find him, though he be not far from /
every one of us: /
/
/
MATTERS OF CONTENTION MATTERS OF CONTENTION /
/
"the fear of you and the dread of you" "behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you" /
"blood of your lives will I require: at the hand of every beast" The Lord proclaimed that He had put in the sky a reminder to both Him /
We have the promise that in the millennium there will no longer be fear and man of his righteous promises. It is so easy to look at the rainbow /
among the animals and people. Isaiah 65:25 "The wolf and the lamb shall and the many other wonders of the creation and know that there is a right- /
feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust eous and eternal God. But instead man wants to ignore this covenant! The /
shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my Lord is eternally committed to His promise to Noah, but we know from many /
holy mountain, saith the Lord." But for now we live in a world covered other Scriptures that He still reserves the right and duty to punish will- /
with fear and violence. In fact many people search for the adventure of full disobedience to His commandments. /
fear and joy in the sight of violence and blood. The spirit of the "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." (Genesis 6:8) /
Roman style gladiator and the blood hungry crowds of the coliseums is Noah was chosen to be the father of future human life on earth due to his /
still alive and well. And now it can be televised into millions of homes demonstrated faith and obedience. This requirement has not changed. The /
all over the world. If those movies and television programs were removed Lord has demonstrated that He is the Lord of the second chance. He could /
that depend upon fear and violence for their popularity, how many would not destroy all seed of His creation. He has given man another chance to /
be left? More and more we see evidences of how such violence has penetr- demonstrate that he is worthy to be given control over this earth. But /
ated even into the lives of the very young. We often tend to look back how well is man doing in his assigned task to "replenish the earth" for /
upon the ancients as "barbarians", but is there any real evidence of a the joy of the Lord? Would you give man a grade of "A+", a mark of exce- /
great difference? Not really!! The nature of man has not changed!! llence, or an "F", a mark of failure? When we watch the news and are told /
Many "New Age" groups are saying that they have the teachings that can more and more of the polution and destruction that man is generating we /
bring peace and harmony to the earth. That there should be one world must obviously give ourselves a very low grade! There is a group of /
government with one world economic system and that this would bring peace scientists who periodically announce the position of the hands on their /
to the world. Of course they propose that it is necessary to eliminate hypothetical "doomsday clock". They recently moved the hands back as an /
the concept of a "God" from the minds of the people. That all people must indication that the danger of a nuclear holocaust had been lessened by /
be trained to accept the "politically correct" thinking. That man is the recent world political changes. But the hands still remain within the /
sole master of his destiny. That man has evolved from the lower animals last hour in the opinion of this group! A dramatic indication of how even /
and that he alone is the pinacle of intelligence. That man can become as in the minds of most people, man must be given a failing grade! Yet most /
gods. "ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5) The have no desire to strive to find "grace in the eyes of the Lord" Instead /
promise had indeed not changed, just the level of sophistication of the they wish that it was true as published on the front pages of a popular /
lie!! Only the Lord can bring peace to this earth! "The fool hath said magazine "God is Dead". /
in his heart, There is no God..." (Psalms 14:1) /
"he drank of the wine, and was drunken" /
"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed" Just as we are told of the fall of Adam and Eve, we are also told of the /
Many proclaim that there is no need to require retribution for a killing. failings of Noah and his seed. Scholars have provide many varing interpre- /
That there is no crime that is so great that death should be the penality. tations concerning this incident. Many feel that the phrase "saw the nake- /
In fact many will say that there is indeed no crime involved, that there dness" had deep moral implications. The milder versions are that Ham made /
was probably justification for the killing. The picture is indeed very light of his father before his brothers and showed a lack of respect for /
confusing! Those who would do away with capital punishment most often the authority of his father. Others see implication of a homosexual act in /
also seem to be those who favor killing of the unborn life in the womb the Words of the story. A more severe tradition has that Ham castrated /
and propose "death with dignity". They proclaim love but seem to have no his father and for that reason there were no more children. Regardless of /
regard for the sacredness of life. They publish books on how to commit the true nature of the transgression, Noah was obviously very upset. He /
suicide and say they are doing it out of love. They say that the medical was either not totally passed out and had a vague recollection of the /
personnel who have been trained to cure diseases and save life should be incident or immediately knew from his knowledge of the nature of his sons /
allowed to assist in terminating life. That it is permissible to term- who has committed what acts. /
inate life when the "quality of life" is lacking. But who is to make Many scholars propose that the results of the curse are obvious from the /
the final decision as to when the "quality of life" is lacking? Who nature and sufferings of those who are considered to be the descendants of /
becomes the final authority? That this is a decision that any person can Ham, the Cannanites, Egyptians, Sumerians, Phoenicians, Hittites and prob- /
make at any time concerning their own life. They seem to propose a lax ably the majority of those that today reside on the continent of Africa. /
system that would allow death over small petty problems during a temporary Many scholars totally reject the hypothesis that the curse gave us the /
moment of depression. They rebel at the concept that there is an absolute "Negroid race". Today the peoples are so totally mixed that it would seem /
standard of good and evil, that there is such a thing as "sin". Truly a impossible to say for certain that an individual or group of individuals /
very confused society that man is proposing. A society where the rules is a descendant of one of the three brothers. There has been much inter- /
of the Creator are completely rejected! It is so easy to see the result marriage and mixing over the many generations. Many who proclaim they have /
of such a society in the rapidly increasing crime statistics and the popu- a certain genealogy are often mistaken. Only the true eternal Creator can /
larity of death and suicide with the youth of today. know for certain concerning these matters. We should study these matters /
not to form dogmatic opinions and prejudices but to search for wisdom and /
understanding of the desires of the Lord! The Lord would have us love all /
people and not be prejudiced due to genealogy or status! /
