New Beginnings and Shortcomings

Introduction

God is a God of new beginnings. Do you believe that? Why do you believe that? If you struggle to believe that, what makes you struggle?

All throughout Scripture we see time and again that God is truly a God of new beginnings. We saw it last week with Peter who denies Jesus and is restored back into fellowship with Jesus post resurrection.

We see it with David who fell into sin and is restored. We see it with Moses, Jacob, Jonah, Joseph, the disciples, and even the early church.

In fact, our spiritual walk in Christ is somewhat a series of new beginnings and shortcomings that lead to new beginnings again. Why is it that way?

First and foremost it is because God loves us with an everlasting love. In Jeremiah 31 the Lord explains to the exiled Israelites that they will be renewed, they will have new beginnings. Why? “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued to extend faithful love to you. Again, I will build you so that you will be rebuilt…” the Lord tells them.

Guess what, this same everlasting love found in Jeremiah is the same everlasting love found in Genesis and in our particular narrative with Noah. It is the same everlasting love that is found through Christ Jesus today.

Secondly we are at war with our sin and flesh. In Christ, a new spirit, a new nature is given to us. The old is not completely removed, but its power or hold is. However, it still rears its ugly head and works to regain control.

As we work through our text this morning, perhaps you are here seeking a new beginning. Maybe life has been out of place, perhaps your walk with the Lord has been out of place, or your life has been shaken to the core.

Maybe a besetting sin or weight of this world is holding you down, a mistake or failure that has challenged your fellowship with God, or the old nature is winning the fight in your heart.

Genesis 9 is going to reveal a new beginning, a time of hope, followed by a shortcoming of a righteous man. But, hope remains even in spite of that shortcoming.

Breakdown of the Text

(Read Genesis 9)

What is this text telling us?

V.1-7- God is reestablishing His original intent for mankind.

Genesis 9 brings to us the new beginning of life and creation in the Lord. Due to sin, humanity, minus Noah and his family, has been wiped off the face of the earth. We cannot fully know the depth of sin present except that it was described as every inclination of man was bent towards sin and violence.

Mankind was destroying themselves in essence. One might argue the Lord’s judgment was harsh, but the description of what was taking place leads me to believe they would have done it to themselves regardless.

God offers hope and salvation through Noah and the ark in the midst of the destruction.

Allusion to the first of creation is seen. They are told to be fruitful and multiply. They are given authority over the creation a call back to man’s purpose of caretaking creation.

We also see a difference in that man is given permission to eat of meat and a direct word given to the handling of life. Despite the flood, the residue of sin remains and God must establish His Word as authority.

God reestablishes that human beings are made in His image and the spilling of blood in murder bears great punishment. Given that the first sin post the fall was murder, Lamech once boasted in murder, and the Scripture describes the world as violent before the flood; I believe that the value of life was not regarded highly by man in general.

Unfortunately we are nearing something similar. I saw a response video of Mike Winger who watched a young man say I don’t care if abortion is killing a human life. There was no debate in this young man’s mind whether it was a human or a clump of cells. He agreed it was life and it didn’t matter.

Blood is typified in Scripture as bearing life. Even in the killing of animals there must be a sanctity in how man approaches the spilling of blood. Clearly the harmony between man and creation and one another was still not going to be same as it was from Genesis 1 and 2. As fear of man would be established in animals.

In reestablishing His original intent in this new beginning, the Lord established order and His Word as authority once again.

V.8-17- God establishes a covenant with mankind through Noah.

This covenant is established through Noah for the entirety of creation. This isn’t for Noah alone or for just God’s chosen people. The covenant will be fulfilled on God’s part regardless of how mankind holds up their part.

Most covenants are associated with a sign to symbolize and remember the covenant made. In a wedding we use our wedding rings as that symbol. In Abraham’s covenant it was circumcision. In the new covenant with Jesus, it is though baptism and Lord’s Supper.

For the Noahic covenant it is a rainbow. It is a symbol of peace and hope that can be found for all people. This does not mean the Lord will no longer bring judgment upon sin, but that it will not happen in the manner like the flood.

Perhaps a way of looking at it is like this: Every time you see a rainbow in the sky it is like God’s signature in the sky that His grace remains available to all despite the depravity of their sin.

The rainbow is has been twisted into a symbol celebrating sin and depravity. The heart of man is bent to twist the very things of God. But for those who have tasted of the Lord’s goodness, who have experienced the grace and salvation from sin; it is a symbol of hope. No matter how the world twists the things of God, we stand firm in showing the truth of God and the grace of God.

V.18-29- Sin and imperfection still remain

The text is pretty straightforward here. Noah starts to farm, grows some grapes, learns to make wine and gets plastered. The result is shameful behavior on his part and the part of Ham, his son.

What is less clear is what Ham has done and why it demands such a harsh curse. At face value in the English it seems Ham found his father and just told his brothers what he found.

Given that the Lord has just presented and elevated value of mankind as made in His image, Ham’s sin was in the dishonoring of his father. He did not uphold the image of God in respecting his father. How so?

He didn’t cover his father immediately.

He went to tell his brothers. It seems many scholars agree that Ham wasn’t simply reporting this, but there is implication that he is using this as a moment to dishonor his father.

In essence, he is gossiping and making fun of dear old dad in his mistake.

Noah too, faces a shortcoming here. While drunkenness hasn’t been addressed yet in the Scripture, the prohibition Scripture does provide is drunkenness. Even more, most times when the drinking of alcohol is mentioned, it comes with counsel to be cautious.

Drunkenness is a sin because it inhibits the person from clearly thinking how to live wisely and righteously. Noah’s drunkeness led to his nakedness and shame.

But, understand this. Noah’s moment here is not what defined him. His shortcoming stemmed from a moment he let his guard down. Even the most righteous of us is capable of sin, but that doesn’t mean that God’s restoration and grace cannot be found either.

Themes of Genesis 9

New beginning is found in the Lord

Despite the terrible judgment that came upon the earth, the Lord made a way for salvation and new beginnings. He didn’t have to save anyone. He didn’t have to use Noah as a type of Christ to reveal redemption, but He did.

Redemption is more than just salvation from the punishment of sin. Redemption is a new beginning. It is a new life, a new way to see the world, a new way to be human to borrow from the band Switchfoot.

Redemption is not in part, but the whole of who we are. Redemption, as Andrew Murray says,

is not meant as a revelation to be left to the future; for the full development of the Christian life, our present abiding in Christ must seek to enter into and appropriate it. We do this as we learn to triumph over death. We do it as we learn to look upon Christ as the Lord of our body, claiming its entire consecration, securing even here, if faith will claim it, victory over the terrible dominion sin has had in the body. We do this as we learn to look on all nature as part of the kingdom of Christ, destined, even though it be through a baptism of fire, to partake in His redemption. We do it as we allow the powers of the coming world to possess us and to lift us up into a life in heavenly places, to enlarge our hearts and our views, to anticipate, even here, the things that have never entered into the heart of man to conceive.

This means even in our moments of falling, in our moments of darkness, in our moments of difficulty; the redemption of Christ seeks to save the whole of us, to grant to us new life, new beginning in Him. This happens on a macro level of our lives and a micro level.

We must be on guard against temptation and sin.

Noah’s shortcoming as well as Ham’s had great impact in their lives. They must live in those consequences even though redemption can still be involved.

The greater issue is being on guard. Noah allowed the temptation of drunkenness to lead to sin of drunkenness that led to a shameful moment for him.

Ham entered into Noah’s tent and was tempted to dishonor his father and followed through. In a moment when he should have acted in grace, compassion, and kindness, he uses it for his advantage to humiliate his father.

Neither men were on guard against their sin.

How does a righteous man of God get lacksidasical in his spiritual life? We don’t really know, but it shows a reality for us all that one scholar pointed out.

This is a temptation to all of us, to let down our guard, to stop participating with the Spirit of God in the fight against sin…We shouldn’t look at Noah with self-righteousness, but with pity and with sober realization that if we think we are beyond these sins, we might be the most vulnerable to their entrance into our lives. Its a sober reminder that sometimes good men do bad things or make bad choices.

Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:11 “11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul.”

Sin wages war against us which means we must wage war back. This is why he later writes,

1 Peter 5:6–8 “6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”

We cannot wage war on our own, but through the power of Christ and the redemption He brings us. We must not allow what can inhibit our attentiveness to Lord or to the sinful desires that wage war against us to have a stronghold.

For some here, that may very well be alcohol. For others it might be what we deem as lesser- our phone/social media usage that dulls our senses or exposes us to evil things or false things. It might be our commitments to good things, but not God things that have dulled our senses.

It might be our work, our hobbies, our pursuit of just self that all leads us to be like David when he fell. Not actually in the war, not actually in the place we are supposed to be and instead in a place of lacksadaisical pursuit of the Lord.

Christ Connection

Noahic covenant points to the New Covenant in Jesus

The Noahic covenant was established for all of mankind that the Lord would never destroy the world by a flood again. It is a covenant that still stands today, but it also points to the covenant established in Jesus.

Each covenant was made through a righteous man.

First, this covenant was made through Noah. The new Covenant was made through Jesus.

Hebrews 9:15 “15 Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

Tells us that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant by His death. It is only through Jesus that one can obtain eternal life and redemption from sins.

Jesus establishes the new covenant in Himself too. Luke 22:19-20

Luke 22:19–20 CSB

19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Each covenant extends grace to all.

Secondly, the Noahic covenant offers grace to all. In Christ and the New Covenant grace is extended to all.

Titus 2:11 “11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,”

Acts 4:12 “12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.””

1 Timothy 2:4 “4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

While faith alone by grace in belief of Jesus is necessary in the New Covenant, that gift of grace and salvation is open to all.

Each covenant is sealed with a sign.

Thirdly, the Noahic Covenant was sealed with a sign, the rainbow. In Christ, our salvation that comes from the New Covenant is sealed with a sign, the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13–14 “13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.”

2 Corinthians 1:22 “22 He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.”

Ephesians 4:30 “30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.”

The fruit of the Spirit that Paul lists in Galatians is the sign of our seal of salvation in Christ Jesus.

Holy living is cultivated in relation to our walk with Jesus.

Noah had a momentary failure in getting drunk and being exposed. It led to shame. His guard was down we’ve already talked about.

But this speaks a lessen to Christ and our walk with Him. Abide in me, Jesus tells His disciples. From abiding, fruit is produced.

John 15:4–5 “4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”

Often our momentary sins and even the habit of sin built in our lives is due to our lacking of abiding. What caused this in Noah? We don’t know for sure. Thankfully by God’s grace this sin didn’t define him. He is recognized as a man of righteousness and faith.

Thank God our sin after Christ doesn’t separate us from Him, but it does inhibit the fellowship and the work He is doing in us and through us.

Andrew Murray shares,

The believer can each day be pleasing to God only in that which he does through the power of Christ dwelling in him. The daily inflowing of the life sap(Vine to branch) of the Holy Spirit is his only power to bring forth fruit.

I would encourage you like Murray encouraged me once again,

First, fix your eyes on that for which He has apprehended you. It is nothing less than a life of abiding, unbroken fellowship with Himself to which He is seeking to lift you up…Union with Himself, and so with the Father, is His highest object…I dare not speak to you about abiding in Him for the mere sake of calling forth a pleasing religious sentiment. God’s truth must at once be acted on. Oh, yield yourself this very day to the blessed Savior in surrender of the one thing He asks of you: give up yourself to abide in Him. He Himself will work it in you. You can trust Him to keep you trusting and abiding.

In addition, you can trust that He will keep cultivating His holiness in you.

Conclusion

The narrative of Genesis 9 gives us hope. Hope of promised salvation. Hope that even in our sin and imperfection, God graciously works redemption in and through us.

The narrative also gives us warning to be on guard in our lives. To cultivate holy living in relationship to Jesus.

How do we stay on guard and cultivate?

We must know what the Lord desires.

The primary way is through His Word. Being in it every day. I read from a pastor the idea of consuming God’s Word like meal. I don’t remember every meal I’ve eaten, but I certainly see the work of those meals in my body. Of course the quality of meals is a factor too.

Every time we come to the Word it may not be like a Thanksgiving feast, but it doesn’t mean it is not necessary and good for us.

We must allow accountability and community to be priority.

The church is created to glorify the Lord. As such we hold each other accountable and build each other up in Him.

Surrender to the Lord all of our lives.

If the Holy Spirit brings to light sin or hinderances to our abiding in Him, confess, turn from it, and lead deeply into Jesus.

If the Holy Spirit leads you to a new place of obedience, lean into it.

I understand that I may sound like a scratched record that just keeps repeating. But, I am learning that we often complicate the simplicity of walking with Jesus. It isn’t easy to walk with Him, but the ways He gives us are simple.

The foundation of any “7 simple ways to cultivate” that provide some practical steps is the Word, the Church, prayer, surrender, resting in the redemption of Jesus as we trust we are forgiven and seek to live in Him and for Him.

Its not that we need a new set of practical ways to get this done; its that we need a heart that desires this. We need a passion, a zeal for the Lord that prioritizes what I have mentioned.

I’ve heard sermon after sermon on ways to pray, ways to read the Word, ways to live in the world. They have their value, but I can tell you they didn’t help me until my heart was impacted to desire the Lord.