9 18-29 The Curse Is Alive And Well
liberty bible church 2/11/07 P.M.
By Tom Zobrist
“the curse is alive and well”
Genesis 9:18-29
introduction
Illus. of “It’s All In How You View It” You might say that this boy was unlucky or you might say that he was cursed, but either way, he chose to see his day as rather fortunate.
Luck; curses; do they really exist? Is there such thing as bad luck or good? Superstition is alive and well and whether or not we believe it, it’s part of our world. Many know their astrological sign and each day read their horoscope to know what type of day they might have. Does this really have an effect on their lives? Well, I don’t believe in luck, but I do believe in a curse; one particular curse that has had a profound effect on our world and continues to today. This curse effects us all and can be part of whether our lives are full of good fortune or bad. What is this curse?
OPEN to passage.
Prop. In this passage, we see the effects of the curse of sin after the flood.
Open in PRAYER.
PREVIEW the passage. God has purged the world of evil, or so we thought. The global flood is past, the waters have receded, man and beast have exited the ark, worship has commenced, life has begun again and the beginning of chapter 9 gave some guidelines for human government and maintaining order so that the world will not get so out of control. Life is valuable and mankind needs understand this. READ 9:1-7. God then covenants never to destroy the world with a flood again and gives the sign of the rainbow in the clouds as a pledge of His commitment to keep that promise. Everything is great, right? Except for this fact that Noah may or may not have remembered.
i. the curse of sin survived the flood vs. 18-23
Illus. of having to get a new tooth brush after you have strep throat. The bugs are still there and can reinfect us.
The same is true with man after the flood, but there is nothing new he could buy to get rid of the curse of sin. It is still part of his very nature and must be dealt with, in more than one way.
a. the curse is carried by righteous people
V 18 1. Here we have the survivors of the flood identified. Before the disaster, Noah was identified as a just man. Cf. 6:9 We can only assume that his sons were similar to him in character, since they were chosen to be survivors as well. Special note is given to the fact that Ham was the father of Canaan. This would have been important the Jewish readers of this history, since the Canaanites were to become the major antagonists of the Jews. That’s probably why this account is given.
V 19 2. The whole world has descended from these three men. If you’re of European descent, more than likely you are descendants of Japheth. The Jews descended from Shem, hence the term Semite. Cf. 11:26 Abraham is listed in Shem’s line.
b. even the righteous can fall into sin
V 20 1. Noah became a farmer after the flood.
V 21a 2. Although the Bible makes it clear that there are positive effects of wine used properly, (it can cheer the heart and alleviate pain) when used improperly, it can cause one to fall into sin very quickly. That’s why there are warnings not to look upon wine when it sparkles in the cup. Noah did and caused him and generations of his descendents problems.
V 21b 3. Alcohol causes one to lose their inhibitions and sexual looseness is usually associated with the abuse of mind-altering substances. This is common amongst unbelievers and these practices can be traced back to this even in Noah’s life. Noah had the opportunity to start anew, but he quickly was living like a pagan.
V 22a 4. The questions about this passage are what did Ham do to cause him father to curse him? Many have put forth ideas.
a. The rabbis claim that Ham castrated Noah and that is why he never had any more children.
b. Others claim that Ham had relations with his mother, thus uncovering his father’s nakedness and that Canaan was the result of that union.
c. Other shave tried to claim that Noah was the victim of a homosexual attack by Ham.
There is not a shred of Scriptural evidence for any of these ideas. As a matter of fact…
5. The Hebrew expression means that Ham saw his father’s nakedness. There was no sexual involvement by Ham at all. If there were, the Hebrew word would have been the word for uncovered. Noah had already uncovered himself in a shameful way in that culture. To these people, to see their parents naked was a breach of what was right. The sanctity of the family was destroyed if this was done. The strength of the father was made fun of. Ham may have stumbled upon his father accidentally, and then made the fatal mistake.
V 22b 6. He evidently shared it with his brothers in a way that made fun of his father and belittled him, making Ham look superior to his father. This may seem small, but it was major. To see how big it was, look at how his brothers respond.
V 23 7. With great respect and care, they covered their father’s sin, not causing more embarrassment. Cf. Prov. 10:12b says, “love covers a multitude of sins.” Shem and Japheth cover their father, not wishing to cause further embarrassment.
Trans. The fact that Noah and his son fell into sin shortly after the flood indicates that THE CURSE OF SIN SURVIVED THE FLOOD.
ii. the curse of sin is passed on vs. 24-29
Illus. of when you see negative traits of yourself in your children, it drives you crazy. Ham evidenced a negative trait, the curse of sin. This bothered Noah that it was a big part of Ham’s life and would be for his descendents as well.
A. the curse recognized
V 24a 1. It took time for Noah to sober up. If it weren’t bad enough that he had fallen into sin…
V 24b 2. He had to deal with the sin of one of his sons. This was to be a painful realization. The natures of these three men would be perpetuated throughout their descendants. Cf. Lev. 18:1-19 All but one of these terms for uncovering refers to sexual relations, indicating the immoral behavior of the descendants of Ham. The Jews were not to live like the Canaanites. Evidently, incest and other immoral behaviors were common.
b. the curse on unrepentant sinners
V 25 1. Canaan was not being punished, but Noah was prophesying as to what his descendants would be like. They would become servants of the descendants of Shem and Japheth.
2. Culturally, drunkenness and brazen immorality weaken a people and certainly that was true in the lives of Ham’s descendants. That’s why they were judged by Israel when they entered the land. They were a vile people and God used Israel to judge them. Their activities were in the same mold as their ancestor Ham’s. As soon as chapter 14, some of Canaan’s descendants are taken captive by the kings of the east. The Gibeonites became wood choppers and water carriers under Joshua. Cf. Josh. 9:27 So, Canaan’s line would be cursed.
c. the blessing upon the righteous
V 26 1. We’ve already seen that demonstrated in a couple of examples. In general, Shem’s line would be blessed and Canaan’s cursed. It was the Canaanites that were dispersed when Israel came in to possess the land.
V 27 2. Japheth too is blessed. They would dwell with Shem in peace and protection. He would grow and be aligned with the descendants of Shem. So, Israel foreign policy is set here. Cf. Deut. 20:16-18 Today, it’s still the descendants of Japheth that are Shem’s greatest supporters.
V28-29 3. And so were the days of Noah.
conclusion
THE CURSE OF SIN SURVIVED THE FLOOD and THE CURSE OF SIN IS PASSED ON. Can this have any application today?
1. The curse of sin is still carried by men today. Rom. 5:12.
2. The curse can be conquered by anyone. GOSPEL Shem and Japheth covered Noah’s sin. The GOSPEL is the only way our sin is covered.
3. We can help others through evangelism and loving confrontation. So many of life’s problems are self created by our own sin. We can help others recognize that blessings come to those who obey God’s Word and curses to those that live in sin and rebel against Him.
Illus. of spells and curses that are believed by many.
Blessings or curses from God are not magic potions, they are principles of life that God has given to warn us and help us get to where we want to be. Trust in Jesus Christ for salvation and obey His Word and blessings will come. That doesn’t mean there will never be trials, but in general, your life will be blessed. Refuse to obey God’s Word, and suffer under the curse of sin. Trust me…it is alive and well.
pray
liberty bible church 2/11/07 P.M.
By Tom Zobrist
“the curse is alive and well”
Genesis 9:18-29
introduction
Luck; curses; do they really exist? Is there such a thing as bad luck or good? Well, I don’t believe in luck, but I do believe in a curse; one particular curse that has had a profound effect on our world and continues to today. What is this curse?
i. the curse of vs. 18-23
a. the curse is carried by _______________________________________ people
Cf. Gen. 6:9; 11:26
b. even the righteous can…
Cf. Prov. 10:12b
ii. the curse of vs. 24-29
A. the curse recognized
Cf. Lev. 18:1-19
b. the curse on ________________________________________ sinners
Cf. Josh. 9:27
c. the blessing upon the ___________________________________
Cf. Deut. 20:16-18
conclusion
Can this have any application today?
1.
Cf. Rom. 5:12.
2.
3.