Genesis Chapter 9

Here's a couple of observations regarding this chapter:

1) We see here where the rainbow was sent to be a promise that God would not destroy the earth again. I've seen many Christians site this chapter as proof that the earth will not be destroyed by global warming. I was going to discuss that issue but have decided not too as the point of this Blog is to discuss the Bible, what the Bible states, and not to do any reading between the lines nor translation.

2)Reading this chapter lead me to realize that in regards to this story, at least, we see some embellishment by the church...Or at least the churches I've attended and the Sunday school lessons that I've heard.

Noah is a drunk, apparently, and this is also most likely where the church began establishing the *rule* that drinking is a *sin*. Getting drunk is suppose to be anyhow....The interesting part to me though is this...Noah gets drunk, his son sees him passed out naked and gets his brothers. They come in, cover him up and when Noah wakes up all hell breaks loose. He doesn't take responsibility for his own actions but blames Ham for seeing him and telling his brothers. I was always taught that Ham must have been a bad guy...He dared to make fun of his drunken father. The church makes Ham out to be the bad guy too...In *my* experience...And so what does Noah do? Curses Ham's SON Canaan ! Nope, it's not Noah's fault, if he hadn't been drunk in the first place, no one could have seen him naked, no personal responsibility there, It's Ham's fault and Ham's son is cursed. Interesting.....

The church has used this as proof that Noah wasn't perfect, he, like us, had his faults. However, this example also shows me that Noah wasn't the guy he's held up to be either. Ya, he had his faults and it would seem that when he found himself embarassed he lashed out at someone else.

Genesis - Chapter 9
1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth [upon] the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

3Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

4But flesh with the life thereof, [which is] the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

5And 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.

6Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

7And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

8And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

9And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

10And with every living creature that [is] with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

11And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

12And God said, This [is] the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that [is] with you, for perpetual generations:

13I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

14And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

15And I will remember my covenant, which [is] between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that [is] upon the earth.

17And God said unto Noah, This [is] the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that [is] upon the earth.

18And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham [is] the father of Canaan.

19These [are] the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.

20And Noah began [to be] an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

21And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23And 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.

24And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25And he said, Cursed [be] Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

26And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

27God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

28And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.

29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.