Genesis 8-11

Chapter 8. God remembering Noah is God’s faithfulness to the faithful, in this case Noah and his family are surrounded by destruction, yet they are kept safe in God’s hands(8:1). The following verses explain the receding waters and God’s involvement for making the earth habitable again for Noah and life inside the ark. In verse 20 we the first time an “altar” is erected for the worship of God. As goes the law of first mention in hermeneutics of the Bible, we know that many altars erected in human history have been for idol worship, but there is no god besides Jehovah. This altar and sacrifice thereupon represents sinful man being reconciled to Holy God. Correctness of worship is also demonstrated here with the first altar. Noah didn’t offer up fruits, like Cain, or “unclean beasts”, but offered up “clean beasts” such as God accepted. It is important for human beings to approach God on His terms. We should not lean on our own understanding of God, but acknowledge God’s direction in everything we do. This way our relationship with Him is sweet to enjoy and pleasing in His eyes. Such worshipping from faithful Noah no doubt did well for God’s broken heart (6:7 cf 8:21) for God spoke from His heart the blessings upon Noah and his children. When the righteous worship God it does make a difference. It moved God to bless Noah and the earth once more (8:22-9:1).

Before the flood, the people raged in their wickedness cursing God with their idolatry, but now all the earth only knows God through faithful Noah. All countries today no matter how utterly given to idolatry once had a father who knew the Lord and worshipped Him as such. Verse 20 introduced seasons of summer and winter, and a season for planting as we’ll has harvesting. What God is saying however, He promises to never destroy the earth again as in the flood (9:11), but the seasons will be predictable and manageable for man to continue.

Not long passes before sin shows up again in this new world. Law of first mention is seen again with Noah’s wine making efforts. The first time someone is seen making wine in the scriptures, it leads them to sin and bad consequences. Noah lay observably naked in his tent and Ham, his son sees him (9:22). Commentators I’ve read have variably interpreted what exactly Ham’s sin was. The Bible does not give details other than Ham had done something shameful. Some commentaries have offered to say his sin was homosexual in nature and left out the details for propriety sake, other say Ham had disrespectfully spoken about his father to his brothers (9:23), but whatever the case, the reader should note here that sin has very quickly found it’s way onto the scene once again. People are sinners. Man’s leaning towards sin will continue despite the flood and Noah’s acceptable worship. Because of Ham’s transgression, Noah placed a patriarchal curse on Canaan, calling for Ham’s descendent to serve the descendants of Shem and Japeth (9:27).

After Noah’s death (9:29), story telling is fast-forwarded with the development of Noah’s descendants until a notable event occurs in chapter 11, the Tower of Babel.  Before the world knew its diversity in languages, all men and descendants of Noah spoke in the same language (11:1). In chapter 11, we find people unwilling to disperse and scatter as the Lord had previous instructed them (8:17;9:1). In effort to unify their efforts to stay as one people they began to build a city and a tower to represent this ideal (11:4). God knew the hearts of men and their intentions would only lead to more disobedience. Their sin was such for the Lord to intervene, in that each sinner involved in this scheme did not act alone but this sin was done corporately. Corporate sin as opposed to individual sin only emboldens sinners to defy God with less fear and more bravery. God willing to hinder the infestation of wickedness in the growing world, caused great confusion among them by diversifying their spoken languages. Instantly their confederacy to defy God ended and men dispersed from that place and their ideals(11:7-8).

After the men dispersed, the Bible picks up again with Noah’s son Shem and continues the genealogy through to Abram (11:27) or Abraham as most people know his name. Remembering the blessing and cursing Noah gave to his sons, we find this Abram is destined for a land where the Canaanites dwell. Abram being Shem’s descendant seems to prove that God has honored Noah’s blessings on Shem and curse on Canaan. Abram’s wife Sarai was barren unable to have children (11:30) and thus the scene is set yet again to emphasize the Bible’s ongoing theme: “the just shall live by faith.”