Study From the Book of Genesis,9

Study From the Book of Genesis,9

Today we study chapter 9 of the Book of Genesis. I choose two biblical principles and their lessons which are useful in Biblical Counselling.

The blessing of God on the family of Noah provided a new beginning for humankind. In a way the promises that God had given to the first people were restarted for Noah as a new Adam. Be fruitful and multiply was God’s command in the beginning.

Three new realities mark the post-Flood:

1. Meat may be eaten along with plants.
2. Blood is not to be eaten with meat; and
3. The taking of a person’s life is now punishable by death.
4.  

More sacred than the life of an animal is the life of a person. Animal may be slain for food, but no wanton slaying of humans is allowed.  Man is still the image of God; sin did not destroy it. God values humans more highly than animal life because only humankind possesses God’s image.

God promised that He would establish His covenant with Noah and here He accomplished this great work. The rainbow is a memorial to God’s promise never to flood the earth again and a constant reminder of His oath.

It is not clear whether seeing his father’s nakedness was Ham’s chief offense. The following verses of especially verse 23 imply that Ham made fun of his father, and this news reached Noah after he awoke. However, Shem and Japheth took great pains to honour their father, not even wanting to glance at his nakedness.

The three sons had been blessed with their father. Thus, Noah cursed Ham indirectly by cursing his son Canaan. Some once believed that this justified the slavery of African people who were descended from Cannan. Shem is given precedence over his brothers.  Eber and Abram were descended from Sham. So, Shem’s blessings is ultimately a blessing on Israel.

Noah’s death was the end of an era. His long life of 950 years gave him opportunity to transmit to many descendants the dramatic story that he had lived out with the family. People in places and cultures have memories of the Flood. The details differ, but the stories remain. 

Structure

Verses 1:17: God’s covenant with creation, continue,

Verses:18-28: Noah and His sons.

Principle 15: verse 9:6: ---“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.”

Lesson 15: Murder is a terrible crime because God made human beings in His image. Murder therefore shows an utter contempt for God-as does treating others disdainfully, as the Lord Jesus later say in Matt.5:22.

Principle 16: verse 9:12: ---“And God said ‘this is the sign of covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations---'.”

Lesson 16: When God makes a promise, He does not want us to forget it. Therefore, He often gives us some tangible sign or pledge to memorialize His promise.2/11/2025.