This week's Bible blog is based on my reading of Genesis Chapter's 7-12.
There is one story in this section of Genesis that has always affected me. After his great and glorious victory of saving humanity through his own family's righteousness, being charged with the repopulation of the earth, and personally receiving God's first promise to never again flood the earth...Noah gets drunk.
It's funny, because in the human sense you think, "Well yeah, he got drunk! Wouldn't you want a drink?" But it seems so "unrighteous" to us, doesn't it? And God chose this man because of his righteousness.
I realized why I have struggled with this story, though. I was reading the WRONG story! This is not a story about a man who enjoyed the fruits of his vineyard too much. This is a story about a son who saw his father's weakness and mocked him. This son, Ham, even tried to bring his brothers over to mock their father along with him. He showed disrespect and disdain for the man whose righteousness had just saved his life, and his wife's life.
It is also a story about two loving sons, Shem and Japheth, who respected their father so much that they covered his "nakedness." They did not draw attention to his infraction. They covered it for him, until he was able to do so himself.
This story holds great relevance for the church today, and for individual families, as well. None of us are perfect, and the minute we start to act like we are, we condemn ourselves. (Forgive and you will be forgiven, withhold forgiveness and it will be withheld from you). Many today came out of less than perfect home lives, much like the earth before the flood. But now we, like Noah's family, have been rescued and set apart. So now, when we return to that world we have a choice. Are we going to call out the infractions of others at their expense, to make ourselves feel better? Or, will we be willing to overlook their shortcomings and remember that they are still people worthy of respect?
Regardless of his human frailty, God chose Noah. Perhaps, despite my own imperfections, He could even choose me.
There is one story in this section of Genesis that has always affected me. After his great and glorious victory of saving humanity through his own family's righteousness, being charged with the repopulation of the earth, and personally receiving God's first promise to never again flood the earth...Noah gets drunk.
It's funny, because in the human sense you think, "Well yeah, he got drunk! Wouldn't you want a drink?" But it seems so "unrighteous" to us, doesn't it? And God chose this man because of his righteousness.
I realized why I have struggled with this story, though. I was reading the WRONG story! This is not a story about a man who enjoyed the fruits of his vineyard too much. This is a story about a son who saw his father's weakness and mocked him. This son, Ham, even tried to bring his brothers over to mock their father along with him. He showed disrespect and disdain for the man whose righteousness had just saved his life, and his wife's life.
It is also a story about two loving sons, Shem and Japheth, who respected their father so much that they covered his "nakedness." They did not draw attention to his infraction. They covered it for him, until he was able to do so himself.
This story holds great relevance for the church today, and for individual families, as well. None of us are perfect, and the minute we start to act like we are, we condemn ourselves. (Forgive and you will be forgiven, withhold forgiveness and it will be withheld from you). Many today came out of less than perfect home lives, much like the earth before the flood. But now we, like Noah's family, have been rescued and set apart. So now, when we return to that world we have a choice. Are we going to call out the infractions of others at their expense, to make ourselves feel better? Or, will we be willing to overlook their shortcomings and remember that they are still people worthy of respect?
Regardless of his human frailty, God chose Noah. Perhaps, despite my own imperfections, He could even choose me.
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