Genesis: Post Flood

Genesis: Post Flood

Text: Genesis 8:13 – 13:18

Structure: I'm sure you'll be surprised if I would tell you that the third lesson in out study of Genesis has a Biblical Waltz outline: A+B+C, related to being formless+empty+dark. Just like Genesis 1:1-2, and the Great Fall, people will face the same three challenges, and barely avoid another great judgment.

I. 8:13-19, God initiates the New World

A. 8:20-22, Noah builds the altar, formation of the merciful relationship with the LORD

  B. 9:1-7, God's blessing: be fruitful and multiply

    C. 9:8-17, Glorification, the colorful sign of the covenant – the rainbow

II. 9:18-19, Initiation of the story of the sons of Noah

A'. 9:20-28, Ham crosses the boundaries – breaking the form

  B'. 10:1 – 11:9, People don't want to fill the earth – building of the city and the tower.

    C'. 11:10 – 12:20, Abram is called to go into the land and interact with the “others.”

Comments: It's important to note that the flood had two purposes: cleaning the earth and protecting Noah with his family. I don't think that God expected everything to be perfect after the Flood – on one hand, we don't see the same magnitude of “badness” as we saw before (cp. Genesis 6:11). On the other hand, Noah and his sons are descendants of Adam – bringing the original sin into the New World with them. It's not a contraband of Methuselah (cp. Movie Noah, 2014), it's the sinful nature that began to play out in a corrupt way to distort the new beginnings...

The first part is a beautiful creative dialog between the LORD and the family. God initiates – Noah builds the altar, recognizing that life is possible only by faithful response to the mercies, being saved through the Flood. Then God addressed the men of the family, charging them with responsibilities of taking over the world. It is the men, supported by their spouses, are to master the new creation (cp. Genesis 2:18, 1 Timothy 2:8). To confirm the covenant arrangement God sets the signs of His promise. Note, He didn't demand the tribute, He didn't ask humans to figure thinks out... He sets the covenant and takes the full responsibility for the execution (Genesis 9:14-16).

After this amazing exodus out of the flood and the arc the brave new world was at their feet. And Noah took an advantage of the new possibilities. He begins a new trade – vineyard growing and wine making. Note that the vineyard didn't exist until now. Please don't be hasty, when you read the text - all of us know that between v. 20 and 21 at least three years passed by.

Now, people read differently what is written in v. 21: either they make and accent on the drunkenness of Noah, or they point out the fact that he WAS covered by his tent. He used his freedom to be naked in the privacy of his home. Nowhere in the Bible Noah is presented as an example of an alcoholic, on the contrary – the Letter to Hebrews says he became an heir of righteousness by faith (Hebrews 11:7).

The problem was with his son who trespassed the boundary of the father's house. Ham sins against the “form” or the boundaries. Two other brothers know that the only solve the problem is to cover dad additionally, providing “un-doing” of what their brother did wrong.

The second main story is the Tower of Babel. And this is where the first problem for interpretation lays: they build a city and a tower (Genesis 11:4). The second challenge is the identity of “they” (Genesis 11:2-3). Same as “sons of God” and “daughter of man” incident, the story didn't begin just a few verses before. In this case it started in 10:1 – the genealogies (begettings) of the sons of Noah. Japheth goes first (10:2-5). There are couple of notable names that will appear in the Bible later (Magog, Tarshish etc.), but they are of no interest to us at this point.

Then we have sons of Ham (Genesis 10:6-20). And we find out that the incident of the Tower of Babel is their instigation, but they were not acting alone – the sons of Shem helped them out. They are listed last (Genesis 10:21-31), therefore it is “they” who moved into the plain of in the land of Shinar. And joined forces with Nimrod and his clan (Genesis 10:10). Nimrod did not want to move, spread, and take over the land. He wanted to have dominion in his own “controlled environment.” That's why they wanted to build the city – Babel, and shemites provided the cult aspect to this project (Genesis 9:26). But instead of relying on gracious and merciful God (Lam. 3:22-23), they have decided to build a tower that reaches heavens – to make sure that no water of any new flood will be able to cover them. They wanted defend themselves against God instead of following the paths of His righteousness.

To discipline them, God messed up their ability to worship together (it is not the language, it's the lips in Genesis 11:1, which is the aspect of worship, cp. Ps. 51:15). As a result, their plan fell into five+ parts (cp. Genesis 10:10-12). In this context we are introduced to Abram. His family first moves from Ur to Haran, and after the death of his father the LORD calls Abram. There are two distinct signs of his life in the land: trust in the LORD (Genesis 15:6), marking the land for God (Genesis 12:7, 8, 13:18), and relationship with the the others: people Canaan, Egyptians etc. In every instance his proves to be faithful to God, ready to extend the blessing the LORD shared with him for the sake of the nations (Genesis 12:1-3).