Gen 9: The original covenant re-established with Noah, and the fall and curse of Ham's seed

Echoes of the original creation story - the command to multiply, humankind in God's image - abound, and hence God makes a covenant never to destroy the whole earth in the same fashion again. The chapter ends with yet another fall, leading to the curse of Ham's seed, Canaan, but concludes with the blessing of Shem, from whose descendants redemption (i.e. Christ) will come.

• v1: God blessed Noah and his sons, assuring them of His good-will and love.
• v2: While God reiterates man's dominion over all creatures, note the fundamental difference here. Man in innocence ruled by love (Gen 1:28), man in his fallen state ruled by fear.
• v3: Man was allowed to eat meat for sustenance. This is contrasted with Gen 1:29, where man ate only every seed bearing plant and every tree which had fruit on it. Now God allowed man to feed upon flesh, which involves bloodshed. In this initial decree, "everything that lives and moves" was permitted (cf 1 Tim 4:4); it was only later that ceremonial law prohibited certain foods/animals.
• v4: While man was allowed to eat meat, they were not allowed to eat flesh with “its lifeblood still in it” i.e. raw meat. This is probably because in the OT times, the law of sacrifice for sin dictated that blood was required for atonement (Lev 17:11), which signified that the life of the sacrifice was accepted for the life of the sinner. Hence, blood was considered sacred, and must be poured out before the Lord. In 2 Sam 23:16, we see David refusing to drink the water his men brought back, because it was obtained through them risking their lives (i.e. their blood), hence pouring it before God. As NT Christians, the ultimate sacrifice has already been offered; hence the obligation of this law is no longer observed since there is no reason to.
• v5: God demands an accounting for each of our lives.
• v6: This is one of the commonly quoted verses in the argument for/against capital punishment and whether it was mandated by God. "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed". God requires a "reckoning" of both the person and the beast who shed anyone's blood i.e. He holds both responsible. Since animals cannot make moral discrimination, one side of the argument is that this text cannot be used to advocate for capital punishment. Looking at the previous verse, it is clear that God is giving a command, and not a mere suggestion. The reason given for the action is one that remains in force for as long as men and women are made in the image of God. Hence the murderer had to suffer because the act of murder is a fundamental denial of the image of God in the harmed individual. Looking at the sixth commandment, the Hebrew word translated to "kill" was used to refer to deliberate and premeditated murder. It was not used for accidental killings (Deut 19:5) or even manslaughter (Num 35:16). And while for every other death penalty crime in the Old Testament, a substitue (i.e. animal sacrifice) was permitted, there was to be no substitute allowed for death for a murderer. Even Jesus and Paul acknowledged the government as an authority instituted by God, that they should not bear the sword in vain (Rom 13:4). It could hence be argued that God has committed the punishment of murder to man, who ought to be faithful to the trust reposed in them. On the other hand, as Jesus so clearly illustrated when an adultress was brought before Him, none of us are worthy to carry out the punishment; only God can and will. When Jesus came to atone for our sins, He atoned for them all, so that we might have life, and life abundantly. If we hold fast to the OT law, are we implying that Jesus' atonement was insufficient to take the place of an accused murderer? ><
• v8-11: God makes a covenant with Noah on His own accord. He promised never to destroy the earth again. However filthy and sinful the earth would become (which God naturally would have forseen), God deals with us through His goodness and faithfulness. The world remains as a monument of God’s mercy. The occasional thunderstorm and flood reminds us of what God can do in wrath – imagine it lasting for forty days and forty nights instead of a mere few hours! Note however, this promise does not hinder God from bringing other judgements, nor from destroying particular places, nor by destroying the world at the last day by fire.
• v12-17: God was willing to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of His councils, and hence confirmed His covenant by a seal. Hence, we can make the following points about the rainbow as a seal of God's promise:
  - It is a visible sign and provides a hope for us as we look upon it
  - Rainbows only appear after the rain. Imagine the natural response of Moses and his household every time it rained after the flood – fear that God might again in his wrath flood the earth. Hence, God calms and reassures us with encouragements that are suitable and timely.
  - Rainbows appear brighter when the clouds are thicker. The more threatening our situations, if we can just look up towards God, the more His glory will shine through it all.
  - One part of the sky is always clear when there is a rainbow. For God will make a way when there is no way; God will remember mercy in the midst of His wrath.
  - The rainbow is a result of the dispersion of light from the sun. The significance of the seal of the covenant is derived from Christ, who is described with a rainbow around His throne (Rev 4:3). A mighty angel is described with a rainbow above His head (Rev 10:1). Hence the rainbow is a symbol of God’s glory and majesty.
  - In Psalms 7:12-13, God ordains His bow against the wicked. However, unlike the bow in Psalms, the rain-bow does not have a string or arrow. Neither it is directed towards the earth, but rather, it points upwards towards Heaven, and Christ.
• v18,19: God populated the entire earth from the three sons of Noah. Through God’s power, he can, when He pleases, make the little among us rise up to become a thousand, just by blessing and anointing them.
• v20-21: Noah's sin and shame. Drinking wine was not the issue here, for "wine that gladdens the heart of man" (Ps 140:15) is viewed as one of God's gifts to humankind. Every burnt and peace offering was accompanied by a libation of wine, and one of Israel's symbols was the vine. The issue was that drinking too much wine was offensive to God (Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and champions at mixing drinks - Isa 5:22). Drunkenness was especially reprehensible when it led to self-exposure (Lam 4:21). Observe that this sin was soon after a great deliverance, and God left this upon his record as an example to show
  - a man who was "perfect in his generation" still has faults
  - those who have by God's grace kept their integrity in the midst of temptation, have through carelessness fallen into sin when the hour of temptation was upposed to be over. Noah managed to get drunk among sober company!
• v22: Ham saw the nakedness of his father, which was not a sin in itself, but rather, he gazed upon his father with satisfaction, in the same way that the Edomites looked upon the day of their brother (Obad 12), pleased and insulting. Ham transgressed a natural and sacred barrier. While his father lay exposed, unprotected, dishonoured and at risk of exploitation, he chose not to cover his father up, instead ridiculed him before his brothers.
• v23: Shem and Japeth treated their father with utmost dignity and respect - they covered him and walked in backwards, so that they would not see it themselves, and also ensured that no one else might see it.
• v25: He pronounced a curse on Canaan the son of Ham, even though Ham was the culprit. Canaan, the youngest son of Ham, was singled out, probably because Noah saw in him the same tendencies and perversions that had been evidenced in Ham. Noah could not have cursed Ham, because he and his brothers along with Noah himself had been the objects of a blessing in Gen 9:1. No one could reverse with a curse a blessing God Himself had placed. (Balaam learned this the ahrd way! =p). Plenty of historical records show that the Canaanites were notoriously deviant in their sexual behaviour. Archaeological remains have shown fertility symbols accompanying explicit texts, and even the Romans who were depraved in their practices, were shocked by the behaviour of the Phoenicians at the colony of Carthage (the last remaining line of the Canaanites).
• The curse came true 800 years later, where Israel reigned victorious over the Canaanites, a nation far removed from God. The Canaanites were a mighty nation, for God allowed them, for a time, to be fruitful and prosperous. This is true of sinners, where many, who are marked for ruin, may appear to be prospering in our eyes. But we need to remember, that God, in His own time, will decide that enough is enough and put a stop to iniquities
• v26: Noah never blessed Shem directly, rather, he blessed God for Him, thus entitling Shem (or Israel) to the greatest honour. This is an example we need to learn – that we must glorify God for all the good work we do in His name, instead of blessing and praising the instruments which God chose to carry out His work. (Matt 5:16)
• v27: Noah blessed Japheth, and through this, blessed the Gentiles – “may Japheth live in the tents of Shem”. This perhaps denotes the conversion of the Gentiles, and them finding God’s grace, love and mercy through the Jews. Then, both shall be one in Christ, who has come to destroy all barriers (Eph 2:14,15)