Noah, and the power of the tongue

“Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated” (Genesis 9:18) God had blessed Noah and his sons, and told them to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (9:1). This was the same commandment that God had told Adam and Eve before the fall, and it was essentially the renewal of that command to make the earth like Eden. God's intention was, and is, that the whole earth be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. It will happen, God has declared it (Habakkuk 2:14). But we have already seen that there was a lot of opposition to His plan in both the earthly, and the heavenly realms.  After the flood, God was starting over again with Noah and his family, but it would get messed up again, almost immediately.

“And Noah ... planted a vineyard.. he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. .... So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren” (Genesis 9:20-25).  The commentators agree that the sense of the Hebrew, is that Ham's telling was done in a scornful, deriding manner. And perhaps what happened here, is that Ham knew better than to let his father see his disdain. But Canaan was not so wise,  and that's why the curse came on him rather than his father.

We discussed in previous meditations that the father's sins tend to get repeated by the children (Exodus 20:5). And what comes to me here, is that “life and death are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). In the recovery circles in which I move, I have become very aware of the life long wounds inflicted on children by the words of significant care givers. “You'll never amount to anything.” 'You're no good, you're just like your blankety, blank father.'  When such words are taken to heart, as they so often are, they become both part of that person's identity, and a kind of self fulfilling prophecy. We need to see such words as curses on our children.

Unfortunately, these things tend to be passed down to multiple generations (Exodus 20:5).  And this was certainly true with Canaan. The descends of Noah's sons would eventually form the various nations (Genesis 10:32). And Canaan's descendants seem to have been the most prolific (Acts 13:19). In fact, a large part of the middle East became know as the land of Canaan. And the destruction of the nations in that land at the time of the  conquest, was so that Israel would not learn their  “abominable practices.” Such practices included cult prostitution and child sacrifice (Deuteronomy 20:18; 23:17; Leviticus 18:21). It all started with Noah's curse, and we must not underestimate the destructive power of our words.

Father, please help us to take our identity from what You think of us.  And to You, we are Your precious, beloved children (1 John 3:1).  Help us to be especially careful Lord, when speaking to the vulnerable. Forgive when we fail (1 John 1:9), and help us to guard our hearts and tongues,  in Jesus Name Amen

The olive branch and the Bible's influence on the West

“Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth” (Genesis 6:11). God had sent the flood as judgement on the wickedness of mankind. Warned by Him, Noah had built the ark, and only he and his family had escaped.  They were now waiting for the waters to subside (Genesis 6, 7).  The flood as judgement on mankind clearly demonstrates what Paul calls the severity of God.  But the goodness of God is glimpsed in the olive branch as a sign of new beginnings, sign of new life after the devastation (Romans 11:22). It points to a new beginning for humanity, and to peace and reconciliation with God. In fact the olive branch and the dove have become universal symbols of peace and reconciliation.

It's not always acknowledged that this symbol dates back to Noah, but in fact it must be, since the whole of humanity derives from him  and his family (Genesis 9:1). More significant, especially in the West, there is little acknowledgement of the positive influence of the Christianity and the Bible on Western culture and values. To be sure Western culture is far from perfect, but we have to ask why it is that so many want to emigrate here from non-Western countries. Winston Churchill's comment that democracy is the worst form of government apart from all of the rest, comes to mind. It is only seen to be the worst when compared with unattainable utopia. If we do not learn from history we are destined to repeat it. And we are in danger of throwing out the baby with the bath water, as many seek to throw out the foundations of what has been the most prosperous and just time in history.

There is much written if we are prepared to seek it out. Because of space considerations,  I have restricted myself to thoughts that come from Aquilina and Papandrea's book “How Christianity Saved Civilization ... And Must Do So Again.” The authors outline seven cultural revolutions that changed society for the better. Each are the direct result of the presence of Christianity in the world, and were corrections of certain flaws in society. These non-violent revolutions can only be fully appreciated when compared to the then existing situations. The disciple is encouraged to research these things out.

The first mentioned revolution affirmed that all people are created equal. The second, that of the home, affirmed it as a place of safety and love, and where women and children are not to be exploited. A revolution of the workplace affirmed that people are not property and must also not be exploited. The revolution of religion taught that God is love. The revolution of community, taught us to love our neighbour as ourselves.  The revolution of life affirmed life and hope, and encouraged people to stand up for human rights. Finally, the  revolution of government set up the ideal that rulers should serve those whom they rule (not the other way around). These revolutions are not fully complete, neither did they occur overnight.  As I outlined earlier the yeast of the Kingdom come changes things  only gradually, as hearts are transformed. The world's revolution is not really change, it merely interchanges the oppressed and the oppressor.

Father, please open our eyes to appreciate what the Kingdom has already accomplished. Help us to continue to work towards its fulness in Jesus Name Amen