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Genesis

Chapter Nine

 

Preface

 

Starting with verse 20 of chapter 8 some of the elements of the Noahic Covenant are stated, and these elements of this covenant between God and His creation continue through verse 27 of this chapter.  A synopsis of each of the covenants between God and man may be reviewed in chapter 6 of this commentary.  They will be listed here only by title and reference:

 

Edenic Covenant (Genesis 1:28-30; 2:16, 17) 

Adamic Covenant (Genesis 3:14-19)

Noahic Covenant (Genesis 8:20—9:17)

Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:1-8; 17:1-8)

Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19:5; 20:1—31:18)

Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy 30:1-9)

Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:5-19)

Solomonic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-15; 1 Kings. 8:4, 5; 2 Chronicles 7:11-22)

New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:7; Luke 22:20)

 

The provisions of the Noahic Covenant and the events surrounding the drunkenness of Noah are the major issues in this, the 9th chapter of Genesis.

Genesis 9:1-7

So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.  And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand.  Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.  But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.  Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man.  Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.  And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it."

 

These seven verses cover the first major division of the Noahic Covenant, which applies to the entire earth and its occupants. It also either establishes or justifies human self-government.  There are eight provisions of the Noahic Covenant, five of which are covered in this passage.  They follow.

 

  1. Man’s responsibility to populate the earth is reaffirmed (vs. 1, 7).

 

  1. The subjection of the animal kingdom to man is reaffirmed, but now it will be administered under a new relationship.  Whereas previously man and animal coexisted in peace and animals most likely fully cooperated with man’s care and maintenance, now the animal kingdom would fear man and be dominated by him (vs. 2).

 

  1. Man is permitted to eat the flesh of every “moving creature” outside the realm of man.  When initially created man was to be a vegetarian but after the curse of the Flood, man’s diet was expanded to include the animal kingdom.  The only exception, which is in fact carried over into the New Covenant, is that man is to refrain from eating blood—the “life of the flesh” (vss. 3, 4).

 

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen—even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.  (Psalm 8:6-8)

 

And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.  For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.  (Leviticus 17:10, 11).  See also Leviticus 17:12-16; 19:26; Deuteronomy 12:23; 1Samuel 14:33.

 

But that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. . . that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell. (Acts 15:20, 29)

 

  1. The sacredness of human life is established.  Since man is made in the image of God, one who commits murder shows not only contempt for man but also contempt for God (vs. 5).

 

  1. Whatever sheds man’s blood, whether man or beast, must be put to death—the institution of human self-government (vs. 6).

 

The Origin of Human Government—It has been assumed that human government was officially instituted after the Great Flood in Genesis 9.  However, some form of law and order undoubtedly existed prior to this period.  This is strongly suggested by both Jesus and Jude.  Jesus in Luke 17:26, 27 says that prior to the Flood in Noah’s day people conducted their affairs in much the same manner as we do today.  Jude gives us the text of a message Enoch preached to sinners prior to the Flood (Jude 14, 15).  We learn that one of the main factors which brought about the Flood was man’s disobedience to the revealed law of God.

 

At any rate, there is certainly no doubt concerning the source of human government.  God Himself is its divine author.  Two individuals give testimony to this fact.  Daniel reminds King Nebuchadnezzar that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses” (Dan. 4:25).  The apostle Paul exhorts Christians to be subject to the laws of human government because all earthly powers exist through God’s divine permission (Rom. 13).

 

If one rightly understands the origin of human government, then the conclusion is reached that lawless anarchy is not only rebellion against human authority, but actual blasphemy against the divine Creator Himself.

 

Romans 13:1-4.  The Function of Human Government—The general function of human government, as instituted by God, may be said to be threefold:  to protect, punish, and promote.

 

a.      The Function of Protection:  The moment Adam sinned it was obvious that civilizations would need some form of restraint and rule to protect citizens from themselves.  An example of this function is seen in Acts 21:27-37 where Roman soldiers step in and save Paul from being murdered by his own enraged countrymen in Jerusalem.

 

b.      The Function of Punishment:  Both Paul and Peter bring this out.  Paul writes that duly appointed human officials are to be regarded as God’s servants to “bear the sword,” that is, to impose punishment upon criminals (vv. 3, 4).  Peter tells us that governors are “sent by him for the punishment of evildoers” (1 Pet. 2:13, 14).

 

c.       The Function of Promotion:  Human government is to promote the general welfare of the community where its laws are in effect.  Paul commands us to pray for human leaders “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:1, 2).

 

1 Peter 2:13.  Our Responsibility to Human Government—It is impossible for a believer to be a good Christian and a bad citizen at the same time.  As children of God our responsibility to human government is threefold.

 

a.      We are to recognize and accept that the powers that be are ordained by God.  “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Rom 13:1).  This truth applies even to atheistic human government unless, of course, the law is anti-scriptural.  In that situation the believer must obey God rather than man (Acts 4:18-20).  In fact, when Paul wrote those words in Romans 13:1, the evil emperor Nero was on the throne.  See also Titus 3:1.

 

b.      We are to pay our taxes to human government (see Matt. 17:24-27; 22:21; Rom. 13:7).

 

c.       We are to pray for the leaders in human government.  “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior” (1 Tim. 2:1-3).

(Prophecy Study Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982, John C. Hagee General Editor)

 

Although the concept of the importance of blood was introduced early on in Genesis 3:21, in this passage the reason blood is so noteworthy is made manifest—“the life of the flesh is in the blood.”  This foreshadows the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary thousands of years in the future.  And because the shedding of Christ’s blood is symbolic of His spiritual death on the cross as a result of His baring all of man’s sin and becoming that sin and therein paying the penalty-price for man’s sin; God not only holds all blood of His creatures to a high degree of significance, but He expects man to do the same—then, and now!

Genesis 9:8-17

Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying:  "And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth.  Thus I establish My covenant with you: never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."  And God said: "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:  I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.  It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.  The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."  And God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth."

 

This passage covers the 3 remaining provisions of the Noahic Covenant, which are:

 

  1. The covenant is confirmed with Noah, his sons, their descendants, all the animals on the ark and their descendants (vss. 8-10).

 

  1. The earth will never again be destroyed by a universal flood (vs. 11).  The next time God destroys the earth, the means will be fire (2 Peter 3:10).

 

  1. The rainbow is established as a sign of the Noahic Covenant to both God and man signifying that God will never again destroy the earth by a universal flood (vss. 12-17).

Genesis 9:18, 19

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.

 

Although there is some dispute between theologians as to which son, Shem or Japheth, was Noah’s oldest son, this commentator finds no significance in determining the fact.  Shem was in the messianic line.  Ham was the father of Canaan, who was the beginnings of the family of Canaanites, who later were the source of conflict with and corrupting influence upon Israel.  But from these the earth’s total population is derived.  A partial breakdown of their descendants will be covered in the next chapters.

Genesis 9:20-29

And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.  Then 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.  But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father's nakedness.  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."  And he said: "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant.  May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant."  And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.

 

Although Noah’s occupation cannot be determined prior to the Flood, other than he was an “ark builder,” he began as a farmer on the post-flood earth.  He planted a vineyard and became drunk off of the produce of his hands and land.  The Bible doesn’t reveal at this time that Noah was sinning by becoming drunk; although, drunkenness is criticized in various other passages of Scripture (Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-30; Isaiah 28:7; Hosea 4:11; Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 6:10; Ephesians 5:18).

 

While Noah was lying naked in his tent, Ham, Noah’s youngest son and father to Canaan, witnessed Noah’s condition.  There is no confirmation that by simply viewing Noah’s naked body Ham did any wrong, but later in verse 24, it is mentioned that something definite was done to Noah by Ham while Noah was in his drunken state.  The end result is that Ham’s son, Canaan, is cursed.  Not all the descendants of Ham were cursed, only the Canaanites.  The assumption is that Noah’s grandson may have been involved in whatever wrong was done, but God doesn’t reveal all the facts of this event to the reader of His Word.  It is a fact that through Canaan and his descendants much sexual immorality and deviation was introduced to the world.  The term “servant of servants” literally indicates the most abject slavery.

 

The Canaanites were white.  In no way is this to be interpreted as a curse on the black race.  The Canaanites inhabited Palestine and were first subjugated by Joshua and later by Solomon (1 Kin. 9:20, 21).  They were partly exterminated by the Israelites, and their western colonies (such as Carthage) were finally conquered by the Japhetic Romans.  They practiced ritual prostitution, homosexuality, and various orgiastic rites, and were the center of God’s prophecy of judgment in Genesis 15:16, to be carried out by Israel after their sojourn in Egypt.  But the curse did not preclude individual salvation, for Rahab joined Israel, and Hiram, king of Tyre, gave materials for the temple.

(The King James Study Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1988)

 

Shem and Japheth, taking the most discreet action, covered their father’s nakedness.  Because of this they both received a blessing.  Shem’s blessing was spiritual, resulting in his descendants becoming the nation Israel, from which came the Messiah.  Japheth’s blessing was temporal (dominion) along with the right to participate in Shem’s spiritual blessing (“may he dwell in the tents of Shem”) through Shem’s descendants, the Israelites.

 

Noah lived another 350 years after the Flood, for a total life span of 950 years.  This places Noah as one on a notable list of those who lived very long lives in earth’s early years:  Adam (930 years), Seth (912 years), Enosh (905 years), Kenan (910 years), Mahalalel (895 years), Jared (962 years), Enoch (365 years +), Methuselah (969 years), and Lamech (777 years).