Vv 1-7: God's response to Noah's sacrifice (Gen 8:20-22).
Note: Noah is not promised dominion, as was Adam (Gen 1:28): see v 2n.
Gen 9:2
Perfect harmony until sin created fear.
THEY ARE GIVEN INTO YOUR HANDS: Similar to dominion
received by Adam, but now the added element of fear is introduced. This,
however, will be changed in the Kingdom: Isa 11:1-9.
Gen 9:3
Typ after holocaust of judgment (Flood or Kingdom), all
"animals" are "clean" spiritually (HPM 135).
Gen 9:4
LIFEBLOOD: "Life" = "nephesh"; used of animal: Lev
17:11,14. Eating of blood prohibited: Lev 3:17; 7:26,27; 17:10-14. (Some savage
peoples eat living flesh.) This points forward to the blood of Christ: Heb 9:22;
Joh 6:53.
"Blood": first 7 times used: (1) Gen 4:10,11: blood cries to
God; (2) here: blood = life, sacred; (3) Gen 37:22,26,31: Joseph's coat of blood
brought to Jacob (goat dipped in blood of son carried by brother to father); (4)
Gen 42:22: blood required of murderer; (5) Gen 49:11: washed in blood of grape;
(6) Exo 4:9: water of Nile becomes blood; (7) Exo 12:13: passover blood on door.
See Lesson, Blood.
Gen 9:5
I WILL DEMAND AN ACCOUNTING (WILL I REQUIRE): God as
lawgiver, avenger (Psa 9:2; Rom 12:19). In Law of Moses: Exo 21:12,28,29; Num
25:31-33; Deu 21:1-9. Capital punishment to be reinstituted: Zec 13:3.
Gen 9:6
3 Features of man's life, provided by God: (1) orderly family
life, marriage laws (Gen 2:20-25); (2) orderly social life, just laws (Gen 9:6);
and (3) orderly work life: sweat of brow, dominion over earth (Gen 3:18,19;
9:2). These three cornerstones are much called in question today.
BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED: God delegates his
authority for punishment to man (Rom 13:1,2; Eder 53; Pink 115). Man in God's
image: 1Co 11:7; Jam 3:9. "To deface the king's image is a sort of treason"
(Pink 115).
Gen 9:7
Spiritual lessons: Rom 7:4; Gal 5:22; Joh 15:2,4,5,...
Gen 9:9
4 parties to the covenant: Yahweh, Noah, seed,
animals.
Gen 9:10
EVERY LIVING CREATURE: Creatures = mortals in Kingdom.
God will establish His covenant with them and their descendants.
Gen 9:11
But the earth will be filled with the glory of God, as waters
cover the sea: Num 14:21; Hab 2:14.
Gen 9:12
A COVENANT FOR ALL GENERATIONS TO COME (PERPETUAL
GENERATIONS): "Olahm". A covenant that stretches forward to the
Millennium.
THE RAINBOW APPEARS IN THE CLOUDS: To the mortal
nations in Kingdom, the bow (covenant) will be seen (realized) in the clouds
(saints). Cp 2Th 1:10. "The refracted glory of the saints shining through
falling rain."
Gen 9:15
Cp v 11; Gen 8:1n.
Gen 9:17
COVENANT: The 8th time "berith" is used: Gen
6:18.
Gen 9:18
Vv 18-25: Lesson: Despite the judgment of the Flood, sin in
the flesh continues.
Gen 9:19
Act 17:26: "From one man he made every nation of men, that
they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them
and the exact places where they should live."
First, men were divided into 2 groups: Seed of Cain, and Seed
of Seth/Abel. Now, they are divided into 3 groups: by prophecy here.
Gen 9:20
A MAN OF THE SOIL: AV "husbandman". Lit, "is-Adam". A
unique word, sym Noah's fall, from "is" (honorable man) to "adam" (naked,
sinful). The term "husbandman" is lit a "man (is) of the ground (Adam)". The
other Heb words translated by "husbandman" (or "husbandmen") are completely
different. This unique word describes Noah's drunken fall, from an honorable or
righteous man ("is") to the state of Adam ("Adam"), in nakedness and sin. Though
brought to the ground in honorable labor (Gen 3:19; 2Th 3:10), the righteous man
will not become "earthy" (1Co 15:47; John 3:31), but will keep his affections
set upon things above (Col 3:1,2).
VINEYARD: Vines are indigenous to Armenia.
Typical fulfillment of the story of Adam and Eve, etc: Noah,
the father of a new "creation", after the flood, is a man of the soil -- lit,
another "adam". He tends a garden, or vineyard, as did the first Adam.
Gen 9:21
WINE: First time wine is used in the Bible: see Pro
20:1; 23:29-32.
LAY UNCOVERED: Note passive: Noah was "uncovered" (and
more?) by someone else, prob Canaan. (The "wine" of "Babylon" -- Rev 18:3 -- can
leave us "naked": Rev 16:15.) Jewish tradition: Canaan first saw Noah's
nakedness: Lev 18:6.
Cp Noah's sin and fall with that of Adam and Eve: he drank of
the "forbidden fruit", and then became naked (cp Gen 3:7)! So the second "Adam"
(Noah) sinned thru the fruit of his garden, as had the first Adam... and his
nakedness was a parable of his sin in the sight of God.
Gen 9:22
Ham's "seeing" Noah's "nakedness" and telling the two brothers
was not good. Had Ham set Noah up to get drunk? In telling the two brothers, was
there mocking and ridicule? See Pro 14:9; Rom 1:32. Was there some coarse,
offensive remark made by Canaan, so as to receive Noah's curse? Cp Hab
2:15,16.
TOLD HIS TWO BROTHERS: Fools mock at... sin: Pro
14:9.
Gen 9:23
...But love covers sin: 1Pe 4:8.
The sons of Noah provided a covering for his nakedness (sin):
a picture of redemption; cp Gen 3:21.
Gen 9:24
YOUNGEST SON: Could mean "grandson". "Little one" -- ie
Canaan.
Gen 9:25
Vv 25-27: As Adam had three sons who are named, and two were
righteous (Abel, Seth), while one was wicked and cursed (Cain)... so Noah has
three sons: two righteous (Shem, Japheth), and one wicked and cursed
(Ham).
CURSED BE CANAAN: Canaan is singled out as the special
son of Ham whose descendants were in close contact with Israel (vv 18,22). Ham
was father of Canaanites, southern Arabians, Egyptians, and other Africans (Gen
10:6). The immoral, violent Canaanites (the seed of the serpent) were to be
driven out of Promised Land. The seed of Shem (ie Abraham and his seed Christ)
were to inherit God's Land.
Gen 9:26
THE LORD, THE GOD: Memorial Name here. God is "Yahweh
Elohim" of Shem, but not of Ham and Japheth.
SHEM: The father of the Jews, Syrians, and other Middle
East peoples. Jews (of Shem) take Palestine. Of Shem's descendants, Eber's
family is singled out: Gen 10:21n.
Gen 9:27
JAPHETH: May sig "to be fair" -- the complexion of his
descendants. Father of European and Asian Caucasians. Inventors, explorers
"enlarge" the land/influence of Japheth.
IN THE TENTS OF SHEM: Gentiles shall come into the
tabernacle of Israel, ie embrace the hope of Israel.
HIS SLAVE: As in Egypt, Africa, Caribbean, United
States.
Gen 9:29
Noah died approx 2 years before Abraham was born.
AND THEN HE DIED: Indicating the need for a true and
perfect Redeemer still exists -- Noah was not the solution!