THE MORE THINGS CHANGE...

GENESIS 9

Pastor Rick Jackson

There's an old saying- "The more things change, the more they stay the same" and Genesis 9 seems to exemplify the reality of that statement. Though much has changed by the flood yet much has stayed the same. God still hates sin but loves the sinner, the earth is still under the curse of sin and man's old nature is still present. God's Word is still true and God's blessings can be had for the asking! The more things change, the more they stay the same!

I. HUMAN GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED [v. 1-7]

1. ANIMAL'S RELATIONSHIP WITH MAN [v. 1-2]

2. MAN'S RELATIONSHIP WITH ANIMALS [v. 3-4, I Tm. 4:1-5]

To those who advocate a return to Adam & Eve's eating habits we must note:

-we don't live in a pre-fall situation

-we don't live in a pre-flood situation (more protein may be necessary in this environment))

-we don't live in an idyllic environment (Eskimos would starve if they were vegetarians)

3. MAN'S RELATIONSHIP TO MAN [v. 5-7, Rm. 13:1-7]

II. NOAHIC COVENANT ESTABLISHED [v. 8-17]

1. GOD ESTABLISHES THE COVENANT [v. 8-12]

2. GOD ESTABLISHES THE TOKEN [v. 13-15]

3. GOD ESTABLISHED THE PARAMETERS [v. 16-17]

III. FALLEN CONDITION UNCHANGED [v. 18-29]

1. LACK OF RESTRAINT [v. 18-21]

2. LACK OF RESPECT [v. 22-24]

3. LACK OF REASON [v. 25-29]

There are those who want to say the curse of Canaan was that he was made black. There is no Scriptural grounds for this just as there was none for the mark of Cain earlier. The black races aren't primarily descended through Canaan but rather through Cush, a different child of Ham (10:6). Noah spoke prophetically about the line of Canaan just as Israel (Jacob) would do so later in Genesis.

The Hamites have largely been practically minded (pioneering, exploring, conquering by physicality), the Japhethites have been philosophically minded and the Shemites have been spiritually minded (though all have some characteristics of the other).