When A Good Man Falls - (Noah's Sin)

Noah's fall teaches us much about God's redemptive plan. We sin but God redeems sinners. Now we are on a divine mission.

Noah was one of the godliest men in the Bible (Ez 14:20). Yet, he became drunk and fell into sin. From his fall we can learn much about God’s view of sin and his plan to redeem.

Man's face in red and blue — Part three in a three-part series on the fall of Noah.

God’s plan isn’t to curse people but to forgive them. His ability to redeem us from our own evil thoughts and actions is stronger than temptation’s ability to cause a good man to fall.

God is Good and Desires to Bless

Yellow post it note with the words "God bless you." — God’s Intentions Are to Bless and Not Curse

God’s intentions toward wayward people are clearly seen in the way Noah’s sons were treated. In light of Ham’s desire to disgrace his father and his father’s faith, Noah cursed him. But he blessed his other two sons. When Noah sobered up he responded to Ham with punishment, but to Shem and Japheth, he rewarded them with blessings.

Noah prophesied a curse on Ham’s descendants (actually only on one of his sons, Canaan) but prophesied a blessing on his other two sons. God chose Shem to pass on the faith. Shem was also the father of Eber who was the father of the Hebrew nation. The word “Hebrew” derives from the word “Eber.” The Lord entrusted the Hebrews with passing along the covenant relationship with him to all nations. Abraham, a descendant of Eber, became the father of all who has faith in Jehovah (Gen 11:14).

Shem’s Blessing

Old Jewish man reading the Old Testament — Jewish Man Reading His Bible

However, Shem’s blessing isn’t directly placed upon him. Rather Noah blesses the Lord and calls God “Shem’s Lord” (Gen 9:26). God’s name is directly associated with Shem and his descendants. Shem’s God is the Lord and the Lord is the God of Shem. This is covenantal (relational) language.

Shem is entrusted with Noah’s personal knowledge of and relationship with Yahweh. Shem’s name comes from the Hebrew word for wisdom. It highlights his conspicuous and honorable character. And Noah prophesied that God would use him and his descendants to propagate the faith. Historically, the Hebrews received God’s revelation and copied it for future generations to read. Our translations of the Old Testament come from the Hebrew Bible.

Japheth’s Blessing

Japheth was blessed too (Gen 9:27). His name means “to expand.” In the Hebrew text, there’s a play on two Hebrew words in this verse. Moses wrote that God will expand the territory of the expander. Japheth’s blessing contains a future fulfillment. He eventually becomes the patriarch of all the tribes that populate Asia and Europe. In other words, his bloodline produced the Gentile nations, which includes most North and South Americans (non-Jews).

Noah prophesied that Japheth would live in Shem’s tents. No one is certain as to exactly what this means, but it at least indicates that Japheth’s descendants will have a close relationship with Shem’s. This prophecy was realized during Jesus’ teaching ministry. God sent Jesus, born a Jew to Israel, Shem’s line. But his ministry extended the good news to the Gentiles, Japheth’s line (Mt 15:21-28). Noah’s prophecy is fulfilled (and is being fulfilled) after Jesus died and rose from the dead. He died for all sinners: both Jews and Gentiles.

Faith in Jesus is Millenniums Old

Hasidim Jew praying at the Wailing wall in Jerusalem. — Jews and Gentiles Share the Faith of Abraham

Noah’s fall has much to teach us. It instructs us that everybody sins. That’s not very good news. But Noah’s prophecy to Japheth teaches that Gentiles will be included in the tents (family) of Shem. In the future, God offers to the Gentiles the same intimate relationship with God that Noah passed on to Shem. God called the Hebrews, descendants of Shem, to preserve the gospel for their children and for Japheth’s descendants–us Gentiles!

This means that our faith in Jesus is millenniums old! It’s the same faith Noah handed down to Shem. Ham rejected that faith. The result of rejecting faith in God produced the enemies of the Jews.

Shem carried the mantel of that faith. This preserved God’s revelation of himself and of faith in the one true God. Additionally, God blessed and used Japheth to expand the offer of the gospel to anyone who calls on the name of the Lord. This is our mission–to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. And right after the flood, God describes his plan of redemption through Noah’s prophecies.

Jews and Gentiles Have A Mission

Paul caught the vision of expanding the gospel to everyone. Upon his conversion to Christianity, he first preached to the Jews. When, for the most part, they rejected the offer of the gospel, he extended the gospel offer of forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus to the Gentiles (Rom 1:16).

Man with a shirt saying we are set apart and chosen for a mission. — Believers in Jesus Are On A Mission

Now there’s no difference between being a Jew (descendant of Shem) or a Gentile (descendant of Japheth). We are part of the same family of faith. We live in the same “tent,” so to speak.

When it comes to faith in Jesus Christ, all have sinned, all need a perfect Savior, and all are offered redemption through Christ. The rich blessing offered through Shem is now available to anyone who calls on the name of Jesus for eternal life (Rom 10:12-13).

Your conversion to Christ fulfills Noah’s prophecy. And our mission, whether we are a Jew or Gentile, is to share the blessings Noah bestowed on his two sons. We are to preserve within our cultures the truths of the Bible and we are to share God’s plan of salvation to those who have yet heard or responded to it. You and I are part of a global movement with a message worth sharing.

Picture attributions: Yellow post-it note by Maklay62 @ pexabay.com, Old Jewish Man reading his Bible by Aleks Megen @ Pixabay.com, Wailing Wall pic by Andy Kogl @ unsplash.com, Set apart T-shirt by gift Habeshaw @ unsplash.com.