Shelton Seward

Interesting. I'm going to just supply food for thought.

It is written, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord", he was "a righteous man, blameless in his generations" and "he walked with God" (Genesis 6:8-9) 

Sounds like a great man, definitely knowing the generations he was in: "The Lord saw that the evil of man was great on the earth..." (Genesis 6:5)

Not only that, Noah is referred to as a "Preacher of Righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5)

But was he perfect? No one is. No one was - "All have sinned" (Romans 3:23) Only Jesus Christ was perfect and without sin (Hebrews 4:15). And the Scriptures do declare his sin. With eyes to see, we will discover it

After the flood, Scriptures says: "Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent." (Genesis 9:20-21) - let's examine the text.

Noah had ALL RIGHT to partake of His fruit ~ "The husbandman that laboureth MUST be first partaker of the fruits." (2 Timothy 2:6. Why? ~ "...the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain." (James 5:7)

So with those text, we can pull out that Noah was a man of service, a worker, and he was patient. So what about drinking of his fruit? Not so much either, it was HIS VINEYARD. Also, Solomon advised ~ "Go, eat your bread with joy, "And DEINK YOUR WINE with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works."(Ecclesiastes 9:7). So, why wasn't he merry? He was 1 of few who was spared by a Flood of colossal measures! 

Yet, here's where perspective comes into play, and my food-for-thought point. Besides he didn't drink in moderation as some would agree to, look beyond that. His "sin" was: he was "uncovered within his tent". Well, he was uncovered in HIS tent, what does that have to do with anyone else? CULTURE. Nakedness is more of an accepted manner of life now but not so in ancient history and definitely not in Scripture. Seeing someone's naked wife, even by MISTAKE, commanded SOMEONE be stoned - THE MAN OR THE WIFE (not in Law of Moses by the way). Yes that's dealing with a woman, but how much worse upon a culture that did not accept homosexuality as we (as a nation, and "parts" of the church) do? Seeing someone naked was a metaphor of deep shame, vulnerability, weakness, even an abomination. ~ see A. P. Ross, "The Curse of Canaan," BSac 137 (1980):223- 40.

Deuteronomy 23:14
Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent [Hebrew: nudity, nakedness, the pudenda] among you and turn away from you.

Isaiah 47:3
Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace (Hebrew: shame, reproach, 'pudenda') shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one.

Revelation 3:18
I counsel thee to buy of me...white raiment, that thou MAYEST BE CLOTHED, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear...

So yes, Noah did sin and is no more innocent than anyone else. Nevertheless, Noah is ultimately an "heir of Righteousness" (Hebrews 11:7) he obtained a good report through his Faith, even though HE DID NOT receive the promise, God provided something better FOR US, that he wouldn't be made perfect without US (Hebrews 11:39-40). Christ will receive Him in the Kingdom :-).

GRACE TO YOU

May 07 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report