Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 9:18-29.

 

“¹⁸ Now the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth;  and Ham was the father of Canaan.  ¹⁹ These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.

 

²⁰ Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard.  ²¹ He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.  ²² Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.  ²³ But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father;  and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness.  ²⁴ When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him.  ²⁵ So he said,

²⁶ He also said,

²⁸ Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood.  ²⁹ So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.”  Genesis 9:18-29.

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“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you.”  Deuteronomy 5:6.  (The Fifth Commandment of the Ten Commandments).

Ham did not honor his father Noah, and he was cursed and it did not go well with him.  Shem and Japheth did honor their father Noah, and they were blessed and it did go well with them.

“For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’”  Matthew 15:4

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.”  Ephesians 6:1-3.

But, some may claim:  “You don’t know my father and mother!  They don’t deserve such honor!!”

Well, Noah may not have been on his best behavior in today’s Scripture.  Yet, Noah’s sons still had the duty to honor their father, and the failure of Ham to honor his father Noah resulted in a curse upon Ham.

But, there is hope!

“Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.

“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.  He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.””  Malachi 4:4-6.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;  against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.”  Galatians 5:22-26.