Last Word? - Devotion on Genesis 9

Scripture: Genesis 9:20-25

Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. ²¹ When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. ²² Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. ²³ But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

²⁴ When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, ²⁵ he said,

“Cursed be Canaan!
    The lowest of slaves
    will he be to his brothers.”

There are two stories about Noah in the Bible. The first is the Flood. The second, as told in Genesis 9:20-27, is about Noah getting drunk, shaming himself, and then, reacting in anger to his son.

He goes from awesome obedience in building the ark to a drunken, over-reacting mess. What are we supposed to think about that? Why would the Bible tell us these two stories, one after the other?

It's easy for us to see this story as the last word on Noah's life, as if this was a major moral failing on his part or a spiritual downfall.

Notice, though, that when people think of Noah, they don't think of this story, at least not at first. They think of the Flood and about how he was the only man God saw worthy of being saved. He was the only person whom God found fit to re-start the human race. This mistake of Noah happened, but it's not the final word on his life. It does not diminish his success in the Flood. He is still remembered more for his success than this one failure.

When we make mistakes, we have a tendency to focus on them, to allow them to define us.

But they don't. They are one thing that happened. They are not all that happen in our life. They do not erase or overshadow our good moments and our triumphs in obedience. Giving in once to temptation does not nullify all the times you were victorious in resisting that temptation. Losing your temper once does not go back in time and steal the times you kept calm. Not keeping up on your spiritual disciplines for a few days does not mean that God no longer honors you for your past practice.

What is Noah remembered most for? His obedience. The mistake happened, but it wasn't the end. It was one black mark against a field of white, a side note on a life of obedience, just like our momentary failings will be.