3B29
© Jeff Stacey | Last updated: 18 February 2019
3B29. God responded to Noah:
God brought trouble upon Noah but also, in grace, favoured him in various ways
Cycle 6
3B29(a) God granted Noah’s declared curse and two petitions against Canaan
Noah’s sin by irresponsibly becoming drunk led to trouble. Although God is not mentioned, the following were apparently His responses to this whole situation involving Noah and his three sons.
God granted Noah’s two petitions by making Canaan a slave to Shem and Japheth [see Era 5], fulfilling Noah’s patriarchal curse upon Canaan. In view of Ham’s vulgar sin, this curse forcefully although negatively expressed God’s own nature of perfection and power, just as with Cain [2B31(b)].
Yet in grace, God’s UNCONDITIONAL blessing [3A6(c)(iii)] was also expressed by tempering this curse with mercy. A curse was not placed upon all of the descendants of the blatant sinner Ham. In fact as slaves within the blessed clans of Shem and Japheth Gen 9:26,27 Canaan and his descendants would still have been in a far better situation than if they had been driven away like Cain Gen 4:11-12,16. Canaan himself also had descendants who later became many clans with their own territories Gen 10:15-18,19.
God in grace had dealt both justly and leniently with Noah and Ham because He restricted a justifiable curse.
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Arrow 3B29 -> 3B24
This arrow highlights God’s compassionate concern and desire always for better things for all people despite their ongoing sinfulness Gen 8:21c.
In grace God had given both Noah and Ham further opportunities to repent from their divided-heart commitment to Him, keep His Covenantal requirements and still receive His acceptance.