Message Heard

Message Heard

Genesis 9: ²⁴ So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. ²⁵ Then he said:

“Cursed be Canaan;
A servant of servants
He shall be to his brethren.”

²⁶ And he said:

“Blessed be the Lord,
The God of Shem,
And may Canaan be his servant.
²⁷ May God enlarge Japheth,
And may he dwell in the tents of Shem;
And may Canaan be his servant.”

²⁸ And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. ²⁹ So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.

 

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For a while, Noah may have ignored his grandson Canaan. It seemed that Canaan was power hungry and wanted to be known. He may have influenced his father into doing some sort of initiation by challenging Noah, walking into his tent and talking about Noah’s nakedness. When Noah awoke from his drunkenness, he may have heard about what had happened. Noah talked to GOD about it.

 

My Observations:

• GOD listened to Noah and agreed with the first curse that came from a human.
• Noah’s relationship with the LORD was so strong, that he placed his problem before HIM, knowing it would be done.
• Noah did not curse or bless Ham, rather he focused on the root cause of the power struggle, namely Canaan.

 

Obtaining many followers was probably Canaan’s desire. By making his father perform a sophomoric initiation act, he may have demonstrated his influential power. But he did not know GOD would listen to Noah. A curse was placed over Canaan and those who followed him.

 

This curse would not play out for decades, so people may have laughed, just like the people who scoffed at the need for an ark. BUT GOD also heard Noah’s cry to increase Japeth’s faith in HIM and to reward Shem for his faithfulness. This was the last notable thing Noah did for the LORD. He lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood, constantly communicating with the LORD.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD shares with Moses this conversation between HIM and Noah?
• Have you ever felt like someone, who clearly was against GOD, seemed to be holding you and others back from delightfully serving the LORD?
• Will you place your problem before the LORD today, knowing HE hears those who love HIM and HIS ways?

HE Will Listen

Psalm 88: ¹ Lord, you are the God who saves me;
    day and night I cry out to you.
² May my prayer come before you;
    turn your ear to my cry.

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Phone staring was no longer my pass time. I had given up the job search and resolved in my mind that I would remain in the “Po-dunk” town I was in at the time. Looking back, the label I placed on the town was my problem. I had a specific lifestyle I was chasing when I looked for a job in the big city and because I wasn’t getting it I began to wonder if GOD loved me. I didn’t want to be around this group of people any longer. I wanted out!

• There are times where I ask for the wrong things.
• There are times in which my desires are centered on “me.”
• There are times where I am blinded by my own ambitions.

With a sigh and a slight pout I got back to work. Soon after I found excitement in serving at the church I was at. I started meeting people and found they were not so bad. In fact they needed GOD just as much as I did. I said I would become a Sunday school teacher there and then my phone rang. It was a job that I had not applied for.

• GOD wants me to want HIM more than I want other things.
• GOD wants me to elevate HIS needs over mine as much as I can.
• GOD wants to serve me so the more I can give to HIM the better our relationship grows.

Admitting my blindness to HIM is the first step. HE is the ONE who saves me from troubles, even the ones I put myself in. I must admit to HIM that I clearly do not know what is right for me so I need HIM to take the helm and guide me. I must place my prayer before HIM and align to HIS ways. The more I am in tune to HIS will, the less I will be disappointed.

• Are you asking GOD for something?
• Is your stubborn will getting in the way of hearing GOD?
• Can you curtail your desires for a minute and ask GOD to reshape them into HIS will for you?
• Will you ask GOD to take you on a new journey?