My Relational God (13)
Living in Jesus’ Tent
1ST READING: Deut. 6:10-19, 7:1-10
TEXT: Genesis 9:18-29
By Pastor Geoff van Schie
04.11.12 AM
Dalwallinu
LIVING IN CHRIST’S TENT, WE SHARE IN HIS BLESSINGS
Outline:
A STRANGE EVENT?
GOD’S BLESSED LINE
LIVING IN THE TENS OF SHEM
A STRANGE EVENT?
A Strange Happening
a) We all know of mountain top experiences – those heady heights that make a ‘top’ moment in life
Wedding and honeymoon  ‘honeymoon period’ = special season joy, popularity etc.
They day you got your license or graduated from school/uni
b) In some ways we want the event to last – savour the moment before we face less exciting things in life
 Noah and those with him, out of the ark  wonderful sacrifice of thanksgiving
 God reaffirms His covenant & points to rainbow and gives its appearing a Gospel message of hope
c) So what do we make out of this brief & strange event at the end of Genesis 9?
 Soon after all the above, we find Noah stone drunk and stark naked lying in his tent.
 One of kids discovers him & tells the others & Noah gets discreetly covered up by his two other sons
 Later blessings and curses are bestowed on these sons.
d) Let’s understand that this is no ‘padding’ of the text to make up the required word count.
This record of a part of Noah's life ties in with our personal salvation…
& the hope every Christian has of sharing eternity with Jesus.
e) We soon celebrate Christmas once again – our text has a direct link to that great event
We will find, that in the tents of Christ, we find God’s blessing.
Cain’s Reflection
a) In the actions of Noah’s sons in his drunken state and aftermath…
There is a God given prophecy through Noah  subsequent human history
i.
The continuation of the struggle between Cain and Abel
ii.
The demonstration of the covenant faithfulness of God  Christ
b) In curse on Ham (through Canaan his son)  that of Cain – driven from God’s presence – spiritually lost
‘‘Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” (Gen. 9:25)
c) That it is God cursing Ham through Noah is seen in the spiritual history of the nations which came forth
from his descendants – those nations were…
“Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites,
Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered” (Genesis 10:15–18, NIV84)
a) This curse is repeated in the blessing pronounced on Shem and Japheth
‘‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. 27 May God extend the territory of Japheth;
may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave.” (Gen. 9:26, 27)
a) The curse is really hard stuff! i.e. literally translated = “a slave of slaves’
b) However, when we consider the nations that descended from Ham and Canaan (Gen 10:6ff)..
we may begin to wonder whether Shem was really so blessed and Ham cursed! = dreaded enemies
e.g. Canaanites, including the Philistines (Goliath), Mizraim i.e. Egyptians (captivity), Babylon
(captivity) – note: Babylon such an enemy came to symbolise any enemy e.g. Rome as in Revelation.
Covenant 13
GOD’S BLESSED LINE
The Children of God
a) As we follow the two lines of humanity, we note again the special line of the children of God
“When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—
the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than
you— and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy
them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your
daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve
other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.” (Deuteronomy 7:1–4, NIV84)
Note: These the nations not to intermarry with = descendants of Ham/Canaan  Gen 10:6ff
b) Shem received from God through his father Noah a special blessing
‘‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem!
c) That Shem is singled out as receiving a particular blessing is seen in that:
 Japheth will be privileged by “living in the tents of Shem” (Gen. 9:27b)
Like street smart teenager going to live with aunt/uncle in Bel-Air (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
 The use of the formula ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem!”
(here Noah notes something special is gifted to Shem for which God is to be praised!
 The use of the formula ‘Lord, God’ – which points to something of great weight’
d) This event at end of Gen. 9 is no ad hoc strange family happening  grudges lasting generations
God at work here in tents of Shem- from this line  One who = only means of reconciliation with God
“Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph…
the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah…. the son Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (Lk 1:23, 36-38)
Ham the Servant of Shem
a) So firstly, how does this blessing work our on the ground for the descendants of Shem & Ham?
b) Egypt, a mighty world power- the tents of Ham, is plundered by God’s people, the descendants of Shem!
“The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord
had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered
the Egyptians.” (Exodus 12:35–36, NIV84)
c) Consider God’s words in Deuteronomy 6
“When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a
land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells
you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you
do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Deuteronomy 6:10–12, NIV84)
LIVING IN THE TENTS OF SHEM
Living in the Tents of Shem
a) In Christ-Shem’s great descendant- all who believe have in a sense come into the tents of Shem
“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call
themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— remember that at that time you were
separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and
without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood
of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:11–13, NIV84)
b) In Christ, we Gentiles have come to share the greatest of the blessings God bestowed on tents of Shem
“They were pleased to do it [contribute to poor in Jerusalem], and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have
shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.” (Romans
15:27, NIV84)
Hope in Face of Life’s Challenges
a) “Life is not meant to be easy” – Malcolm Fraser. Who can relate to that saying?
b) Today, as children of the covenant, living in tents of Shem, we like Abraham are heirs of the world!
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It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but
through the righteousness that comes by faith. (Rom. 4:13)
c) As covenant children grow in grace and claim the promises that are theirs in Jesus, the world released
from the curse is their inheritance- 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Mat. 5:5)
d) Don’t see it yet? Remember our father Abraham
“By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and
Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose
architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:9–10, NIV84)
Covenant 13