Genesis 11:10-26

Genesis Study 82

FROM SHEM TO ABRAM

Genesis 11:10-26
Key verse 11:26
"After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran."

Last week we studied about how God scattered men over the face of the whole earth. Today we want to study how God continued his salvation ministry to save mankind.
In this passage we see 12 important people in 10 generations: Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abram, Nahor and Haran. There is 390 years gap between the first generation and the 10th generation. There must have been many important events during those 4 centuries. But the Bible records only the names of the twelve people through whom God continued his salvation ministry. When we look back last four centuries there have been many shocking events and remarkable inventions. But God's focus is on his chosen ones through whom he has been continuing his salvation ministry for the world.
Do you think the twelve people in this passage were all famous in their times? Not at all! Most of them were unnoticed. Some of them were even looked down by others. But God noticed them and looked at them with great hope. The names of kings and nobles and army generals are omitted in this passage. But the twelve people entered their names in this Holy Book of God. In our time some people have their names as the best students, best teachers, best employees, best industrialists, best soldiers, best politicians, best scholars, best actors, best scientists and best lover of someone. But such names do not last. After few weeks or few months we see better people coming up and the previous names are forgotten. But the names God keeps in his salvation ministry will never be forgotten. They will shine forever. Where is your name recorded? In the heart of a girl who will soon become a grandma? Or in the heart of a manager who may be fired tomorrow? Or in the heart of a teacher who knows nothing about God's truth in the Bible? Someday they will forget us and we too will forget them. But when our names are written in the heart of God we will be remembered forever.
Who then does God remember? Shem was obedient and humble. Like all youngsters he too wanted to mingle with his worldly friends and enjoy whatever he wanted. But he feared the God of his father Noah and became an ark-builder. He was a man of holy fear and obedience. He covered his father's nakedness without seeing it. He was a man of grace. We may think all the twelve people in this passage might be as good as Shem that their names were entered in the Bible. But let us see the life of Terah the 9th generation of Shem. Joshua 24:2 talks about him, "Joshua said to all the people, 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods." Terah and his sons were idol worshippers. How then could they be remembered by God? How could God use them for his salvation ministry? God could use them because they repented of their idol worship and obeyed God's commandment. If they did not repent of their sins, God could have chosen someone else and continued his salvation ministry. God never fails to carry out his plan. But he carries out his plan only through those who truly repent and obey his commandment.
What is idol worship? We may think it is to bow down before man-made idols. That's correct. But in biblical point of view, whatever or whoever we love more than God is an idol. So the Bible says, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming." (Colossians 3:5-6) Even if we come for Bible study and worship service, if we do not put to death our earthly nature, we are idol worshippers whom God can never use. God calls even idol worshippers. But he can use only those who put to death their earthly nature which is idolatry. We all are called by God. That is why we are here listening to the word of God. But if we do not put to death our earthly nature in the name of Jesus Christ, we remain as idol worshippers. It does not matter from which life condition we have been called. Some of us were worshipping Hindu idols or following Buddhism or having many girl friends or running after money. But now God has called us to be used in his salvation ministry. When we repent of our sins he forgives us all our sins in Jesus. True repentance is not simply saying, "I will worship God. I will love God." True repentance is to confess our sins and burn everything that I have loved more than God. (Acts 19:18,19) When we do not make true repentance we ourselves will be burned in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. (Revelation 21:8) But when we truly repent God will record our names in the book of life. He will make our names shine forever in his salvation ministry.
Let us ask one more question. Why did God choose a person like Abram whose family was worshiping idol? Was there no one who truly believed in God in his time? At the time of Shem's 10th generation, Noah was 893 years old and he lived 57 years more. And Shem was 390 years old and he lived 110 years more. All the great men of faith were still alive. It is true that the world was extremely corrupt in the days of Abram. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah took place in his time. But God still had many men of faith who were far better than Abram. But he purposely chose Abram to be a source of blessing for all mankind. Both spiritually and socially Abram was not from a royal family. In spiritual point of view, his family was the last one to be chosen. But God chose the last person from the last family. Why? It was because God wanted to save even the last person of all mankind. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 say, "This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." Many a time we despair looking at our unchanged sinful desires. We see ourselves as the worst sinners: the most lustful, the laziest and the most proud. We wonder why God has chosen us. But it is God's hope to save even the worst of all sinners like us and save others through us. God who had chosen Abram with a great hope has chosen us with the same hope.
When we observe today's passage we see a same pattern of writing: someone had lived some years, he became the father of someone, he lived total this many years and had other sons and daughters. Except their names and the fact of having their children it records nothing. It does not talk about their school marks or college names or salary or social position. It only talks about how God's salvation ministry was succeeded through each of them to one generation after another. The most successful life in God's point of view is to succeed God's salvation ministry from our seniors of faith and hand it over to our juniors of faith. If Shem did not keep his faith in his lifetime, we would not have seen the rest nine generations in the Bible. Abram could be in the Bible because his forefathers repented of their sins and obeyed God's word. And Abram's life of faith became most significant for the generations to come. In the same way we are here because of the life of faith of our spiritual forefathers. And our life of faith will greatly benefit our spiritual descendants. Praise and thank God for calling us to be in his world salvation history! May God bless us to live a life worthy of his calling!

Bangalore Pioneering Report 2005 (Oct)

Bangalore Pioneering Report 2005

THE FIVE LOAVES AND
THE TWO FISH FOR SOUTH INDIA

Matthew 14:19b
"Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people."

I deeply thank God for his great work in India. I thank all co-workers for their earnest prayers for South India pioneering ministry.

I. From a man of hatred to a campus shepherd for Indian souls

I was born in a very small village in Korea. The only toy I played with was my black rubber shoes that had big holes at its front. When I was 10 years old my father had an affair with a woman and used to beat my mother almost everyday. It was he who deserved punishment. But he beat her because he was stronger than her. I couldn't tolerate such injustice. I did not call him father for 10 years. I always carried a sword in my heart. I wanted to do away with him and finish my life too.
But God brought me to UBF Bible study in 1986. The next year one word of God deeply touched my heart: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness"(1 Peter 2:24a) I was afraid of God's judgment because of my sin of lust. Many church activities made me more conscious of my sin. But through this one word I met Jesus who bore not only my sin of lust but all my sins. My father beat my mother not because he was stronger than her but because the power of sin was ruling over him. He too was a victim of sin like me and Jesus himself bore all his sins. At last I could forgive him in Jesus and love him from the heart. I called him "father" for the first time in 10 years.
God raised me as a campus shepherd in 1987. After 6 years God called me to India to serve Indian campus students. Once I couldn't love even my own father. But, in Jesus, God changed me to love Indian campus students as my own brothers and sisters. God took away the sword from my heart. Instead he gave me a sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.
My vision was great but my English was terrible. Right after the first class the professor told me, "Go back to Korea". She suggested me to meet a chairperson and discuss about my problem. But I thought she was telling me to meet 'Jefferson'. Without knowing that Jefferson already died in America in 1826, I checked every room of professors. It seemed I could never be able to serve India campus mission. But God enabled me to serve JNU ministry for 11 years and complete M.A, M.Phil and even Ph.D in JNU. Praise God for what is impossible with man is possible with him!

II. The five loaves and the two fish for South India pioneering

It has been our earnest payer to pioneer 10 states of India by 2005 and 28 states by 2010. On hearing our prayers God opened a way for us to pioneer South India. Last year my visa was about to be expired and there was no way to extend it. But all of sudden, I got a job offer from Oracle in Bangalore to work in finance department. In my math exam for college entrance I had scored 4 out of 50 marks. So finance field could have been my last choice for a job. But God granted me this one as my first job. Everyday I could not but depend on God both for mission and office work. On March 2nd, 2004 Bangalore UBF was born. My small family was the five loaves and the two fish offered to Jesus by the co-workers to feed South Indian campus souls. At the beginning I did not know which college I must pioneer first. But there was a college right in front of my office and it happened to be Christ College, the best one in Bangalore. Everyday I visited the campus before and after office hour and also during lunch break.
One morning I met brother Suresh. He was very suspicious of me. I did not know why. Later he narrated the whole story. Once he read news that an Australian kidnapped an Indian and killed him. So he was afraid that someday I and shepherdess Jane would kidnap him and kill him. However he kept on attending worship service at the risk of his life. Through the Bible study with shepherdess Jane he realized that Jesus came to this world not to destroy his life but to give him eternal life. God blessed him to complete his graduate course in Christ College and join Central College for post graduate course. Yesterday his father himself dropped him at my house to take him to this conference. Brother Suresh was excited to take his first flight journey. But when the plane took off he was in a cold sweat due to the fear of death. When he landed safely he began to worry about a return journey. He is eager to meet Jesus who solved his sin and death problem. He confessed that no one died for him except Jesus. God is growing him as a source of blessing for Central College students.
While searching for a Bible house I met brother Raghavendra. He looked very handsome and kind. He helped me a lot while searching and arranging the Bible house. During our first conference in May last year he took full in charge of lodging and transportation. Now he is even willing to construct one more flat on top of his house and use it as our Bible house. This year God blessed him to enter Oxford College in Bangalore. His family worships an idol. But he confessed Jesus as his only true God. God is using him very preciously in building his kingdom in South India.
I met brother Amit who is now studying with shepherdess Jane while playing football in Christ College ground after worship service. When asked about his hobby, he said he could survive without food but could not survive without talking. He has such a bright character and has many friends. He was not interested in Bible study. But after seeing such a small number of worship service attendants he took pity on me and decided to attend regularly. God blessed his compassionate heart. He had some problem that he had to quit his computer science course in Christ College. But God opened a way for him to move to a commerce course which is better than the former in the college. He has invited many of his friends for Bible study. God is using him as a source of blessing in Christ College.
Brother Ashish is brother Amit's elder brother. He is studying in St. Joseph's College. Observing his younger brother going out somewhere every Sunday morning, he became suspicious of him. One day he followed brother Amit and came to our worship service. He carefully investigated our meeting. But God moved his heart through his word: "It was very good." Then after the worship service, he began to sweep the Bible house and emptied a dustbin with great joy. He was once tempted by a Philippine girl who was working for a cult group. But God helped him repent and burn her gifts—a photo, a letter and a book. God is growing him as a source of blessing for St. Joseph's College.
Brother Amit introduced me brother Ben who came from Thailand on government scholarship. He cleared a medical college entrance exam in Thailand. But he came to India to study biotechnology. Now he is studying in the best engineering college in Mysore. If brother Amit cannot survive without talking, brother Ben cannot survive without playing football. Whenever we met each other, I invited him for Bible study and he invited me for football play. Time to time, he missed worship service but he never missed the football play. Slowly he became regular in Bible study. Though born and brought up in a Buddhist family he was very eager to know the truth in the Bible. His heart received God's word like good soil. Everyday he attended daily bread study and visited Christ College with me and shepherdess Jane. He invited all his friends for Bible study. His Bible testimony was very graceful every Saturday. He served every worship service with excellent mono drama. Now his new college is in Mysore which is 4 hours away from Bangalore. But he decided to attend our worship service and guide daily bread study in his college. God is growing him to be a professor shepherd for India and Thailand campus souls.
These five brothers are like the five loaves in Jesus' hands. I humbly pray God may bless them and use them to feed all campus students in South India and the whole world.

One Word: The five brothers in Jesus' hands

Genesis 11:1-9

Genesis Study 81

THE TOWER OF BABEL

Genesis 11:1-9
Key verse 11:9
"That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth."

Last week we studied how nations spread out over the earth after the flood. Today's passage tells us how men rebelled against God and how God scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Look at verse 1. "Now the whole world had one language and a common speech." Let us first study about the word "Now". This indicates the time of Peleg. Genesis 10:25 says, "Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan." Until the time of Eber, the father of Peleg, the whole world had one language and a common speech. In fact, all of them were the descendants of one man Noah. They all used the language Noah had used. Two years after the flood, Shem became the father of Arphaxad. After 35 years Arphaxad became the father of Shelah. After 30 years Shelah became the father of Eber. After 34 years Eber became the father of Peleg. After 30 years, Pelege became the father of Reu. It took just 131 years from the flood to the time of Peleg becoming a father. After the flood Noah lived 350 years. It means all the witnesses of the flood judgement were alive and the ruins of the flood were before their very eyes. All the descendants of Noah praised God in one language and discussed with a common speech how best they could serve the will of God. As the time went on the mid-slope of Mt. Ararat became too small for them. It was time to be scattered and fill the whole earth.
Look at verse 2. "As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there." Here "men" were not the entire family of Noah. They were some group of people among Noah's descendants. As they moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar. This was Southern Mesopotamia, extending almost to the Persian Gulf. On its eastside was the Tigris and on its Westside the Euphrates. Today the area is southern Iraq territory. In ancient Babylonian civilization sprang up from this region. The plain in Shinar looked so fertile having two big rivers on its both sides and also spacious enough to form a great nation. God's will for them was to be scattered and fill not only Middle East Asia but also South Asia, North Asia, Far East Asia, Europe, Africa, America and Australia. However they settled in Shinar against the will of God.
Look at verse 3. "They said to each other, 'Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar." Since Shinar was a plain area they could not get enough stones as they had done on Mt. Ararat. But there was a solution: the Brick and Tar technology. Stones are irregular in size and weight. But they could bake bricks in same size and weight. They could not build more than a single storey building with stones and mortar. But now with bricks and tar they were confident to build houses and towers as tall as they could be. The only problem was man-power. It does not take much time or labour to build a stone house with mortar. But brick making and refining tar required much time and man-power. So they called one another, "Don't be scattered. Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." As they developed their technology they could bake bricks as hard as stones and tar as good as cement. There was a great celebration when they built a two storeys building. Then there was high competition as to who would build the tallest building. Companies manufactured bricks with beautiful colours and designs. There were hot demands for architects and brick engineers. The architectural engineering course became the most popular one in Shinar University. There were also many private architectural and brick engineering institutes. Brick advertisement was everywhere: "Our bricks bring you blessings" or "Wedding bricks for bride and bridegroom" or "Bright and brilliant bricks from Big Brothers".
Look at verse 4. "Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.'" As they baked bricks thoroughly they backed their pride also thoroughly. In this one verse we see the words, "…us…ourselves…we…ourselves". But they did not call God even once. They planned to build themselves a city so that they might not be scattered over the face of the whole earth. This was exactly against the will of God. And they planned to build the city with a tower that would reach to the heavens. This was a challenge against God who is in heaven. By building the tower they wanted to make a name for themselves. They wanted to say, "See how magnificent our tower is! Even if another flood judgement comes, we will climb the tower and secure our lives. Our tower reaches to heavens. So we are none other but gods!" We know how foolish it is to try to build a tower that reaches to heavens with bricks. But in their pride, they were ignorant of what they were. In just 131 years men forgot what had happened to the whole world by the power of God. Evil spread out among Noah's descendants in no time. Today men have developed mass production technology, computer technology, information technology, gene technology, space technology. In their pride, they say, "Now we can create and control life. Now we can completely discover the mystery of universe and defeat the belief on creation. Now we can live without God. We can build ourselves heavens on the earth."
Look at verse 5. "But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building." God could have punished them from his throne itself. But he remembered his rainbow covenant. So he came down to see how best he could help them realize their follies and humbly serve his will. The brick and tar technology of Shinar looked great in their own eyes. But now such technology looks nothing in our eyes compared to our modern technologies. In the same way our current technologies will become so insignificant in the eyes of our future generations. When ants build their own house by piling up pieces of sand and clay, it looks so great in their eyes. But when we see their house it is just as small as a fingertip. We can rub it with one finger. In the same way all the technologies and inventions of mankind look so small in God's eyes. He can finish everything with his one finger. We must remember God is the Creator living in heaven and we are his creatures living on the earth.
Look at verse 6. "The Lord said, 'If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.'" It does not mean everything will be possible if men speak the same language. It means by using the same language they would continue to rebel against God and nothing could stop them becoming more and more evil. God did not want to destroy them. At the same time he did not want them to rebel against him endlessly.
Look at verse 7. "Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit joined their wisdom and showed their deep concern for the wicked mankind. In his wisdom God confused their language. One asked, "Hey, give me more bricks." Another replied, "Tum kya baat karehe ho?" They could not understand each other. They could not work together. They were angry at each other. This teaches us that where there is pride there is confusion from God. These days English is spoken everywhere. Language barrier has been much lowered down. But we still see much confusion all around the world. Confusion is found even among the same language spoken people. Why? It because as long as men are not humble before God, confusion still comes from God. Confusion from God can exist even among same family members if they are not humble before God. We are going to attend Delhi Bible conference. There we will see people from all different regions and countries. They have their own languages. But we will not see any confusion because we all are one in God. On the contrary many people say that one of the greatest problems of India is having too many languages. But the real problem of this nation is spiritual pride before God. When this nation repents from the heart and worships the only true God in the Bible, India will become the most glorious and holy nation.
Look at verses 8 and 9. "So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the earth." Everyone wants to build his own house and make a name for himself on the earth. But God sent us to this world to build his kingdom in people's hearts and make a name for the Lord. Our city is permanently built in heaven. Our names are forever written in the Book of Life. So we don't need to be anxious about our shelters and names in this world. There are two kinds of people: one is Babel tower builders and another is God's kingdom builders. Babel tower builders want to build everything on earth for themselves. God brings them confusion and fight. On the other hand God's kingdom builders build God's truth first in their hearts and then in others' hearts. They do this only for the glory of God. God brings them peace and unity. May God bless us to be God's kingdom builders!

Genesis 10:1-32

Genesis 80

AFTER THE FLOOD

Genesis 10:1-32

Key verse 10:32

"These are the clans of Noah's sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood."

Today's passage tells us about how the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

Look at verse 1. "This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japehth, Noah's sons, who themselves had sons after the flood." Just eight people came out of the ark. The earth was completely devastated and also too vast for such a small family. But the word of God's blessing surpasses all situations and conditions. In the previous chapter God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth." (Genesis 9:1) In one word of God's judgement all people in Noah's time perished. But again in one word of God's blessing such a small family of Noah multiplied to spread out over the earth. It does not matter how small in number we are today. If only we hold the word of God's blessing by faith, it will surely come true. Today God says to us, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill Bangalore, India and the whole earth." God will surely keep his promise by filling this city, this country and this generation with God-fearing campus students. Look at verses 2 to 5. This is the record of Japheth's descendants. Japheth had seven sons: Gemer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. Japheth's first son Gomer had three sons: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. Japheth's fourth son Javan had four sons: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim. God had blessed Noah's sons to increase in number and fill the earth. So Japheth's descendants went to pioneer unknown territories even by ships. From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language. Bible scholars say that they were spread out to Europe and Asia. Since they used ships they could spread farther and wider. As Noah prophesied they would live in the tents of Shem that is the tents of God's salvation through Jesus Christ. Last week God has sent brother Ben to Mysore Engineering college. May God bless him to increase in number and fill the college with God-fearing students. May God also bless him to dwell in the tents of this Bible house every Saturday and Sunday until he grows as a pioneering shepherd. Look at verses 6 to 20. This is the record of Ham's descendants. Ham had four sons: Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. Ham's first son Cush had six sons: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sabteca and Nimrod. Especially Nimrod grew to be a might warrior on the earth. He became so powerful that he was known as a mighty hunter before the Lord. If anyone was extraordinary in strength and skill, they called such person, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord." It is not easy to hunt wild animals. So people had to hunt together and naturally the expert and strong would be their leader. The more they hunted they richer they could be. Gradually they hunted not just for food but for their wealth. Later they began to hunt even men. This was how Nimrod built his kingdom. He exalted himself as a king and mobilized his people to conquer other nations. The first centres of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh in Mesopotamia. But he was not satisfied with what he already achieved. He went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen. People began to fear Nimrod more than the Lord God. In ancient Babylon and Nineveh were the centres of all evil. Now Ham's second son Mizraim became the ancestor of seven nations: the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites, Casluhites and Caphorites. Ham's last son Canaan became the ancestor of eleven nations: the Sidonians, Hitties, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. Even though Canaan was cursed, his descendants greatly increased in number. If we just compare number, it seemed Canaan was more blessed than any other descendants of Noah. Moreover the sons of Canaan occupied the best lands like Sodom which was as fertile as the Garden of Eden. It seemed God was unfair. The wicked became stronger and richer. But the account of Shem teaches us what really God's blessing is. Look at verses 21 to 32. Shem had five sons: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. Shem's third son Arphaxad had one son: Shelah. And Shelah also had only one son: Eber. Eber had two sons: Peleg and Joktan. While wicked people conquered many nations and built up many cities and greatly increased in number, the most blessed son of Noah had become the extreme minority. Even after four or five generations they could not form more than a very small village. Instead of being the masters of their brothers, Shem's descendants were oppressed by the wicked descendants of Ham. As in Noah's time, godly people again became very few in number. Where were then God's justice for the wicked and his blessing for the godly? If we carefully study this chapter we will see that the Bible records only up to the third generation of Ham's descendants. They are out of God's history. But in case of Shem, the Bible records the fifth generation of Shem's descendants in this chapter and its record continues till Jesus comes to this world through Shem's line. Nimrod built his kingdom here and there. And Canaan occupied best lands here and there. But God blessed Shem to build only one kingdom that is the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. God blessed Shem to occupy only one land that is the everlasting land in heaven. We are small in number. We are poor. We are oppressed. We see the wicked becoming stronger and richer. But if we have the word of God's blessing we are truly blessed. In this generation God is building his everlasting kingdom through us. Someday he will give us the land of heaven as our eternal inheritance.

Genesis 9:26

Genesis 79

THE GOD OF SHEM

Genesis 9:26
Key verse 9:26
"He also said, 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.'"

Last week we studied about how Noah's three sons responded to the sin of their father's drunkenness. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. He did not remember how much he was indebted to his father. He also did not remember how sinful he was. He was a self-righteous man. He acted like a man of accuse against his father. But Shem and Japheth were different. They remembered their father's love and grace shown them from their childhood. They also remembered how sinful they were. So they acted with full respect and love toward their father. They took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father's nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers." Canaan must have been most actively involved in his father Ham's sin. A man who speaks ill of others without remembering his own sins and others' favour will be cursed. Such person will never be a leader. Instead God will lower him down to be the lowest of slaves. Now Noah turns his face to Shem to bless him. But we see something strange in his word of blessing. Noah cursed Canaan saying, "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers." Then now he should have blessed Shem saying, "Blessed be Shem! The highest of all will he be to his brothers." But he said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem!" Why did Noah suddenly bless the God of Shem instead of Shem himself? It was because he saw God from what Shem did for him. He realized that the one who covered his sin of drunkenness and shame of nakedness was God himself. In the past Noah did all his best to live a righteous life. His friends married any of beautiful women they chose. But Noah did not think of marriage until God brought him a woman of faith. When his three sons were born, he did not send them to Nephilim Public School. Instead he taught them in his house church. By faith Noah, when warned about the flood judgement, he built an ark in holy fear. He could not see any sign of the flood judgement. But he sacrificed all his wealth, energy, time and family to complete the mission. Being a farmer, it was very hard to build an immense ark to save not only his family but also two of every kind of living creatures on the earth. He also had to prepare sufficient food for them all. No one appreciated his faith and hard labour. Mockery, insult and abuse were his reward from the people. The ark building was not as fast as he expected. It was slow, very slow. Even after 100 years the ark seemed to save none. On the contrary the sky was blue all the time. What a despairing moment! But Noah neither looked at the blue sky nor the incomplete ark. Instead he held fast to the word of God: "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out." (Genesis 6:13,14) By faith Noah saw God's impending judgement. By faith he saw God's mighty deliverance. Then by faith he completed the ark and brought his family and two of every kind of living creatures into it. After 7 days came the terrible flood judgement of God. On that day all the springs of great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that moved along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. After one year and ten days, all those who were in the ark came out of it. The world was completely devastated. But Noah did not fail to thank God. He sacrificed burnt offering to the Lord with all his heart. Then God blessed him with a rainbow covenant. God promised not to destroy the world with flood judgement because of one man Noah's faith and obedience. Such was the righteousness of Noah. He did all his best to live a righteous life before God everyday and every moment.But one day he could not control himself. Instead he gave himself to drunkenness. He sought wine rather than God. He was supposed to be the most decent man of God. But he behaved like a wild animal lying naked without feeling shame. What a dishonour to God and evil influence to his children! The tower of Noah's righteous life was shattered into pieces by one sin. How could he open his eyes and look up to the Lord? But when he awoke from wine he heard what God did to him through Shem and Japheth. Silently very silently, while Noah was still lying naked, God covered his sin and shame. The God of Shem was the God of grace. Noah was saved from the flood judgement because he obeyed God's commandment. But this time he did not obey God. In fact he acted against God. He deserved God's punishment. But God covered his sin with his grace. Noah could not fathom the depth of God's grace. That is why he first blessed and praised the God of Shem. He met the God of Shem as his God.
As the God of Shem covered Noah's sin and shame, the same God covers the sins of his people. Psalm 85:2 says, "You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins." The God of Shem sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ to cover all our sins. Romans 5:6 says, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." As Noah was powerless to cover himself, we too were powerless to cover our sins. But Jesus took a cross and laid it across his shoulders; then he walked to Golgotha and shed his lifeblood to cover all our sins. Christ Jesus died not when we were obedient but when we were still rebellious, immoral, greedy and worldly. Noah obeyed the Lord all the days of his life and got drunk just one day. But we did not obey God. Instead everyday we got drunk with the things of this world. We drank desire for more money, more recognition and more pleasure. We drank them everyday and we drink them even today. In spiritual point of view we are nothing but naked drunkards. But the God of Shem came down to this world and silently bore all our sins. 1 Peter 2:24 says, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." The God of Shem covered our sins with the garment of his holiness and righteousness. As Shem and Japheth did not see their father's nakedness, God does not see our sins anymore. He sees only Jesus Christ in us. We are what we are today not because of our struggle but only because of the grace of God that covers our sins forever. The same grace will grow us as the holy and obedient children of God. May the God of Shem be blessed and praised! May the God of Shem be our God forever and ever more!