So, what's up with Noah getting drunk and naked in his tent? (no disrespect intended)
I have seriously never understood this part, but I think it is pretty critical to the overall story of the Bible. The descendants of Canaan (Ham's kid) play a pretty important role in the redemption story. So, I'm just throwing this out as a question and something to ponder. I realize that the nakendness part is linked to shame and that viewing his dad's nakedness was an extremely shameful thing for Ham to do, especially considering that he gossiped about it with his brothers. But, why was Noah drunk and naked in the first place?
As a side note, I realized in reading this familiar story again that Noah was 600 years old when the rain started. That means that for MANY years, he was faithful to the Lord in a terribly corrupt world. Which makes his indiscretion after the flood even more baffling to me.
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Can you imagine what it must have been like to experience it raining for 40 days and 40 nights non-stop and hearing the voices of family and neighbors as they banged the side of boat begging to be let in? Consider the impact this must have had on Noah and his family. Their entire lives were turned upside down. I would have gotten drunk as well! Talk about 'starting all over again'! They were real people struggling with putting all that had just happened into perspective. The first think Noah did was to build an altar to the Lord which demonstrates great respect for God and understanding of God's repulsion of sin and rebellion and the role that substition/sacrifice played. It is easy to exalt Bible characters to celebrity-like status but they were real people seeking to walk with a real God in a real and sinful world.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about that too Janna! I guess it is a good reminder that they were real people with real issues.
ReplyDeleteWhen I tell this story in front of people, I ask them to imagine it... God closes the door of the ark, and no hand can open it. As Noah and his family sit inside, the heavens break open with a crash, and the deeps crack and spew water. Friends and neighbors make a rush for the only structure that can save them. Thumps and shouts come muffled through layers of gopher wood, as water falls in sheets over everything. Eventually the thumping and shouting falls away, to result in silence and, days later, the occasional muffled boom as bodies bump against the side of the boat. Then these people spend a year together in a small space, surrounded by animals. Did Noah's wife say, "You could have preached more! You should have said..."? Did his sons and their wives fight? Were there battles with in-laws? And what kind of cabin fever must that have been? Then imagine the pressure of starting over, the fear of repopulating the earth, finding the beasts hostile, the anxiety--did I teach my children well enough? Will our society become what the last society was? Could I have done better?
ReplyDeleteHeck, I would have gotten drunk and naked. I'm kind of amazed that that was all that Noah did.
Mrs. Pankhurst, that totally cracked me up! My stress is pretty high right now, I think I'll avoid alcohol so nobody will find me passed out naked somewhere! Don't think that would help my stress.
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