A STUDY IN GENESIS

As promised we are talking about Shem’s descendants and the incredible work that had to be put in place for Jesus to come to earth in His first coming!

Reading the account of Luke, we see that Shem’s decedent would be the savior of the world. Ironically, Shem’s father, Noah, had saved the world by being an obedient servant and following the Lord’s instructions. Shem’s decedent, Jesus, was also obedient to follow the Heavenly Father’s instruction and save humanity from their sin. Now what does this mean for our study in Genesis? And what does this mean for the Christmas season we are currently in?

First, when we follow God’s direction, we might not see the residual effects of us obeying and acting out in faith. Noah nor Shem saw Jesus Christ’s birth!  However, both trusted the Lord and acted upon the Ark as seen. Does Shem know the significance behind his actions? Certainly not. Nevertheless, their actions do not seem short sighted when you examine them across the grander scale. The author of Hebrews actually identifies Noah as a man of righteousness because of this! Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

As for Christmas, what does this mean? It means we can take God’s Word seriously! Not just in study, but in our own personal actions. While Jesus will not be a decedent of you or I, we are a decedent of Him! Galatians 3:26-29 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you [are] Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” This is no small price for this adoption and new birth! We are adopted into Christ’s family because of the mechanism put in place by God Himself called Calvary. We are born again as the direct result of that mechanism identifying us as adopted. This might sound tricky, confusing, or even double speak, but rest assured it is not.

You see, Christ had to be born and be 100% man and keep His divinity, He was still 100% God as the same time. Christmas is the celebration of that intertwined symbol orchestrated for all of humanity. Noah’s son, Shem, and his decedents we can directly link to Christmas. We could not be adopted otherwise! Without Christ being human and living a perfect life, we could not be adopted. Now what about born again? Simply, being born again is not possible unless the Holy Spirt is granted access to those who are adopted into the family of God. Light living in man once again, this is the born again process. This process being called sanctification will continue until we are rescued from our earthly bodies.

Finally, this means that as you study God’s Word, look for the residual effects that have brought about cataclysmic and earth moving events. With this in mind, I hope you will realize that our actions are louder than our very lives. Our actions will proceed past us well after we are dead and with the Lord. Thus like Noah and Shem, we need to be laser focused on keeping God’s Word in our lives relevant and applicable. Next week we will discuss why Christmas is huge to understanding Jesus’s Second coming!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Looking back at our Basics series. Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts IX

If you have been following along, you will remember that we have been discussing the different gifts that are given to born-again believers from the Holy Spirit. We spent a few weeks discussing the ones found in 1 Corinthians 12, while these are the most talked about spiritual gifts they are not the only ones. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be focusing on Romans 12 to see how Scripture defines these spiritual gifts. The list of gifts that we will be studying can be found in Romans 12:6-13.

“6 However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith; 7 if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching; 8 or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”

Right away we see that the gifts are defined as something that is given to us by the Holy Spirit, but this also adds on that we are to use these gifts properly. In order to do that, we need to understand the root definition of these gifts. This is to prevent anyone from using their gifts in a way that was not designed by the Holy Spirit. After all, we have already discussed in our posts on the gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12 that the gifts are to bring glory to God. “11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one part, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired.”

With that out of the way, let us look into the first gift that is mentioned. “6 However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith;” Romans 12:6. In our previous posts, we have already discussed the gift of prophecy but it is important to refresh on some key points.

The Lord defines the spiritual gift of prophecy and it should be considered a commandment from the Lord.

Women can be prophets but cannot use the gift in the assembly of the Church.

We are told to ask for this spiritual gift

Prophecy must teach and exhort.

Prophecy will not contradict God’s written Word.

Prophecy is subject to peer review by other Prophets.

Prophecy must be checked by the audience to God’s Word.

Prophecy is for believers but can convict unbelievers.

A Prophet must be mature in thinking.

Prophecy is not the same as revelation, knowledge, or teaching.

Prophecy is second only to love in importance for a Christian to pursue.

Prophecy is for edification, exhortation, and consolation.

It is no mistake that the gift of prophecy is discussed twice, it is one of the most commonly abused and misunderstood gifts of the spirit. However, by understanding these key points, we are able to identify who is using the gift of prophecy correctly or incorrectly. However, where Romans 12 differs from 1 Corinthians is the context that the gift of prophecy is to be used in proportion to our faith. This is to say that if the Holy Spirit calls us to tell an individual, a group, or a church something; we need to trust that God will give us the words and the strength to stand on Him. “19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour.” Matthew 10: 19. While this verse is referencing an individual brought before governors or kings (Matthew 10:18) it shows how we are to use the gift of prophecy in accordance with our faith. The gifts come from God and so we must trust that God will see it completed, we only need to follow His guidance.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Today I want to briefly go over something that needs to be addressed. Genesis 10:32 is a summary verse. This verse is designed to connect the entire witness account of how mankind went from being one people pre-flood; to different ethnic groups, languages, and nations post flood. Genesis 10:32 “These [were] the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.” As you might have noticed, Shem’s descendants have not been listed out yet. This is by design by the author, Moses, through the direction of the Holy Spirit. We know from Genesis chapter 4 that Seth will have a descendent that is special. We know from Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 that Satan does not want any descendent from Adam to be special and to arrive. This is due to God promising Satan’s doom through mankind. Moses is identifying and highlighting the importance of Shem’s descendants by providing them after the tower Babel in their own unique discussion. Many people fail to realize that chapters 10 and 11 detail the accounts of humanity growing. Through this account we will see God identify and call one man from them to be the father of a great nation. This father would come from the line of Shem! Next week we will take a quick pause and review thousands of years later the ultimate climax of Shem’s descendants. Next week we discuss the forshadowing of a birth, the bloodline that would rescue us, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords arriving humbly in a manger. Next week we talk about Christmas!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

What stands in the way of prayer? Read it HERE!

Pray for the Christians in Syria

Most of you are already aware of the Geo-political changes that have occurred in the nation of Syria. Syria, which was already a place of Christian persecution, is now growing worse. Today’s post is to remind you that we need to be praying for our brothers and sisters in Syria. The body of Christ should be looking after one another and that even means with prayer for those who we have not met in person. Pray for the followers of Jesus in Syria. Pray they can keep their faith strong and stand for Christ and that Christ would protect them. Collisions 4:2 states, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Now is not the time for us to be silent, but praying for the believers who are in danger.

Sincerely,

Mill House Ministries Staff

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Last week we went into the importance of Genesis 10 and how students of the Bible should not be just glossing over parts of scripture because it appears to be “filler”. Today, I want to identify one highlight of chapter 10 that is directly tied to world events today.

Genesis 10:5 “From these the coastland [peoples] of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.”

Here we see that God has ordained something that is vital for humans to understand. God created world peace, man destroyed that. God separated mankind into their people groups. All one race, all from Noah and further back Adam. However, God in His awesomeness made man diverse in appearance. All are equal, all come from the same origin of one couple Adam and Eve, thus sin is in all of us. Men and women need Jesus Christ. Romans 3:22-24 “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”

However, outside of salvation, God has done something marvelous, He made mankind different. This seperation is drafted in verse five of Genesis 10. God first identifies that there are no Jews as of yet. Mankind is separated into their lands. Man has been given specific tracks of land to each family group. If mankind would only recognize this, there would be no war. Mankind does not need globalism, mankind needs nationalism designed and utilized as Christ ordained it. God used language to slow globalism’s march within humanity. This higharchy of seperation is the formula for the creation of something within the study of anthropology. God first starts with the land, then language, then family, and thus creating nation. The word Nation is “Goy” in Hebrew which means ethnic groups outside of Jews. Ethnic groups are created through the influence of land, language or culture, families, and hereditary traits that when pooled together create ethnicity.

God’s word allows us to see how God in His all knowing and all power, brought about the ethnic celebration that is infused into creation. This ethnic design will be prevalent even after the Rapture in Humanity that is in Heaven. Revelation 5:9-10 “And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

They are in Heaven which is a new location for mankind to be in. They are singing in one language a new song. There is cultural identity with Christ as well as belonging and focus. They are something new, they are a new creation, set aside for the Son of God. Paul emphasizes this with Galatians 3:28 “There is no longer Jew or Gentile… For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This does not mean they are not unknowing of their history, they recognize in their song their history of where they each have individually come from, “every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” However, this provides the foundation for something grander.

Next week we will go over another highlight from this section of scripture and show how God is an amazing designer and does nothing by accident.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

Re-Post Friday

Understanding the importance of Ecclesiastes. Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts VIII

A few weeks ago, we went over the list of spiritual gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12. We spent our time discussing the definitions of these gifts in order to identify when they are being properly used as well as some common misconceptions with these gifts. However, did you know that 1 Corinthians 12 is not the only list of spiritual gifts that are found in the Bible? There is another list that can be found in Romans 12, and it is this list that we will be spending our time on in the next couple of weeks.

As discussed multiple times with our previous posts regarding the spiritual gifts, these gifts are given to us from the Holy Spirit and are used to bring glory to God, “4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” 1 Corinthians 12. It is important for us to identify these spiritual gifts so that we know not only if they are being used Biblically, but also so we can identify the gifts that have been given to us and put them to use to glorify God.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

We are entering a period in the scripture that many today fail to recognize. Genesis 10:1 “Now this [is] the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.” All of humanity can trace their ancestry to one of these three men and eventually back to Noah himself. Now what does this mean for you and I? It means that later on in scripture when you read of a group of people, you will be able to trace their ancestry back to one of these three sons. When we examine archeology, history, anthropology, sociology, and political science we can directly refer to Genesis chapter 10 through 11 and see what God was doing.

When we examine God’s word seriously, we can clearly see what the rest of the world is scratching their heads about. However, for the Christian we can examine these two chapters and identify key aspects of God’s Word in other areas. This will help us interpret what God is telling us. Remember scripture answers scripture! As we move forward it will be important. Next week we will discuss some highlights of chapter 10 that needs to be identified. These highlights are still mandated to this day!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Understanding the importance of prayers of repentance. Read it HERE!

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

For our American readers, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. With such a name, you would think that this would cause people to reflect on the blessings that have been giving to them this last year. However, that is often not the case. Many today are beginning their preparations for Thursday, many are traveling, many are dealing with family drama, and many are dealing with being alone during the holiday. It is without saying that even though the name is Thanksgiving, this holiday is difficult for us to find that feeling of thankfulness. If this description fits you, I ask that you instead examine Psalm 95.

“95 Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord, Let’s shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let’s come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving, Let’s shout joyfully to Him in songs with instruments. 3 For the Lord is a great God And a great King above all gods, 4 In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are also His. 5 The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land. 6 Come, let’s worship and bow down, Let’s kneel before the Lord our Maker. 7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, As on the day of Massah in the wilderness, 9 “When your fathers put Me to the test, They tested Me, though they had seen My work. 10 For forty years I was disgusted with that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. 11 Therefore I swore in My anger, They certainly shall not enter My rest.”

This psalm serves two purposes. First, to remind the reader that we can joyfully praise the rock of our salvation. When everything in the world is going insane, it is our assurance in our salvation through the actions of Jesus Christ that gets us through. It is through the promises that God has given to His believers that brings us joy in a world growing steadily less joyful. It is a reminder that God is the author of our salvation, that He created the world from the lowest valleys to the highest mountain and we should be comforted in the knowledge of His faithfulness.

Second, this psalm also serves to remind those who hear His voice but are considering ignoring it. The Jews hardened their hearts against God during the exodus from Egypt, and that only caused them more issues. While God gave them what they asked for, they continually sought ways to find fault in following Him. This eventually caused for that generation to not enter the promise land. For those today who are considering turning from God’s word, keep this in mind; the world is getting more and more chaotic. Where will you find rest? The world has already proven that it cannot provide the rest you need, it is only in Jesus Christ do we find true rest. It is only when we have the mindset of the beginning of the psalm are we able to turn our eyes from the stress of this world and see the beauty that God has designed. This is how we truly can be thankful this holiday season.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

THANKFUL

This is not just a time for Americans, but for all people to stop and be thankful for what God has done. It never ceases to amaze me how much we have to be thankful for with God. Salvation is paramount, but what about everything else He has done for us. Jesus Christ is not just salvation, but so much more. This is why we are told to be thankful continuously and without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” What do you have right now that you need to stop and thank the Lord for? I know for me, it is His ever loving kindness and slowing down to deal with my sporadic moments. He lovingly takes His time to help me through what I am going through. Colossians 2:6-7 “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” So as Thanksgiving comes, let us slow down and remember that God is a God who not only cares and is there for us, but we should stop and be thankful for the things He has done, is doing, and will do for us. He did not need to, but chose to because He loves you and I. This is enough to have a holiday and be Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

JL

Re-Post Friday

A reminder to be patient for God’s answer. Read it HERE!

Works of the Saints

Last week we went over Hebrews 4:10 which is a powerful reminder that it is not our works that we find rest in but in God’s actions alone. This is a verse that believers and nonbelievers alike can relate too, the world today is busier than ever and rest is hard to come by. However, as we saw last week the only true rest that we can find is to mimic our Lord and rest in His actions. “10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.” Hebrews 4:10.

However, while we do receive rest from our works when we become born again Christians, this does not mean that our works end. The purpose of them simply shift. Before we placed our trust in Jesus Christ and His redeeming work, our actions were designed to try to bridge the gap between our sinful selves and holy God, we were trying to make ourselves worthy enough of His love. Once we do find true rest in Jesus Christ, our actions become less focused on ourselves, and more focused on Him. We begin to act in ways that correlate with His word, we are gospel centered and eager to share what Christ has done for us. Another example are what we have just spent the last few weeks discussing, the spiritual gifts. These gifts can only occur when we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Our actions after finding true rest in God become focused on Him.

This is why those around us notice a change when we become born-again believers, our actions will reflect the One that we are following. “15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?” 2 Corinthians 2:15-16. Our actions allow others to see Christ through us, when we are around believers it is an encouragement but when we are around non-believer it is a reminder of the rest that they do not have.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Did you know that the idea of “races” is inherently incorrect? There are ethnic groups, but as far as races go we are all the human race. In fact, we all have the same ancestry back to Noah. So how did the nations come about? What created the study of Political Science? Chapters ten and eleven of Genesis. Today, I want to draw your attention to two key verses. Ironically they are the first and last verses of Genesis chapter ten.

Genesis 10:1 “Now this [is] the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.

Genesis 10:32 “These [were] the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

We have two declarations made to us that we need to recognize. First, no one survived the flood but Noah and and his family, and second we all come from them. These two fundamental truths provide the base line for understanding Political Science and to a degree Anthropology. In fact, the Bible provides everything we need to know to go out into the field and practice these studies. Christians fall short in recognize the duality of what the Bible is. This is more than just a love letter from God. This book is the manual for us, it is the written word on how to study God’s creation. When we take that into account we are set up to understand the truth behind what we are studying. Frankly, it does not matter the discipline we are endeavoring into. With God being the creator of all things, we should start with His manual and from there go into the field to study. Genesis ten and eleven provide us a huge answer to many questions out there. How did the nations come about? Languages, political boundaries, cultures, and the inner being of mankind. In fact, if we start with the truth found in God’s word, much of what the scientific world speculates on is easily answerable. Why does every culture have similarities? It is because they all go back to three sons and a father.

Many people skip or read very fast through chapter ten of Genesis, this is unfortunate because there is much for us to learn and understand of what God is trying to tell us. Remember, there is nothing that is a quick read over in God’s word. God had it written for a reason so we should pay attention. With that said, my challenge to you is to read chapter ten and identify your own ancestry and see what son of Noah you come from.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Continuing out look back into the study on prayers! Read it HERE!

Finding His Rest

The book of Hebrews is a wonderful book. While many conversations are done regarding the warnings found in this book or the hall of fame of believers, these are not the only lessons that can be learned. This book also shows that Jesus is greater than the angels, He is our perfect High Priest, and it is through Him that we are able to find rest from our works.

“10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.”

Hebrews 4:10

The topic of rest is a tough one for many who are struggling with placing their faith in Jesus Christ, but it is also one that many born again believers also struggle with. It is a condition of the human mind to believe that we are only worthy of something if we work for it, and so as nonbelievers or young believers we feel that we must work to receive our salvation. However, our works do not amount to anything in the eyes of God, “And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;” Isaiah 64:6b.

So if our works to not amount to anything, then how can we rest from them? The answer for that is simple, we rest not in our works but in the work of Jesus Christ. It is His actions on the cross that allow us to become clean in the sight of God. It is through His actions that we can find peace. Our actions our nothing, His actions are everything. God did not rest on the actions of anyone else’s but His own, so must we. Next week we will discuss the works that we can be doing and how God post salvation recognizes the righteous works of the saints.

Seek the truth, and encourage one another

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

There is nothing in God’s word that is minor, if it is written by God, there is significance that must be addressed by the reader. Today we come to another significant gem hidden in God’s Word. The initiation of the Geo-Political structure post Flood. God’s judgment has ended, the world is set up for new generations. We know that Noah lived 350 years post flood. During this time, he was there to witness his sons and daughters have sons and daughters and so forth, Genesis 9:28-29 “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.”

We know that Noah’s three sons all had children post flood and in particular we want to focus on one specific child and the curse laid upon him and their generations. This event identifies the subject of this curse at the very beginning, Genesis 9:18 “Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham [was] the father of Canaan.” The writer, “Moses” is wanting the readers to understand something specific about the decendants of Canaan. Moses wants the reader to know Canaanites origin story. Canaan is the fourth born to Ham, Genesis 10:6 “The sons of Ham [were] Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.” We also know that Noah went immediately about cultivating the earth while his sons began to rebuilding the human population. Genesis 9:18-20 “Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham [was] the father of Canaan. 19 These three [were] the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated. 20 And Noah began [to be] a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.”

The scene is set, Noah is now a farmer, boat building is behind him, his sons and daughter-in-laws are rebuilding the human population and all looks right. However, as discussed in previous posts, sin is still innate in humans since the fall of mankind. Thus, Noah gave to his sons and they will give to their sons the spiritual death sentence. As discussed before, this is why Jesus was born of a virgin.

However, something happens next that needs to be addressed. Noah drinks the wine and gets drunk. Genesis 9:21 “Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent.” Some have speculated that the atmosphere had changed, and catapulted what was pure into something that could make human beings drunk. Personally, I find this hard to believe based on the needed steps to make wine. Fermentation is not something that would have been quickly identified and mastered by a brand new farmer. While the Bible does not give us a clear understanding on when fermentation became a part of humanity, it is clear by Noah’s life span post flood to be present.

Noah is so drunk that he becomes naked. Genesis 9:21-23 “Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid [it] on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces [were] turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.” Now at this point there is large aspects of speculation on what has happened. I am not going to attempt to bring to light all the ideas of what has transpired but will identify aspects we can confirm. Ham saw his father naked and went to his brothers. Based on Shem and Japheth’s reactions, it indicates Ham did not rape his father but only laughed and mocked him. Shem and Japheth wanted to keep their father’s dignity intact and protected their father’s dignity. So how does Ham’s son Canaan come into this?

Well for this we need to recognize that scripture answers scripture and we have to examine other areas of scripture for a hint. Read Leviticus chapter 18. We are given a detail description of what not to do with observing others naked who are not our spouses. God indicates that the Canaanites practiced this and much more!

Examine Deuteronomy 20:16-18 “But of the cities of these peoples which the LORD your God gives you [as] an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, 17 “but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you, 18 “lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the LORD your God.” From this it appears that Canaan’s descendent are several groups while one particular group keeps his name as their identity. But what does this mean? We are given another clue in Amos 2:9 “Yet [it was] I [who] destroyed the Amorite before them, Whose height [was] like the height of the cedars, And he [was as] strong as the oaks; Yet I destroyed his fruit above And his roots beneath.”

We are given another clue in Numbers 13:32-33 “And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies [is] a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it [are] men of [great] stature. 33 “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

However we have another clue to examine, Genesis 10:19 “And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.” Sodom and Gomorrah were so far into sexual immorality God wiped them out. In fact, the populations of these two towns are revealed as wanting to mate with the angelic host.

We have examined several clues, but our greatest clue is the one given by Noah himself. Genesis 9:24-27 “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.”

Now that we have examined the clues given in God’s word, we can summarize the facts and formulate what has happened. Noah was drunk and became naked, his son Ham saw that nakedness and told his brothers. When Noah wakes up he knows what his son has done. Now at this point, you would think it would be right for Noah to curse Ham not Canaan for the action? But for some reason Noah identifies Canaan of the target of the curse. Why? It is because Noah is being prophetic. Scripture does not tell us, but we can examine the clues and see that the descendants of Canaan are very immoral. In fact their immorality leads them to the ultimate climatic sexual immorality and the causation of the Nephelim to return to the earth. We are not given the perimeters of what they were and were not allowed to do, but for some reason they had returned. Some very good Christian scholars will tell you they had not. However, we can tell from scripture that the Nephelim do return. Canaan’s descendants have been identified as villains in an ultimate showdown that is yet to be established. What is more important in this section of scripture is what Noah identifies with Sham in verse 26, “And he said: Blessed be the Lord the God God of Shem and may Canaan be his servant.” Here we have Noah identifying something rather unique, Sham is not only a believer. This forshadowing is painting a picture for you and I and establishing the stage of what we see happening throughout the rest of scripture. A fight for land, a fight for a bloodline, and salvation to come to mankind. Next week we will see what else happens between the three sons of Noah and the first United Nations.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look back on the history of Mill House Ministries! Read it HERE!