All right, so just keep your Bibles open there in Genesis 9. We'll just get straight into the sermon
Genesis 9 and verse number 5
I was kind of struggling as to what to title this sermon today
But let's take it from verse number 5 here Genesis 9 verse 5 the Bible says and surely your blood of your lives
Will I require the title for the sermon this morning is blood of your lives a lot of questions about the importance of blood
Well, you know, what does that mean a lot of these things that we see in the Bible about blood and not enough blood
A lot of people have questions about that
So I want to try to give you as best of an answer that I can give you as we go through this chapter
Let's start off with verse number one then Genesis chapter 9 verse 1
the Bible begins and God blessed Noah and his sons and said unto them be fruitful and multiply and
Replenish the earth now just once again just because the Lord keeps repeating the same commandment, you know
I'm repeating the same commandment to this church
You know our job our commandment from our Lord God is to be fruitful and multiply, you know
I'd strongly encourage you, you know, if you're a woman who is still able to bear children, you know
And and and husbands, you know to say hey
Yes
I'm gonna take this commandment because I know the fruit of the womb is his reward and I want to be rewarded by the Lord
I want to be blessed. I want to find joy in my family
I want to have the experience of being a parent and and and instruct my children and raise a godly seed
Some of the next generation can get out there and do great works for God
I mean, there's several reasons why you should want to keep this command
But most of all just because God asked you to do that and you were noticing this chapter
He asked the same the same thing twice twice in the same chapter
commandment given to Noah and his sons and
this number two it says in the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and
Upon every fowl of the air
Upon all that moveth upon the earth and upon all the fishes of the sea into your hand. Are they delivered?
So one thing you'll notice here after the flood is there is a change in animal behavior toward man
Okay, that change of animal behavior toward man. It says that there's going to be a fear of man in
upon every beast of the earth, okay fear of man and
So this would mean that before the flood, you know
You could approach an animal and they'd be pretty tame with you like you could approach them you could pat them
I guess it'd be easier to ride a horse or ride certain animals
I mean just interacting with the animal kingdom prior to the flood would have been a lot easier, you know
And you know, they weren't eating of animals anyway back then so you could approach an animal, you know
They wouldn't attack you man wouldn't attack the creature because you know people weren't eating meat prior to the flood
And one reason I believe that God puts this fear of animals from man is because you see later on is that God does give the
Commandment to man to eat from every animal to eat from from from the creatures to eat of animals
And so I would assume if animals were so tame and mild and not afraid of men you'd run out of meat pretty quickly
That's why you need to go and hunt because the animal can can defend itself can escape and of course, you know
Reproduce and and give you know bring forth more of the same type of creature
But if they were just easy prey
I can just imagine animals getting extinct very quickly and there being no meat upon the earth
so it kind of makes sense to me that they would now have a fear of man upon the earth and
verse number three
Every moving thing that liveth and look at these words every moving thing that liveth
Shall be meat for you is God saying it's an option
You can eat of meat if you want or you can abstain and it says it shall be meat for you
This is a command God has given you even as the green herb. Have I given you all things?
Now the meat eaters are like yes, you know, I command it to eat meat by God
But you know, he also says even as the green herb
So if all you do is eat meat and and you're not eating your veggies
You're not obeying the commandments of God
Did you notice these are commands of God eat meat and eat your veggies eat your herbs each of green herbs
And I'm just telling the kids, you know, one of my sons doesn't like his tomatoes, but he eats pretty much everything else
I mean some of you guys don't like onions of my kids
I'm not gonna ask every kid here
But I'm sure parents you find it a hard job sometimes to get that good green herb into your children's mouths
All right, but children, I'm here to tell you as your pastor God commands you
Yeah, eat your meat enjoy your your chicken nuggets whatever whatever meat you love to eat
But God also commands you to eat of the green herbs eat your veggies eat your fruits and your veggies the seed-bearing fruit
Fruits all these things is a required diet in order for you to obey the Lord
And of course if God's given that command he makes there must be a reason behind it
It must be that your body needs the nutrients of meat and of vegetables
All right, so it's a command of God verse number four verse number four
Now this is where a lot of people scratch their heads and just you know
Currently wrap their heads around this but verse number four but flesh with the life thereof
Which is the blood thereof?
Shall ye not eat so he's ready so that God's given us
You know the flesh the meat to eat but then says he's talked about the blood here and I would say to you
You know, I I truly believe we should not eat blood
You know, I've I sometimes go be invited to barbecues family and stuff like that and
They they because you know in South America, they eat blood sausages and I'm not some European countries
They love their blood sausages, you know, and I would refrain from eating those buzz
It's always come on. Just try a bit of it
It's always that temptation a little bit to have your blood sausage or other blood products and I would abstain from that and you say well
Hold on, you know, isn't that isn't that a you know, aren't you putting yourself under Old Testament law here?
You know, I aren't you aren't you being a judo judo eyes are kind of thing
Like are you trying to you know?
You're saying you've got to keep the laws of God from the Old Testament perspective to be right with the Lord
but one thing you need to understand about this command that God's given Noah is this is prior to the Old Testament covenant prior to
The Old Testament prior to Old Testament Israel prior to the time of Moses, you know, Noah is not an Israelite
Okay, Noah Noah is before the Jews even existed
Okay
before the old covenant was given to Moses on Mount Sinai God already commanded mankind and Noah and his family would be
The you know the progenitors of every man that lives upon the earth and he commands them not to eat of blood
Okay, not to eat blood. So keep your finger then turn to Leviticus chapter 17 now
Leviticus chapter 17 and
Look I'm probably not going to give you an answer like people wonder what why can't we blood? Okay
I'm probably not going to give you a very satisfactory answer
But what I think I'll be able to give you is just what God commands and that should be enough
You know
I don't always need to know every answer to every question in the Bible if I know God commands something God says something
I just believe it, you know and I just do it, you know, and I just there must be a reason behind it
There must be a good reason God doesn't give us commands for absolutely no reason
Okay, there's always a reason behind things and go to Leviticus 17 now Leviticus 17
Of course, this is now at a time when the law has been given to Old Testament Israel
so this is under the Old Testament, you know, but Leviticus 17 verse 10 the Bible says and
Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn among you that eateth any manner of blood
I will even set my face against that soul that eats of blood and will cut him off from among his people
For the life of the flesh is in the blood
So God gives us actually the reason but I can't really explain this to you
Okay, it gives us the reason why we're not to eat blood
It just said in verse 11 for the reason is for the life of the flesh is in the blood
Can you explain that pastor Kevin not really okay
I can't really give you a very deep spiritual or scientific explanation as to what that means
But I just take it for what God says the life of the flesh is in the blood
And of course, you know, once you're drained of blood you cannot live
You know blood is an essential requirement to your body in order for it to survive
But it says for the life of the blood is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the altar
To make an atonement for your soul. So there's another reason
Okay, that the blood is not to be eaten off because blood was used to be was the purpose of it was so it can be
Used upon the altar and of course, we don't do the Old Testament sacrifices
But we do have a blood sacrifice don't we in the Lord Jesus Christ
And that's why we talk about the shedding of blood how important it is that he bled and died for us
You know and and the blood of Christ also left his body, you know, he was shared
He was taken up to heaven and poured upon the mercy seat. They were sprinkled upon the mercy seat there in heaven as well
So God gives us some reasons but to fully understand it is kind of beyond my comprehension
I mean, can you really understand how the shin of blood can cover sins? I mean truly I don't really fully understand that
You know, I don't fully understand, you know some things that are very spiritual how God sees things
But I know what he says, you know, and I just believe it and I just obey what God says
Let's keep going there
Given to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls
For it is the blood that make of an atonement for the soul
Therefore I say unto the children of Israel
No soul of you shall eat blood neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood
Okay, so we see the command was given to Old Testament Israel. We see the command was given to
People before Israel even existed and now turn to Acts 15, please
Turn to Acts 15 because now I want to show you the command given once again
In the New Testament and we're living in New Testament times, you know, we're New Testament Christians. So Acts 15 verse 28
Acts 15 verse 28
Look at these is the words of Peter and you might be excused sometimes when when people talk in the Bible
You can make the excuse or you can give an answer
Well, that's what that person said, but that's not how really how God feels about that
But here's the thing what you notice here with Peter in Acts 15 verse 28
It says this Peter speaking for it seemeth good to the Holy Ghost
That's God, right
It's even good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things
That ye abstain from meats offered to idols and I won't go into all that
I've come I've preached on that before for the series in Corinthians, but then it says and
from blood
Okay, so the blood there again refrain from eating blood and from things strangled now you might say what's that?
Well, let me finish the verse and from fornication from which if you keep yourselves you shall do well
Fair ye well, so do you want to do well, do you want to fare well in your life?
Then the commandment from the Holy Ghost is don't eat blood, you know, and then it says and and from things
Strangled say what's what's the significance of that?
Well, you know in us in Australia, for example, you know
Wouldn't surprise me if the reason they do this is because you know a lot of our Western culture have taken principles from the Bible
but the abattoirs where where they kill animals for meats is they would um
They would stun the animal and immediately they would cut the throat of an animal. Okay and bleed it out
Now that would bleed out the animal
So that way, you know, the blood would leave we leave the animal of course
Look when you buy meat, there's always gonna be some residue of blood, you know, but here's the thing
I mean most of that blood has been drained out of the animal. Okay, and
An animal that has been strangled though that dies strangled the blood is still in its body
So, of course if you're gonna eat from a strangled animal you're eating blood
Okay, and that's why you know, it's put there together not to eat blood and not to eat of things strangled
Okay. Now one of the one of the reasons why you do bleed out an animal, you know
I had to do a bit of research here. But uh
First of all, it it does not allow the creature to recover
So, you know these abattoirs that go and stun the animal because they want to you know, do things humanely
I guess you know, they don't want the animal to recover, you know
They don't if there's blood in your body you have the ability to continue life
You know the life is in the blood we saw that before right so we don't want that animal to recover
So to bleed out the animal will ensure that the animal does die in that process
Okay, so that you know, it's that's that's humane for an animal
You don't want it to to come back to life while you're cutting it up or something, you know, so at number two
Blood rots quickly blood rots quickly compared to flesh compared to me blood can rot very quickly and it will spoil the food
Okay, and if you don't drain the blood of animal
Well, the meat will taste very gamey and I wouldn't be it's not very nice. It's not very tasty
It's got that very gamey flavor to it
So to spoil the food number three the reason why you I mean
It's just practical is that it's cleaner to butcher afterwards. Once all the blade bloods drained out
It's just cleaner to to cut up the and butcher the meats, you know, if you had blood still there, it'll be going everywhere and
and
Lastly from what we see here that the reason needs to be done is because it has something to do with blood atonement
Okay has something
Significant regards to that and that's how God sees how blood should be used in that sense
Of course, you know Christ said we should drink of his blood
But he spoke of that in the spiritual sense, you know that when we believe on Christ we do partake of his body
We do drink of his blood
But then you notice the how the Roman Catholics and the Roman Catholics when they do mass when they do communion
They believe they're eating when they take part of that way far
They think they're eating the actual flesh of Jesus Christ and when they drink of that wine
they believe that wine has literally become the blood of Jesus Christ and God commands
Before the Old Testament during the Old Testament and in the New Testament not to eat or to you know, eat of blood
So I mean the Catholics really like to mess things up like they do these little things
They think they're so smart and they really mess up with the Bible teachers
So, you know, I'm telling you just as a part as your pastor, you know, I'd rather you know
You abstain from eating blood so you can fare well, you know, the Bible seems to teach this in throughout the Bible
You know, I don't have all the reasons why that's so important
But we can see how important it is to God and that should be good enough for us. Okay, so back to Genesis chapter 9, please
Genesis chapter 9 we continue on the topic of blood here, but now we're talking about the blood of man
Genesis chapter 9 verse 5
God says and surely your blood of your lives
Will I require at the hand of every beast?
Will I require it and at the hand of man at the hand of every man's brother?
Will I require the life of man who so shed of man's blood by man?
Shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he man?
Okay, so now God is instituting the death penalty and once again
This is prior to the Old Testament
Okay, because some Christians will make the excuse. Well, the death penalty was for the Old Testament was for the Israelites
Noah is not an Israelite
Noah is not part of the nation of physical the physical nation of Israel
This was commanded prior to that the death penalty is definitely a command that God has given human government
Okay, and the first time we see the death penalty put in place is for murder
You know if you shed a man's life, then your life ought to be shed as well. Okay, what's what's the penalty for murder?
To be put to death, okay, that's the teaching of the Bible
I mean, I don't know how you can be a true Bible reading Christian and and and you know and and be against death penalty
Now there might be some things that you question about the death penalty
But if you just completely disregard it, you're not truly a Bible believing Christian. Okay, so um, and
That sounds weird in our society because in Australia we've done away with the death penalty
If you talk about the death penalty today, you're seeing like this extremist like this this
You know Islamic terrorists or something like if you believe in the death penalty
But that was put in practice for thousands of thousands of years, you know
It was put into practice here in Australia as well
I remember we went to I think it was Adelaide with a family think it was there. We went to a a old jail
Do you remember that kids we went to an old jail and we had a look at how you know
Prisoners were kept and then we had all these there was like this memorial area for all these
Prisoners that were put to death in Australia, you know, and so we had the death penalty in this nation, you know
Are we to say that everybody before us all our our ancestors were all these Islamic terrorists all these fundamentalist crazies
No, you know from the time of Noah to only you know some decades ago the death penalty, you know
You know in our in our in our in our world was common practice made sense
You know the punishment fit the crime, you know, we've gotten really soft
We were gonna look how far away we've gotten from the Word of God how far away as a nation
We've gotten away from the Bible
Now if you guys can keep your finger there and turn to Exodus 21, please
So I just want to show you the same thing
Yeah, we what we saw about eating of blood now go to Exodus 21 again
We're here at Old Testament time the nation of Israel Exodus 21 verse 12 just to prove it, you know
I'm sure you all know this anyway
But just to prove it Exodus 21 verse 12 the Bible says he that smiteth a man so that he died
Shall be surely put to death
Okay, so before Old Testament Israel death penalty during the Old Testament for Israel the death penalty
Okay. Now go to Romans chapter 13, please
Romans chapter 13 and
For those that say well that was just for Israel
Well, I don't know of any Israelite quarter Roman. We're going to the book of Romans. All right, this is New Testament time
This is written to Gentiles. This is not even the Israelite government
This is the government of the Roman Empire and it says here in Romans 13 verse 3
Romans 13 verse 3 for rulers are not a terror to good works
But to the evil will thou then not be afraid of the power do that which is good and thou shall have praise of the same
For he that's the government the Roman government here, right?
He is the minister of God for thee for good
But if thou that do that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain
For here's the minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil
And what's what's the role of the government even gentle governments?
What's the role of a government is they would do they would punish the evildoers right and and what's one way of punishment here?
What's one way to be afraid of doing evil is that they bear the sword, you know, and then I'm not to do it in vain
Hey, what's the sword for is it for defense?
Is that really a great different not probably not the best defensive tool
I'm probably can be used for defense but a sword is used to kill a sword is used for warfare
Right, it's there to to kill your enemy
You know, the government's job is to have the sword is to have the power of you know
Death of the death penalty and it says he's the minister of God meaning God's expectness a servant of God
God expects the servant of government to put in place the death penalty for evil doers
all right, the government is supposed to be a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil and
You know the thought is well
Australia's done away with the death penalty, you know
The government of Australia the laws of our nation no longer support the death penalty
And if you believe that you've been sold a lie. You've been sold a lie. Okay, because we had
82,000 legal abortions in our nation. We have that every year
Eighty two thousand legal abortions in our country. Do you think our nation is doing is
Has a death penalty it does. All right, but instead of punishing
Evil-doers, it's punishing the innocent
It's punishing those that have not committed a crime and they don't want to give the definitely to those that have done the crime
Where we have a death penalty how our nation not only has gone away from the death penalty for criminals
But now we're applying the death penalty. What's the penalty? Oh, we don't want that child. Okay, you can die
Okay, I mean it's it's not our nation has turned their hearts and their minds away from the Lord
And of course our policemen our police force they carry guns
They have the power to take take life if they want if it comes if it's necessary
They have the power to put the death penalty in place if they see fit in the jobs that they do
That's why they're given weapons that can take a life. Okay, so it's a death penalty done away with
No, you know God had a death penalty for convicted criminals
Now we have the death penalty for non convicted criminals
Right or the innocent or the innocent, you know little babies that we should be protected
Now the question comes well, you know the Bible talks a lot about the death penalty
God hasn't just given the death penalty for murder, but also for kidnapping
I believe a kidnapper should be put to death, you know
For you know adulterers, you know crimes like that, you know
God has given the death penalty for for several things, you know for homosexuality even God has given definitely for that and
You know people start to mock the Bible and say well hold on
Don't you know that God has also given a death penalty for people that worship the false God?
You know, you know
Are you saying then if you say if you teach the death penalty if you support the death penalty
Are you saying then that you know Muslims and Hindus that worship other gods?
Are you saying they should be put to death and they mock the Bible like that, you know
So if you have one of those questions, I hope I can give you an answer here
But I take your Bible and turn to Jeremy chapter 17, please. Do you know what I mean chapter 17 verse 2?
I
Mean
God does give the death penalty to those that worshiped another God
My question to you is you don't have to answer. I mean do you think that should be applicable today?
You'd have to tell me just just think about it. Okay, let's read the Bible here in Jeremy chapter 17 verse 2
Jeremy chapter 17 verse 2 the Bible says if there be found among you, of course
This is to the nation of Israel
within any of thy gates
which the Lord thy God giveth thee man or woman that have wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God in
transgressing his covenant and
Have gone and served other gods and worshiped their them
Either the Sun or the moon or any of the hosts of heaven
which I have not commanded and it be told thee and thou has heard of it and inquired diligently and
Behold it be true and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought in Israel
Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman which have committed that wicked thing unto thy gates
Even that man or that woman and shall stone them with stones till they die
So just to prove to you that people that worship the false God even if they just worship the Sun and the moon
You know, they were to put be put to death in Old Testament times
Now you say pastor Kevin do you believe we should then you know should also preach to you know put
You know hinders to death or whatever, you know people that worship other gods. No, I don't
Okay, and if that sounds you know, if that sounds like I'm
Compromising well, let me explain to you why this is let me explain to you why this is
Think of the Ten Commandments the Ten Commandments the first four commandments is your relationship between yourself and the Lord
You know the first four Commandments then the next six Commandments is about your relationship with your fellow man, aren't they?
Okay, that's not commit adultery. That's not kill those kinds of things
All right
And then in Matthew if you guys can actually turn to Matthew turn to Matthew 22 verse 36 quickly Matthew 22 verse 36
And of course there's more Commandments in the Ten Commandments
But the Ten Commandments is a great job of just summarizing how we ought to deal with God and how we ought to deal with man
But Matthew 22 verse 36 the question gets asked about Jesus master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind
This is the first and great Commandments and the second is like unto it thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself
on these two Commandments hang all the law and the prophets
So if you just obeyed those two things
I'm gonna love the Lord my God with all my heart with all my soul with all my mind and I'm gonna love my neighbor as
Myself, but God Jesus says look you're keeping all the Commandments
Okay, if you're able to do that perfectly you're keeping all the Commandments perfectly. Okay, so we see that even even Jesus Christ
differentiates between
Commandments with your relationship with God and Commandments with your relationship with man
Okay, now why is it that I do not believe people that worship other gods should be put to death today is
Because in Old Testament Israel days, it was a theocracy
It was a theocracy God was the supreme ruler over Old Testament Israel
Okay
God was the supreme ruler over Old Testament Israel even when the kings came to be even after that
God was still the supreme ruler this the supreme judge over Israel during that time and
God had a covenant God had an agreement with the Old Testament nation of Israel
Okay, so because God had that special covenant with Israel of Old Testament
therefore
Crimes about your faith crimes that who you worship were punishable by death
Because they were breaking the covenant the commitment that Israel had with the Lord God
Okay
Does that make sense but today we are not under the old covenant today the nation of Australia
You know God has not given the nation of Australia a special covenant
You know that you will be my people and I will be your God or any other nation of the world today
Okay today God has a new covenant today
God has the New Testament and the only way you enter into that testament that covenant is by being a believer
Of the Lord Jesus Christ
Okay by being a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ of by default
Anyone that is in the new covenant is already a worshipper of Jesus Christ is already a worshipper of God. Okay
So that that's why you know today we don't have nation
You know, you don't punish people because they worship other gods because there isn't that covenant
There isn't that agreement between a physical nation and God himself. All right. Now there was something else I wanted to cover there
Oh, yeah, but there is a spiritual nation that new covenant if you enter that new covenant
You are made up you are a spiritual nation a holy nation unto God
But you see God has not put government which is the one who is meant to put forward the death penalty
God has not put government over that spiritual nation
There is no human government on this earth that is over the spiritual nation of God
Okay, so that's why you know, I don't stand behind the pulpit and say, you know death to the Hindus
Or death to the Muslims, you know because our nation or no nation on this earth has that covenant with God today
But they were required to do that in Old Testament Israel because they had that covenant with the Lord God that was they God
They these that nation were his people on that covenant. We're no longer operating on that covenant today
Okay, I hope that gives you an answer to that. If you have any questions, please let me know afterwards
Oh, yeah, what one more thing one more thing. Sorry. I didn't like that's the other thing I want to cover
But like the Ten Commandments there is your relationship with man
Okay. So what are the things that I believe people should be put to death for are the crimes they commit to their fellow man
That's what I'm talking about
Not the crimes that they necessarily commit to the Lord God but the crimes they commit to their fellow man are still in force
Okay, just like the Ten Commandments, you know
The six things that relate related to your relationship with man, that's still enforced. You shouldn't commit adultery
You shouldn't go around killing, you know, you shouldn't go around, you know, coveting your neighbor's wife
That's still in effect today
Or just like those read that relationship with man with man
Hey the relationship with man and many still applicable today in every nation under the Sun
So any crime committed with a man that's worthy of death in the Bible, I believe is still applicable today
And our governments should be applying that, you know that law and putting that back into practice
Okay, so I hope that gives you an idea of the death penalty and how to answer those accusations
You know, well, would you kill someone because they picked up sticks on the Sabbath day or something like that, you know
And try to laugh at the at the death penalty that God has instituted
All right, let's back to Genesis 9, please Genesis chapter 9 verse 7 Genesis chapter 9 verse 7
and
And you God speaking to Noah once again in you be you fruitful and multiply
Again, yeah again be fruitful. Don't forget this lower. This is a command. This is the main thing
This is what I told Adam and Eve. This is what I'm telling you
Okay
so I'm telling all the animals all the creatures be fruitful and multiply bring forth abundantly in the earth and
Multiply therein and I just did a quick search for this
I just did a quick Bible search for the word fruitful and multiply together and this phrase
Is all these two words are used together nine times in the book of Genesis nine times in the book of Genesis
I think God wants to get our attention. Okay. God definitely wants us to be people that are fruitful and multiply and
Unfortunately many Christians today just not doing it, you know
They've they've listened to the world instead of listening to the book of Genesis
Okay
first number eight and God spake unto Noah and to his sons with him saying and I
Behold ice and I behold I established my covenant with you and with your seed after you and with
Every living creature that is with you of the fowl and of the cattle and of every beast of the earth with you
From all that go out of the ark to every beast of the earth and I will establish my covenant with you
Neither shall all flesh be cut off anymore by the waters of a flood
Neither shall there be any more a flood to destroy the earth
So God makes his promise his covenant with Noah with his family
But also with all the animals all the animals God makes his promises covenant that he will never
Destroy the earth again with a flood, right?
Neither neither shall all flesh be cut off anymore by the waters of a flood
Neither shall there be any more will be a flood to destroy the earth
All right, so God has given us that promise that he will never flood the surf again
He will never completely are there are local floods, of course
But never to the point where he would try to destroy all animals through a flood now
It's interesting that God mentions he won't destroy the earth with a flood, but we do know that God will destroy this
So, you know we fire later on so he puts that little thing there with a flood with water
So I'm not gonna do it with that. Okay, and
Just something I want to share with you guys
I'm not gonna be dogmatic about this, but keep your finger there and turn to Revelation chapter 12, please
Because there's a lot of parallels. There's always there's always a lot of parallels with the book of Genesis and the book of Revelation
there's a lot of things that are parallel and
There is a cryptic verse in the book of Revelation chapter
Well, there's a lot of cryptic verses in the book of Revelation but Revelation chapter 12 verse 15
Revelation chapter 12 verse 15 and this of course is the vision of the woman that I told
Before that I believe this woman
Represents Eve as the mother of all living so it's the entire world the entire world's population
And this woman is being persecuted by the dragon being persecuted by Satan and Satan's trying to destroy that woman
And then it says here in verse number 15
And sorry before I read that and if that ties in with the first four seals of the book of Revelation
Is that this isn't a persecution necessarily of believers?
But the entire world is being
Being is is on the tribulation
The entire world is suffering from warfare from famines from sicknesses all those kinds of things and I believe this ties in later on here
We've read revelation to the 12 verse 15
It says and the serpent that's the dragon that's that's a devil and the serpent cast out of his mouth
Water as a flood after the woman now that woman represents all living
You
Know let's keep going that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood and the earth helped the woman and the earth
Opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth
There's a lot of people like what is this flood?
What do you have opinions, you know?
because the Bible doesn't really explain to us what this flood represents and you can either take that very literally a
Flood of water or you can take it more symbolically of efforts and to say well, you know, these are the armies of
the beast or the armies of Antichrist or you know
Devils or whatever that are trying to persecute the woman now for me
I generally the way I read my Bible
I generally start with just a very literal reading and if the literal is just doesn't make sense
You know you use common sense, right if the literal doesn't make sense. It's probably something figurative something symbolic, but I can't help and think
There's no reason why this can't be literally in my opinion
There's no reason why I don't see why the devil knowing that God promised man not to flood the earth ever again
That he tries then to flood the earth. He tries to you know, break the promise that God has given man
It just seems to make sense to me that somehow the devil has power of the winds of the earth
Over the waters of the sea, you know, he's known also as the prince of the power of the air, you know
So he might have some power and attempts to destroy the earth with a literal flood
But of course God because of his promise cannot allow that and the earth opens up and takes all that water all that flood
So the woman would not be destroyed. Okay now again, you don't have to believe like either just you know
I just like seeing these parallels sometimes between the book of Revelation and the book of Genesis
Back to Genesis chapter 9, please Genesis chapter 9 verse 12
Genesis 9 verse 12 and God said this is the token of the covenant
Which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you for perpetual generations
I do set my bow in the cloud. It's the rainbow, right?
God says look
I'm gonna set that rainbow in the cloud and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth and
Brother Rob said he saw the rainbow on the drive here
You know that should remind you that God has made a covenant God's made a promise that is not going to destroy the surf with
a flood
You know and maybe that's good for us because we're like God just destroy this place
Destroy the wickedness and God says not yet rainbow. Maybe we need that reminder a little bit to go
Okay. Well, you know, yeah, okay. God's not gonna destroy things just yet
He's not going to destroy things with a flood and then he says
Verse
number 14 and
It shall come to pass when I bring a cloud over the earth and the bow shall be seen in the cloud
But look at this. It's not just for us
He says when he's when the when the when the rainbows there verse 15 and I will remember my covenant
You know God when he sees the rainbow
It's brought to his remembrance the covenant the agreement that he has with Noah
Because maybe God is you know being filled up with wrath
We know it's slow to anger and it's like maybe now is the time to take this these wicked people down are the rainbow
Made that promise we've no so many of the Lord needs to you know
That's a token for him to just remember. Oh, yeah, there is a time there is a point of time
you know for the new heavens the new earth the destruction of the old earth all those kinds of things and
God says look even he will look at that rainbow
So when you look at the rainbow, you remember God's looking at that rainbow as well
You know, it's bringing to remembrance the judgment that he brought upon the earth and that he won't do it again and
Yeah, and I will look upon verse number 16
I will look upon it and I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and
Every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth and God said unto Noah
This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth
So, you know, I don't blame God that he needs to look at the rainbow and be reminded that's remember
You know the Covenant because you know, this this world is a wicked place and I can just imagine if he wasn't that rainbow
You know if he wasn't that promised this world's problem would have been flooded several times by now
You know, it definitely would be flooded around this time
You know, this would be a time when you would expect God to to flood the earth once again
Alright, so, you know, I think it's a it's a good time parents when you do see the rainbow kids love rainbows
Generally speaking. They all look at the rainbow. It's a good time to teach your kids why it even exists
Why is it there? You know, why does that come out?
You know teach them the judgment of God teach them the promises of God as well
And once God has promised something he is going to deliver that for us and he's promised us if it everlasting life
Means definitely guaranteed. He's given us everlasting life
that's number 18 verse number 18 and
the sons of Noah that went forth of the ark was sham and ham and
Japheth and ham is the father of Canaan
so keep that in mind ham is the father of Canaan and Canaan would be the
progenitor progenitor of the Canaanites
You guys know the Canaanites that lived in the land of Canaan when Israel went into Canaan
They had to you know, defeat them and overpower them
So this is where they come from the the ancestor of the Canaanites was Canaan
Who was the child of Ham and then verse 19
These are the three sons of Noah and of them was the whole earth overspread. I mean that that should be common sense
I mean, this is a fact these are the descendants of Noah and by these three sons
the entire world would be populated, you know, all of us are descendants of
The three sons here that I mentioned sham sham ham or Japheth
Okay, well, maybe probably even a mix of all this now, you know whether from where we are today
But if you guys can just keep your finger there
Oh, actually, let me just quickly explain to you about the the the names there sham ham and Japheth
So you might be mistaken or thinking that sham is the eldest because every time the three are mentioned
They're mentioned in that order, you know sham first
So you might be mistaken or thinking sham is the eldest but it's not in the right order there if you guys can just turn
To Genesis 10, please just the next chapter over Genesis 10 verse 21
Genesis chapter 10 verse 21
It says unto sham remember shams the first names unto sham also the father of all the children of Eber
the brother of Japheth the elder
Even to him were children born. So who's older?
Japheth or
Shem, it says Japheth Japheth the elder
Okay, Japheth the older son now go back to Genesis 9 and just drop down to verse 24 quickly
Genesis chapter 9 verse 24
It says and Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done unto him
And that is a reference to ham
Okay. So what we understand then with what Bible gives us is that Japheth is the oldest
Then Shem is the middle child and ham is the youngest. Okay, so
sometimes God puts things in a specific order because the one that's been named first is and it has a higher prominence and
From Shem would come ultimately the Israelites
Okay, so that's why you know that he's named first is because we do follow that boat that descendency
We follow that line, of course Israelites and all that kind of stuff. So that's why it's it's in that water for you
So in case you were wondering
verse number 21, please Genesis
921
Genesis 9. Sorry 20 20 Genesis 9 20 and
This is where we get a really bad story about Noah, you know, but Noah really messes up here
Okay. Now I don't know how long afterwards this happened because Noah lived some 900 years was have a look later 950 years
I think it was
and of course he was 601 years old when the foot went and got from that so
This could happen any time. We've within a spectrum of 300 years
We don't know exactly how you know how long this took
Before this happened and it says and Noah began verse 20 and Noah began to be a husband man
And he planted a vineyard and is there anything wrong with plants in a vineyard? No, I feel you're growing grapes
You know grapes are a grapefruit a lot of health benefits. But what did he do? What's his mistake?
He made alcohol out of it
He made this is the first mention of wine in the Bible an immediate alcoholic wine that is fermented alcoholic wine and immediately
First time you see it. It's a disaster, you know, and that's that's just going to continue that same theme throughout the Bible
And then it says verse 21 and he drank of the wine and was drunken and he was uncovered within his tent
So what happens he drinks his alcohol?
I don't know. We don't know why I can kind of probably understand when your entire world's been destroyed
You know, you're still gonna be attached to some of that this you know
It's a major thing that happened in his life and I can just imagine him trying to find some
Comfort instead of going to the Lord like many people do he picks up the bottle
You know thinks that alcohol thinks that some some type of drug is going to help him through his sorrow
And then he gets drunken and what's a natural consequence of getting drunk?
He's naked says he was uncovered within his tents. It doesn't have any clothes on he's naked
All right, and I'll just quickly read to you from Proverbs chapter 20 verse 1
It says wine is a mocker strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived
Thereby is not wise
So what do we understand from Proverbs Noah was at a stage here where he was not wise he was not wise
You know wine had been a mocker to him
Okay, he had given himself to the to the power to the control over alcohol alcohol here. And again, I
Appreciate this detail that we get in the Bible. I mean this just reminds me that
Noah did not write
Genesis right because we see so many good qualities about Noah and someone might say well, you know, it's just man right in the Bible
Yeah, but would you write about yourself getting drunk and naked?
No, I mean, this is definitely the Word of God and we see great men, but then we see their failures
Okay, and this is just to remind us to to you know, look up to these men in the sense
You know be encouraged by the great works
They do be encouraged by their faith, you know aim to be faithful like these men
But also when we make mistakes that we don't beat ourselves up because we then look at no
It's it will you know, even though a messed up and if Noah can mess up, you know
I guess you know
I've got to realize that I'm gonna mess up and I need to pick myself up and
Continue trying to serve the Lord with the best of my ability. That's why God gives us these these things
It's not just all these men are perfect and I had that
Misunderstanding as a child as a child going to my Baptist Church into the Sunday school lessons, you know
We heard about the great men of God and all I ever heard was the great qualities about them
And then one day when I started reading my Bible, I'm like what?
What is this? Am I read am I reading the same stuff that I was taught in Sunday school?
You know what all these men all these all these Wow
I can't believe it and I remember when Christina got saved and she started to read her Bible and she's like
Can you believe you know Abraham did this, you know what, you know, because obviously in the Catholic Church are not teaching
You know about you know
These men and the mistakes they made but the mistakes are there so we can learn from them
There's number 22 verse number 22
So we Abraham is naked in his tents and says and ham the father of Canaan
So we know that already saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brethren without so the two brethren were outside of the tent
He goes and tell his two brethren and Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and went
Backward and cover the nakedness of the father so they go backwards
They don't want to look at their father's nakedness and they bring a covering and they cover their father
verse number 24 and Noah awoke from his wine and
Knew what his youngest son had done unto him and he said cursed be Canaan a servant of servants
Shall he be unto his brethren?
now
The Bible does not make it abundantly clear as to what happened
Okay, we don't know we don't really know
What happened some speculate to say that there was some type of homosexual activity here?
Okay, because it's not just the look upon that he would you know of his nakedness
But when he wakes up Noah says he knew what his younger son had done unto him
So maybe there was something physical that had taken place there which be extremely gross which extremely wicked, you know
And I you know, I can understand why some people believe that I don't think I can be that
You know, I don't think the Bible is that clear. I don't think I was that clear
It leaves it a bit, you know a Vegas to what happened, but we do understand
In light of what's going on if we if we understand the book of Genesis, we understand nakedness
We keep it within the same theme of what we've seen from previous chapters. I think we can understand what's going on
Okay, what exactly transpired I can't be a hundred percent sure but I think we get the message we get the message as to what's
Going on and if you remember so let me just let me just explain what happened
So Noah falls, you know gets drunk gets naked and then ham finds out about it. Okay, he goes into the into the tent
Instead of covering his father like his other brethren did instead of covering his father, you know, he goes and tells his brethren and
The two other sons back they don't look at his father they don't want to look at his shame they they cover him. Okay now
Obviously, this is not the first time we read about nakedness in the in the book of Genesis
The first time we read about nakedness is of course Adam and Eve and they were created
They were both naked Bible tells us but then in Genesis 3
after they partake of the fruit of
From the tree of good and good and evil the Bible says their eyes were opened remember that and they they realized they were naked
Okay, and as soon as Adam and Eve realized they were naked what were they trying to do
Immediately, they they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings aprons of like aprons aprons of fig leaves
They tried to cover themselves. Okay, that's the immediate response. We're naked. We need to cover ourselves. They knew that
Okay, that's just that's common sense. That's why you put on clothes this morning. You just knew I had to cover myself, right and
And then of course God
Realizes what they cover themselves with is not sufficient, you know pictures like workspace gospel
But I also believe it wasn't sufficient to cover the nakedness and shame
So God created coats of skin for them now even not only man realizes they must be covered when they're naked
But then God also, you know
Sees it fit to cover someone that is naked
So we follow the theme that we have in the book of Genesis
Then we get to Genesis chapter 9 here and we see now Nate and Nora is naked and what should have happened with him
He should have been covered, right?
I mean what ham should have done when he if he came into the tent by accident is all my dad's naked
I'm gonna quickly cover him to protect his shame
Okay to protect his shame to not make him, you know feel embarrassed
But instead of doing that he doesn't cover his father and he goes and tells his brothers
All right, so we can see what the lesson there is
Okay, is that we should obviously cover out nakedness, you know, we should not look upon those that are naked
You know, that's why I don't go to the beach. That's why I don't go to public places where people are in their underwear
Okay
Because there is a opportunity of temptation there and I don't want to open myself up to that to that
I don't want to look at nakedness. We see immediately the lesson that's been taught here
Is that him had done wrong by not covering his father but the other two sons did right they covered the nakedness
They did not want to look upon their father at all and they covered him covered his shame
so the I want you to focus on the
Principle here the main lesson rather than necessary the specific because I don't think we can definitely be sure as to what took place
Now if you guys can keep your finger there and turn to Isaiah 47, please Isaiah 47 verse 2
Now I've not taught on nakedness yet
Okay, I do plan in the near future to preach a sermon on modesty and nakedness. Okay and talk about clothing
But just to give you just one thought before that sermon go to Isaiah 47 verse 2
Because what constitutes as nakedness, you know and here we have a passage
Isaiah 47 verse 2 and this of course would not be a passage that would be popular on the Sunshine Coast
Okay, but here it is Isaiah 47 verse 2 the Bible says take the millstones and grind mill
uncover thy locks make bear the leg
uncover
the thigh pass over the rivers
Thy nakedness shall be uncovered
Yea thy shame shall be seen I will take vengeance and I will not meet thee as a man
So just very quickly we've seen verse number three that thy nakedness shall be uncovered and what was uncovered in verse number two
It said there uncover the thigh
Do you know your thigh is nakedness?
It's what the Bible teaches, you know, your thigh is nakedness and I you know
I can't even drive down this road cloud road without seeing nakedness
Okay, I mean it's it's already something that we should not be looking upon and we should not be dressing in a way that uncovers
Our thighs because when we uncover our thighs, we're showing our shame
We're showing our nakedness, you know, and we're causing other people to sin because of our you know
Our negligence not only you sinning by uncovering your nakedness. You're causing other people to sin when they can see your nakedness
Okay, so this should be important for children of God, okay, especially it's hard in places like Queensland
It's hard in places like the Sunshine Coast because there's so much Sun because there's so much Beach
Yeah, you want to get out there and have a swim?
I understand all those kinds of things but you got to keep in mind what the Word of God says
I'm sure God wants you to enjoy the water
I'm sure God wants you to enjoy the beaches, but you're also a child of God
Am I going to uncover my nakedness am I going to go somewhere where people are uncovered in nakedness?
Or am I going to be a child of God and find myself and and and enjoy myself in other places where I don't have to
Uncover the nakedness of other people. All right, and someone says well I can go to the beach and not be tempted
That's a lie. That's a lie. Okay, because we're all made of the same flesh and blood, you know
We're all made from the same flesh and blood
We're all going to be tempted if you were to look upon, you know, the nakedness of the opposite sex
It's just that's just that's how it is. That's the makeup. That's why you got to avoid these things
It's why you got to cover up. Okay, so I'll get into a sermon one day about that
I'm in the near future, but I just wanted to give you a point there and we can see how you know
How God really emphasizes, you know the covering of nakedness and we can see why you know
No
Was so angered with his son because he hadn't covered him up
I hadn't covered up and maybe maybe done something worse than that. Okay. Now go back to Genesis chapter 9, please
Genesis chapter 9
Let's look at verse number 25 again, so remember this was ham
It was ham that had not covered his father, but then in verse 25 it says and he said
Cursed be Canaan. Who's Canaan the son of Ham?
Okay, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. So some people have
misinterpreted this passage because ham that the you know the
Africans, you know the continent of Africa Africans are
descendants of ham
Okay
And so some people have said well God cursed ham and that's why you know
Africans in general are poorer people, you know, they suffer poverty
They have you know several sicknesses, you know
They don't have what they need to live good comfortable lives and they're still suffering the curse that came upon ham
You know in those days, but the curse did not come upon him
Okay
I want you to understand that the curse came upon Canaan and Canaan was you know, the ancestor of the Canaanites
Okay, not of the Africans but of the Canaanites. So a lot of people will get that wrong for some reason
I don't know why it's not it's not really that hard to get right
All right, so about some people really make that mistake and they feel like Africans today the black people
You know are cursed by by God or something. That's that's not true. That's a wrong
interpretation
But then he says in verse number 26 look at verse 26 and he said blessed be the Lord God of Shem and
Canaan shall be his servants. So I already mentioned that the Israelites would ultimately become descendants of
Shem so what Abraham sorry what Noah did I say Abraham before one right and Noah, right?
Noah is kind of prophesying about the future descendants of his children
He says here that Canaan shall be the servant of Shem
And of course we know the story that the Israelites would go into the land of Canaan
They would defeat the Canaanites and they would have power over that region
And so it's like Noah already had some knowledge some prophecy about that and what he spoke obviously came true and then verse number 27
God shall enlarge Japheth and now Japheth is the
ancestor of the of the
Like the Europeans
Okay, the Europeans and it says he God shall enlarge him and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem and
Canaan shall be his servant. So I think again what Noah is saying here
Or prophesying of is that the European nations would would be strong would be great upon the earth and again
We've seen that you know in human history that they often have positions of power
over other over other nations
All right, so then verse number 28 we're almost done now verse number 28 and Noah lived after the flood
350 years and all the days of Noah were
950 years and he died so no only no one lived
950 years. Here's the third oldest person that you read about in the Bible, you know, the oldest person was Methuselah
He lived at nine hundred and sixty nine years. The second eldest was Jared, which was Enoch's father
He lives
962 years and Noah lived a long life of 950 years. That's what I've got for you today. Let's pray