Daily Reading: Genesis chapters 9 thru 12

Key Verses: Genesis 9:9-12

"God promised Noah that He would not curse the ground again or destroy the entire earth with a flood (v.8:21 & 9:11).  He gave the rainbow as a pledge of this (v.9:13).  But the covenant also includes the establishment of human government, with the power of capital punishment (v.9:6).  God guaranteed the regularity of time periods and seasons (v.8:22), directed man to repopulate the earth(v. 9:1 & 9:7), and reaffirmed his dominion over lower creatures (v.9:2).  Man could now add meat to his previous vegetarian diet (v.9:3).  Concerning Noah's descendants (v.9:25-27), God cursed Ham's son, Canaan, to be a servant to Shem and Japheth.  He gave Shem a place of favor, which we know includes being in the line of the Messiah.  Japheth would enjoy great expansion, and would dwell in the tents of Shem."  Believer's Bible Commentary.

In regards to the curse on Canaan, this was used during the period of slavery in America to justify the enslavement of Black people.  Black people were supposedly the descendants of the cursed Canaanites.  However, the Canaanites dwelled in the Holy Land as is evidenced in Joshua and Exodus.  There is no evidence that these people were Black in fact Ham's son Cush is the father of Ethiopia.

From these chapters of Genesis, we can see that God's judgments and promises are sure (things He established then continue today).  As you reflect on these chapters, what is your response to the judgments and promises set forth by God to Noah?

FYI: Gen. 10:1-32 Shem, Ham and Japheth became the fathers of the nations.

Shem: The Semitic people - Jews, Arabs, Assyrians, Arameans, Phoenicians.

Ham: The Hamitic peoples - Ethiopians, Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistines, Babylonians, possibly the African and Oriental peoples, though many scholars view the Orientals as Japhetic.

Japheth: The Japhetic peoples - the Medes, Greeks, Cypriots, etc.  Probably he Caucasian people of Europe and of northern Asia.  Many scholars also include the Orientals here.