The SIGNIFICANCE OF INDISCRETION-I—Genesis 9:18-29
Attention:
Our American society seems to be drifting farther & farther from under the umbrella of discretion.
Discreet— ‘Careful & circumspect in one's speech or actions, esp. in order to avoid causing offense or to gain an advantage.’ M-W—1) Having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct & especially in speech : Prudent; especially : capable of preserving prudent silence; 2)Unpretentious, modest; 3)Unobtrusive, unnoticable.
Discretion—1) The quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information; 2) The freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation.’ M-W—1)The quality of having or showing discernment or good judgment : The quality of being discreet : Circumspection; especially--Cautious reserve in speech; 2)Ability to make responsible decisions; 3)—a) Individual choice or judgment, b) Power of free decision or latitude of choice within certain legal bounds; 4)The result of separating or distinguishing.
Indiscretion—Behavior or speech that is indiscreet or displays a lack of good judgment.’ M-W—1)Lack of discretion : Imprudence; 2)a Something (as an act or remark) marked by lack of discretion, b An act at variance with the accepted morality of a society....or in our case, Godly or Christian society
Need:
This section(:18-27) deals with the relationship of Noah’s sons to their God.
It details two related incidents of specific sin, the boy’s response to it, followed by Noah’s response to it.
These events reveal “two responses to human guilt & disobedience.”—John Sailhamer
Thus one’s genealogy is indeterminative of one’s blessing or curse, although the belief(s) originating in one’s family line may be promulgated to either the good or ruin of future generations. Old habits do tend to die hard.
Genesis records the significance of the indiscretion of Noah’s younger son, Ham.
Understanding the significance of indiscretion imparts wisdom/ is instructive to God’s people.
For whom does indiscretion hold significance?
1—Indiscretion holds significance for...
The INFLUENTIAL(:18-19)
Explanation: (:18-19)
:18—“Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, & Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan.”
Noah’s sons are named 3 times prior—5:32; 6:10; 7:13.
This will come into particular play from verse :22ff.
“Ham” fathered “Canaan.”
Canaan is important as he relates directly to the ‘land of Canaan’(Gen. 17:8) which the Israelites are destined to enter, supplanting the indigenous Canaanites.
Moses is relating this history to the present experience of Israel.
“Shem”—Mv Shem—Shem = “Name.”
From— Mv—V.—An appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication--Honor, authority, character.
“Ham”—Mx khawm—1) 2nd son of Noah, the father of Canaan & of various peoples which were inhabitants of southern lands. 2) in late usage, A collective name for Egyptians.
“Japheth”—tpy yeh'-feth—Japheth = “Opened/Expansion.”
From—htp paw-thaw'—a primitive root; To open, i.e. Be (causatively, make) roomy; usually figuratively (in a mental or moral sense) to be (causatively, make) simple or (in a sinister way) delude.
“Father of”—ba awb—1) Father of an individual; 2) Of God as father of his people; 3) Head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan; 4) Ancestor—4a) Grandfather, forefathers -- of person, 4b) Of people; 5) Originator or patron of a class, profession, or art; 6) Of producer, generator (fig.); 7) Of benevolence & protection (fig.); 8) Term of respect & honor; 9) Ruler or chief (spec.). Strong—a primitive word; Father, in a literal & immediate, or figurative & remote application).
“Canaan”—Nenk ken-ah'-an—Canaan = “Lowland”—1) The 4th son of Ham & the progenitor of the Phoenicians & of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine; 2) The land west of the Jordan peopled by the descendants of Canaan & subsequently conquered by the Israelites under Joshua; 3) Merchant, trader.
:19—“These three were the sons of Noah, & from these the whole earth was populated.” ”
The entire earth was repopulated from these 3 men following the Flood. Apparently Noah & his wife Had no more children than these.
As a side-line, for those that may question, this revels to us that the Flood was manifested on a world-wide scale rather than merely locally.
“Whole”—lk kol—1) All, the whole. Strong—properly--The whole; hence--All, any or every(in the singular only, but often in a plural sense).
“Earth”—Ura eh'-rets—1) Land, earth—1a) Earth—1a1) Whole earth (as opposed to a part), 1a2) Earth (as opposed to heaven), 1a3) Earth (inhabitants), 1b) Land, 1c) Ground, surface of the earth. Strong—from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; The earth(at large, or partitively a land).
“Populated”—Upn naphats'—Qal Perfect—1) To shatter, break, dash, beat in pieces—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To shatter, 1a2) Shattering (infinitive); 2) To scatter, disperse, overspread, be scattered—2a) (Qal)—2a1) To be scattered, 2a2) Dispersed (participle). Strong—a primitive root; To dash to pieces, or scatter.
Argumentation:
Ps. 50:23—“Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.””
Php. 1:27-28—“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come & see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, & not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, & that from God.”
Ps. 51:12-13—“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.”
1Thess. 4:9-12—“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; & indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more & more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, & to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, & that you may lack nothing.”
Paul doesn’t inform us specifically why we should “walk properly” but Peter does...
1Pet. 2:11-16—“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners & pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers & for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men-- as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.”
1Pet. 3:8-9—“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”
Php. 2:12-16—“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear & trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will & to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining & disputing, that you may become blameless & harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked & perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
1Pet. 3:15-17—“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, & always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness & fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
Mat. 5:13-16—Jesus said—““You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out & trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp & put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, & it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works & glorify your Father in heaven.”
Heb. 12:14—“Pursue peace with all people, & holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:”
Illustration:
Sports heroes/Kids ‘look up to’ & idolize them/They represent what can be done...what is possible for most anyone/These have always been held sway either positively or negatively/How do your opinions differ regarding Arnold Palmer vs. Tiger Woods?/The INFLUENTIAL
Coaches—Bobby Bowden(formerly with Florida State—regularly spoke to men’s groups @ churches) vs. Joe Paterno-Jerry Sandusky(Penn State—accused of sexual atrocities)?/The INFLUENTIAL
Application:
?Is your INFLUENCE effected by Indiscretion?
?Does Indiscretion hold significance for YOU?
2—Indiscretion holds significance for...
The FALLEN(:20-21, 24)
Explanation: (:20-21, 24) Those who have fallen victim to sin’s charms.
:20—“And Noah began to be a farmer, & he planted a vineyard.”
After the Flood, Noah began farming. Noah evidently raised grapes, as he “planted” a “vineyard.”
“Began to be”—llx khaw-lal'—Hiphil Imperfect—1) To profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin—1d) (Hiphil)—1d1) To let be profaned, 1d2) To begin. Strong—a primitive root [compare 02470]; properly, To bore, i.e. by implication--To wound, to dissolve; figuratively--To profane(a person, place or thing), To break(one's word), To begin(as if by an "opening wedge"); denom. (from 02485) to play(the flute).
“Farmer”—hmda:h vya—hmda ad-aw-maw'—1) Ground, land—1a) Ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance), 1b) Piece of ground, a specific plot of land, 1c) Earth substance (for building or constructing), 1d) Ground as earth's visible surface, 1e) Land, territory, country, 1f) Whole inhabited earth. Strong—Soil(from its general redness). + —vya 'iysh—1) Man—1a) Man, male (in contrast to woman, female), 1b) Husband, 1c) Human being, person (in contrast to God), 1d) Servant, 1e) Mankind, 1f) Champion, 1g) Great man; 2) Whosoever; 3) Each (adjective).
*Thus “Farmer”= ‘Man of the earth’ or ‘husbandman of earth,’ & speaks of a dirt farmer or row cropper.
:21—“Then he drank of the wine & was drunk, & became uncovered in his tent.”
Noah produced “wine” from these farming endeavors.
Noah drank wine until he got “drunk.” In the process of his drunken state, Noah privately “became” naked inside his tent.
Noah lived out his early life after the Flood—that is, after his unique & specifically sacrificial obedience— in “a tent,” rather than in a ‘well deserved’(in our opinion) magnificent house.
“Drank”—htv shaw-thaw'—Qal Imperfect—1) To drink—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To drink—1a1a) Of drinking cup of God's wrath, of slaughter, of wicked deeds (fig), 1a2) To feast. Strong—a primitive root; To imbibe (literally or figuratively).
“Wine”—Nyy yah'-yin—1) Wine. Strong—from an unused root meaning to effervesce; Wine(as fermented); by implication--Intoxication.
“Drunk”—rkv shaw-kar'— Qal Imperfect—1) To be or become drunk or drunken, be intoxicated. Strong—a primitive root; To become tipsy; in a qualified sense--To satiate with a stimulating drink, or figuratively--Influence. Used 19X.
“Uncovered”—hlg gaw-law'—Hithpael Imperfect—1) To uncover, remove—1g) (Hithpael)—1g1) To be uncovered, 1g2) To reveal oneself. Strong—a primitive root; To denude(especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication--To exile(captives being usually stripped); figuratively--To reveal.
:24—So Noah awoke from his wine, & knew what his younger son had done to him.”
Noah eventually awoke from his drunkenness. Upon doing so, he “knew” what Ham had done.
Ham was Noah’s “younger” or ‘diminutive’ son.” By seeing his father’s nakedness, telling others about it, & not covering his nakedness, Ham had done something shameful against his own father that far outweighed Noah’s being drunk.
*It was probably never Noah’s intention to get drunk, but it was definitely Ham’s intention to broadcast his father’s shame.
Argumentation:
All have sinned & fall short
1Jn. 1:8-10—“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, & the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just to forgive us our sins & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, & His word is not in us.”
1Jn. 2:3-5—“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” & does not keep His commandments, is a liar, & the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”
1Jn. 3:4-9—“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, & sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, & in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; & he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”
Heb. 12:1-8—“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, & the sin which so easily ensnares us, & let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author & finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, & has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary & discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate & not sons.”
Jn. 13:3-11 “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, & that He had come from God & was going to God, rose from supper & laid aside His garments, took a towel & girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin & began to wash the disciples’ feet, & to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered & said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands & my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; & you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.””
Heb. 12:12-14—“Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, & the feeble knees, & make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.”
Jude 20-23—“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”
Illustration:
Homeless people/Granted sideways glances by the public..including good Baptists/Some have fallen due to financial misdealings in ignorance/They may have Fallen to the deception of drugs/Yes, they may have Fallen due to sin, but they must be given an opportunity/FALLEN
Application:
?Are The FALLEN effected by Indiscretion?
?Does Indiscretion hold significance for YOU?
3—Indiscretion holds significance for...
The PERPETRATORS(:22)
Explanation: (:22)Disrespectful
:22—“And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, & told his two brothers outside.” ”
Again it is stated that Ham fathered Canaan(see :18). This seems to be pertinent to the entire incident & its resulting curse(:25-27). Ham witnessed his father’s “nakedness.” However, rather than showing respect to his father—in the midst of his failure, Ham reported the incident to his brothers. Rather than aid his father out of respect, Ham chose to aggravate/magnify/amplify his father’s fault/difficulty.
Shem & Japheth were outside their father’s tent & completely unaware of Noah’s private failings. Noah had placed himself in a privately but potentially embarrassing situation, which was unknown to Shem & Japheth until their brother Ham, made it public knowledge.
It is interesting that “Ham” is translated from a word meaning “hot.” Ham must have been hot-headed, emotional or rather headstrong in his beliefs regardless of their appropriateness.
“Saw”(See :23)—har raw-aw'—Qal Imperfect—1) To see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To see, 1a2) To see, perceive, 1a3) To see, have vision, 1a4) To look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out, 1a5) To see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish, 1a6) To look at, gaze at. Strong—a primitive root; To see, literally or figuratively(in numerous applications, direct & implied, transitive, intransitive & causative).
“Nakedness”—hwre `ervah —1) Nakedness, nudity, shame, pudenda—1a) Pudenda (implying shameful exposure), 1b) Nakedness of a thing, indecency, improper behavior, 1c) Exposed, undefended (fig.). Strong—Nudity, literally(especially the pudenda) or figuratively(disgrace, blemish).
“Told”—dgn naw-gad'—Hiphil Imperfect—1) To be conspicuous, tell, make known—1a) (Hiphil) To tell, declare—1a1) To tell, announce, report, 1a2) To declare, make known, expound, 1a3) To inform of, 1a4) To publish, declare, proclaim, 1a5) To avow, acknowledge, confess—1a5a) Messenger (participle). Strong–a primitive root; properly, To front, i.e. Stand boldly out opposite; by implication(causatively)--To manifest; figuratively--To announce(always by word of mouth to one present); specifically--To expose, predict, explain, praise.
“Outside”—Uwx khuwts—1) Outside, outward, street, the outside. Strong—from an unused root meaning to sever; properly--Separate by a wall, i.e. Outside, outdoors. Argumentation:
1Cor. 13:4-7—“Love suffers long & is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Rom. 14:11-13—“For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.”
Js. 4:11-12—“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother & judges his brother, speaks evil of the law & judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save & to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”
Eph. 4:29-32—“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, & evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”
Mat. 7:1-5—““Judge not, that you be not judged. “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; & with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; & look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, & then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Illustration:
Paparazzi/Purveyors of indiscretion/Blatantly disclose private matters they have no business knowing much less, sharing with others/Glory in the sins of others/The PERPETRATORS
Dating/Some approach it with the ‘summer girlfriend/boyfriend’ mentality/The PERPETRATORS
Gossip magazines/Glory in the sins of others/The PERPETRATORS
Indiscretions online—stupid/base/ungodly/Never expecting to ‘get caught’/The PERPETRATORS
TV’s— ‘Glass House’ supposed ‘adults’ taking dares like children, but with adult topics & relationships—total ignorance & oblivious to truth!/The PERPETRATORS
Application:
?Are The PERPETRATORS effected by Indiscretion?
?Does Indiscretion hold significance for YOU?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Action:
Indiscretion holds significance for...
1. The INFLUENTIAL(:18-19)
2. The FALLEN(:20-21, 24)
3. The PERPETRATORS(:22)
Presented 07/22/2012pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
