Perfect Imperfection

"perfect in his generations"

Genesis 6:9

We've been talking about Noah in church the past few weeks.  I love the story of Noah and ark.  It's one of those Bible accounts that you've heard since childhood, and yet every time you read it, you learn or observe something new.

Like the fact that they weren't on the ark for only 40 days.  When I was a child, I thought that was when it ended.  Like on Day Forty-One, they were able to send out the birds, and de-ark soon thereafter.  But at some point later in my life, I read the verse that says, "the waters prevailed on the earth one-hundred and fifty days."  Which is a whole lot more than forty. 

Or the fact that they took more animals than the "two-by-two".  I always thought that was all, but then one day I noticed the verse where God told Noah to take seven of every clean animal.  That way Noah had animals to sacrifice to God.  So the ark was even more crowded than I had thought as a child.

Or the fact that the animals came to him, because how hard would it have been for Noah to herd all those creatures onto that boat?  Or the fact that God was the one who shut the door behind them all.  Details, details.  And they were there all the time, but I had to read the Scripture for myself to see them.

Apparently it wasn't enough to sing "Rise and Shine" in Sunday School every week.  ("Elephants and kangaroosies, roosies, Children of the Lord...")

But my most recent realization about Noah has to do with what hasn't happened yet.  At least, we haven't gotten to it in church, but I know it's coming because I've read Genesis one or seventeen or fifty times.

But before we look forward, let's look back.

Genesis 6:5 ~ "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth..."
Genesis 6:8 ~ "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."
Genesis 6:9 ~ "Noah was a just man"
Genesis 6:9 ~ "Noah was perfect in his generations"
Genesis 6:9 ~ "Noah walked with God"

How awesome does Noah sound?  It's no wonder God saved him, right?

But I found myself thinking about what was ahead for him:

Genesis 9:20 ~ "And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.  Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent.  And Ham, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.  But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid in 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, in a sense, this story is about Ham.  Noah cursed him for his disrespectful behavior.  But I was always somewhat disappointed with Noah for letting the situation happen to him.  And no, this isn't about drinking.  I don't believe drinking is a sin.  And as far as we know, God hadn't laid down any restrictions on drinking.  But I do believe that drinking too much is a sin.  So each of us has to work that out with God.

But Noah clearly drank himself into a place where he lost control of his own behavior.  Not to mention losing his dignity.  He was a man of wisdom, and he shouldn't have let it happen.  In my humble opinion.

Now, we know that Noah was a just man.
     Perfect in his generations.
          He walked with God.

But he made a mistake.

Which God knew that he would.

And God saved him anyway.

Just like He sent His Son, to save you and me, even though we have mistakes still to make.

He knows who we are.... and He loves us anyway.

Miracle.

~ "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, 

that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" ~

Romans 5:8

~