For what kind of sins were Canaan’s descendants known?
(Genesis 9:18 – 11:9) Blog Apr. 24–30, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God’s perfect creation was marred by sin. As the federal representative of humanity, Adam chose to eat what God had prohibited, bringing guilt and corruption to all his offspring. When sin entered God provided a Substitute and through faith in the Lamb of God all may be restored to life eternal. Cain was rejected by God because he rejected God’s provision for personal acceptance while only bringing a thank offering to God. Being rejected by God he got angry and killed his brother Abel. Within a couple thousand years the world became so violently wicked that God erased it clean with a flood, but not before warning its inhabitants for 120 years and providing a way of salvation.
Before Nimrod
1. What did God do to bring on a worldwide flood that covered the highest mountains by more than 20 feet of water? God opened the windows of heaven & stirred up the fountains from beneath the earth resulting in a worldwide flood (Gen. 7:11-12).
2. If the waters that God had placed above the earth at creation were used to bring on the flood how would earth’s atmosphere be affected? The absence of an atmospheric blanket of water has been calculated to result in polar extremes & severe seasonal climate change together with the loss of atmospheric pressure (Gen. 8:22).
3. If decay was rare and earth’s atmospheric pressure was greater before the flood how would that affect plant life after the flood? Besides seasonal interruption of plant growth, fermentation & decay would be much more rapid after the flood when atmospheric pressure was reduced. Degeneracy in the natural world had been very slight before the flood considering the lifespan of its inhabitants (Gen. 1:31; 5:17).
4. With no record of drunkenness before the flood and no Biblical condemnation of Noah’s drunkenness what might we conclude about Noah’s situation? It is likely that Noah had never experienced fermentation of grape juice before the flood & innocently drank juice that had been stored for some time not knowing its effects (Gen. 9:20-21; Lam. 4:21).
5. When Ham saw his father drunk in his tent, what did he do? Ham told his two brothers what he had done (Gen. 9:22).
6. Why is Shem and Japheth’s attitude to their father’s nakedness contrasted with that of Ham? Ham’s two brothers refused to look upon their father’s nakedness & Scripture & Noah view that as proper compared to what Ham did (Gen. 9:23-25).
7. How did Noah react when he realized what Ham had done? Noah cursed Ham’s son Canaan for the vile act that Ham committed (Gen. 9:24-25; Hab. 2:15).
8. What commandment clearly condemns Ham’s sin? The fifth commandment says we should honor our parents, which Ham did not do, even bragging about his experience (Gen. 9:22; Ex. 20:12).
9. For what kind of sins were Canaan’s descendants known? The descendants of Canaan were known for incest, adultery, sodomy, & child sacrifice (Lev. 18:1-7; 21-22).
The Tower People
10. Who was Nimrod? Nimrod was a mighty opponent of the true God, whose name means “we will rebel,” a great-grandson of Noah, the son of Cush who was the son of Canaan whom Noah cursed (Gen. 9:25; 10:8-9).
11. Where did Nimrod establish his kingdom? Nimrod established his kingdom in the land of Shinar, with the city of Babel (Gen. 10:10).
12. When many of Noah’s descendants joined Nimrod in building the city and tower at Babel what was their stated purpose? The tower builders on Shinar wanted to make a tower to reach unto heaven. Babel meant “door of God” & it was the purpose of the builders to replace God & make a name for themselves (Gen. 11:2-4).
13. What promise of God did the tower builders not believe and work to oppose? The builders of Babel did not believe God’s promise that there would not be another worldwide flood for they proposed to escape such by building a high tower (Gen. 9:11; 11:4).
14. What command of God did the tower builders not obey and work to oppose? The builders of Babel did not obey God’s command to scatter out throughout the earth, but rather worked to concentrate humanity in one giant city with one world religion (Gen. 9:1; 11:7).
15.What constant reminder of God’s promise did the tower builders continually have to ignore? Every time it rained the tower builders had to ignore the covenant rainbow (Gen. 9:13-17).
Divine Intervention
16. Before God interrupted the tower builders, what did he do? Like righteous Job, God searched out the matter before intervening. He investigates before sentencing (Gen. 11:5; Job 29:16).
17. To whom is God talking in Genesis 11:6 and 7? When the Scripture says “behold” & “let us go down” it is recording the conversation of the Deity between themselves — Father, Son, & Holy Ghost — just as in Genesis 1 (Gen. 1:26; 11:6-7).
18. What method did God use to scatter the tower builders throughout the earth? God scattered the tower builders by confusing their languages so that they couldn’t understand each other (Gen. 11:7-8).
19. Since God confused the tower builders’ language, what idea is now associated with “Babel”? Babel now stands for “confusion” rather than “door of God” (Gen. 11:9).
20. What later Bible stories build on Nimrod’s famous city? Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom & the corrupted religions in Revelation both take the name “Babylon” for in them true & false religion are mixed together (Dan. 1:1; Rev. 14:8).