“Jesus Christ is the pillar and hinge on which the Covenant of Grace turns.”
Thomas Watson
Last Sunday’s sermon, by Jay Higgins, was a challenging one from a text that is not often preached. Genesis 9 informs us of this episode from Noah’s life:
20Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. (Genesis 9:20-23 ESV)
Read the rest of the text and you will see that the descendants of Ham, Canaan, are cursed and that Shem and Japheth receive a blessing. Ham has dishonored his father. Shem and Japheth honor him by covering him with a garment. Here is some of Jay’s application:
His brothers will have no part in this dishonor. Instead, they lay a garment on their shoulders and walk backwards to cover their father’s nakedness. They don’t even want to look upon it. In this, they show Noah great honor. Was Noah justified in his actions? Nope. Was he in sin? Yep. And guess what? Love covers a multitude of sins. And this is quite literally what they did. And they are prophetically blessed because of the honor they have shown him. Maybe this is the most important point this morning. I entitled this message “Son, please cover my nakedness.” And that sounds funny, but I can’t say it without getting choked up. Because I desperately need my kids to cover my nakedness. Noah was a great man who was declared blameless in his generation. Obviously, that doesn’t mean perfect, but he lived out what we are called to pursue as Christians. No one could point a finger at him and say he was a fake, or a wicked man. But I’m not Noah. I have not been a great man. My sin is plentiful. And it impacts my kids and my family. I desperately need their forgiveness. I desperately need them to walk backward and cover my shame with the blanket of their love and honor.
A powerful confession indeed! It is felt by every father who walks with Christ and acknowledges his own continued need for forgiveness, love, and honor. One last thing, it seems to me that this episode points us to the gospel. How? Noah was a generally righteous man who, in nakedness, needed to be covered by the work of another (his sons). Jesus Christ, the completely righteous Son of Man, covers his people by his work on the cross. He was stripped, dishonored, abused, and hung naked on the cross that his people might receive salvation, his garment (robe) of righteousness. Let’s rejoice in him! Have a blessed week and we will see many of you on Sunday. D. V.
In Christ Alone,
Pastor Dale
