Today's Scripture Reading (August 10, 2024): Genesis 9
I have an unpopular
message. It involves our growing reliance on drugs. The legalization of
marijuana has only complicated the societal landscape. Our message seems to be
that the legalization of marijuana, as well as the legal status of alcohol,
means that these substances are safe. But that is not entirely true. There is a
constructive use for these substances when we use them moderately, but few use
them that way. Regular use of marijuana is linked to growing paranoia and a
feeling of helplessness. Drug use also increases depression and wreaks havoc
with goal setting, all of which can become a cycle in our lives. We get
depressed and find escape in the substances around us, which alleviates our
depression in the moment but makes us more depressed and in need of more drugs
to survive the next day.
Drugs and alcohol also
tend to place us in vulnerable positions. According to some statistics, half of
all rapes involve the use of alcohol by either the perpetrator or the victim,
or both. In the United States, alcohol is the contributing factor in 100,000
deaths every year. Alcohol and drug abuse cost the nation over 100 billion
dollars every year. Fiscal hounds look for ways that we can balance both
private and national budgets every year, but decreasing the amount of drug use
is often overlooked as a possible solution to our societal fiscal woes.
The story of Noah and
Ham has always confused me. Noah got drunk, and, in his drunkenness, Ham saw
him naked. It was a circumstance that didn't seem severe enough to necessitate
the penalty that followed. If all Ham did was accidentally walk into the
presence of his drunk father and see his father's nakedness, how could Ham be
blamed for that? We are missing something in the story. There seem to be some
key details that are missing from the tale.
One of the theories is
that Noah got drunk, naked, and left himself in a vulnerable state. Ham didn't
just see his father naked; he, and probably his son, Canaan, decided to take
advantage of Noah in some way. Maybe they made the drunk Noah part of their
evening entertainment. And when the entertainment was finished, instead of
covering their father up, they went away telling the story, spreading Noah's
embarrassment.
As a result of their
abuse of Noah, Ham and Canaan became the subject of the curse of their father
and grandfather.
Tomorrow's Scripture
Reading: Genesis 10
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