SAB, Noah

Noah, that just and perfect preacher of righteousness

For some reason, God really liked Noah. He hated everyone else, though. He hated them so much, in fact, that he drowned every last one of them. Everyone except for Noah (and his family), that is.

What was it that God liked about Noah? Well, the bible doesn't say. It only says that he was a just and perfect "preacher of righteousness."

Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations. Genesis 6:9
And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Genesis 7:1
[God] spared not the old world, but saved Noah ... a preacher of
righteousness. 2 Peter 2:5

It isn't until after the flood, though, that we find out about his true character. The first thing that Noah does after the ark hits dry land is to kill one of every "clean" animal species, and burn their dead bodies for God. What an example we have here for modern Christians! These animals were the most endangered of all species, yet Noah was willing to kill them so that God could "smell a sweet savour."

And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour. Genesis 8:20-21

After killing the animals for God, Noah plants a vineyard, gets drunk, and lies around naked in his tent. His son, Ham, happens to see his father in this condition. When Noah sobers up and hears "what his young son had done unto him" (what did he do besides look at him?), he curses not Ham, who "saw the nakedness of his father," but Ham's son, Canaan.

And Noah ... planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. Genesis 9:2-25

So there you have it. If you want to be just, perfect, and righteous, kill lots of endangered species, get drunk, expose yourself to your children, and then curse your grandchildren because their parents saw you naked. I know it sounds a bit strange, but to God it is just, perfect, and righteous behavior.

See Also:: Has there ever beem a just person?; Has there ever beem a righteous person?