I love the story of
Noah because it is so inspiring, until I come to the part where Noah gets
drunk. It reminds me of a poem by Robertson McQuilkin that talks about
finishing well, entitled,
"Let Me Get
Home Before Dark":
The darkness of a spirit
grown mean and small,
fruit shriveled on the vine,
bitter to the taste of my companions,
burden to be borne by those brave few
who love me still.
No, Lord. Let the fruit grow lush and sweet
A joy to all who taste;
Spirit-sign of God at work,
stronger, fuller, brighter at the end.
Lord, let me get home before dark.[i]
I don’t think Noah
got home before dark. This part of the story of Noah is one I would rather skip
over because it is so pathetic. I am, however, grateful that the Bible
tells the whole story, not just the beautiful part. Noah, the man who stood up
for God for 120 years while he built the ark, now lies drunk and uncovered in
his tent. This episode is a story of shame! It is a powerful commentary on the
entrapment of strong drink to control our minds and render us utterly helpless.
The term uncovered to me means addiction, loss, and shame.
I cannot forget the
wretched sadness of grown men completely uncovered because of their addiction
to drink. I found these men on the streets and tried to help them. Their
bondage to drink was so intense; they had lost their families, reputations,
jobs, assets, and even futures. They were indeed slaves to their addiction to
alcohol.
Along the years I
have witnessed fathers and mothers lose their children, husbands their wives,
all because they found themselves uncovered. Their addictions controlled them,
imprisoned them, and sentenced them.
How heartbreaking
to see young men and women stain their records with felonies, lose their
privilege to drive, limit their employment, and even kill and maim people with
their automobiles or some weapon while in their drunken state. Some of them are
forced to serve time in prison, and worst of all, they have to live with the
regret of what they did.
It is lamentable to
hear of men and women who wind up in the bed of someone they never knew only to
find out they contracted a venereal disease. The next morning, when their
disgrace was devastatingly apparent, they knew Noah’s shame of being
uncovered.
Most distressing is
to see adolescents play around with alcohol or drugs only to lose their way in
life. With sadness, we watch as they miss their future opportunities for
fulfillment and faithfulness.
The serpent of alcohol
and drugs bites with deadly venom. I have no use for drinking, and I scorn the
social standing that society gives alcohol and now marijuana. I hate what it
does to people. I hate what it does to families. I hate the destruction it
leaves in its wake.
Noah's failure
stands as a witness to the deadly covert dangers that are in this world. The
sinful nature is present in all of us. We are in a predicament, and we need
help. Will we seek the help that is offered to us by God or will we deal with
it in our way and find ourselves shamefully uncovered.
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