Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 2: Luther on Sin and the Flood

by Martin Luther

135. First of all, then, he performed the duties of a bishop. Beset with various temptations, his foremost endeavor was to resist the devil, to console the troubled ones, to bring back the erring to the true way, to strengthen the doubting, to cheer souls in despair, to exclude from his Church the impenitent, and to receive back with fatherly gladness the repentant. For, these are the duties a bishop must perform through the ministry of the Word.

136. Moreover, he had civil duties in establishing forms of government and in making laws, without which human passions cannot be held in check. To this was added the rule of his own household, or the care of his home.

B.	NOAH'S FALL.
	1.	Why Moses omitted many important things about Noah and related his fall [137-138].
	2.	Lyra tries to excuse Noah's fall [139].
	3.	Noah's fall cannot be excused [140-141].
	4.	Noah's fall cannot be excused [140-141].
	5.	Ham scandalized himself through it [142-143].
		a.	Real root of this scandal [144].
		b.	Thereby Noah greatly sinned [145ff].
		*	Original sin develops presumptuous people [146-148].
		c.	This scandal reveals Satan's bitterest enmity against God's Church [149].
		*	Papists are Ham's disciples [150].
		*	David's enemies rejoiced over his fall [151].
	6.	To what end should Noah's fall serve us [152-154].
	*	The godless are not worthy to see God's glory in believers [155].
	*	Why we should not be vexed at the infirmities of believers [156-157].
	7.	The conduct of Shem and Japheth in this connection [158-173].
		a.	They still honored their father, though they approved not his deed [158].
		*	Origin of outward sin [159].
		*	How to avoid offense [160-162].
		*	Luther aware of his own infirmities [163].
		*	Attitude of the opponents of the Word to true preachers [164].
		*	Why Moses never mentioned many great events in Noah's life, and thought of his fall [165-166].
		b.	How the sons covered their father's shame [167].
		c.	Herein they had regard for God's will and were therefore pleasing to God [168].
		*	Ham's scandal.
			(1)	It was a wilful and grievous sin [168-169].
			(2)	The lesson we may learn from it [170].
			(3)	Reward of this scandalous deed, and why Canaan is here mentioned [172-173].

B. Noah's Fall.

137. Though reason tells us that Noah was burdened with these manifold duties after the flood, yet Moses does not mention them. It appears to him sufficient to confine his remarks to the statement that Noah began to plant a vineyard, and that he lay in his tent drunken and naked.

This, surely, is a foolish and very useless tale in comparison with the many praiseworthy acts he must have performed in the course of so many years. Other things might have been recorded for edification and for teaching righteousness of life. But this story even seems to endorse an offense, by abetting drunkards and those who sin in drunkenness.

138. The purpose of the Holy Spirit, however, is apparent from what we have said. It is to console by this record of the great sins committed by the holiest and most perfect patriarchs those righteous persons who are discouraged by the knowledge of their own weakness and are, therefore, cast down. In them we are to find proofs of our own shortcomings, that we may come to humble confession and, at the same time, seek and hope for forgiveness. This is the real and theologically true reason why the Holy Spirit records, rather than seemingly more important matters, the great fall of this grand man.