Let's take a moment this Memorial Day, let us remember those who have fought for our freedoms, who have gone on before us and let us thank God that such men and women lived. As we continue our journey through the Book of Genesis we go now into the City of Confusion. “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4). In 1971 the rock group Led Zeppelin released a song titled Stairwell to Heaven, as a species we seem to be consumed with getting to Heaven but on our terms. Over One hundred years ago a man named Daniel Burnham laid out the plan for the modern city of Chicago. He summed up his philosophy in two famous sentences: “Make no small plans. They have no power to stir men’s blood.” (Daniel Burnham) But the tower they started was stopped by God, and it eventually fell to the ground. Let me state that another way.

“This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.” Genesis 10 tells us how it happened: - The Descendants of Japheth, verses 2-5. - The Descendants of Ham, verses 6-20. - The Descendants of Shem, verses 21-31. The last verse of Genesis 10 summarizes the chapter: “These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood” (Genesis 10:32).

Genesis 9:18-29 As we look at the text, we can break it down into two parts: - Noah’s Nakedness – verses 18-23 - Noah’s Curse – verses 24-29 This is certainly a very strange story. As we consider what it means, here are a few facts to note of: Noah was a man of faith who did great things for God, yet in a moment of weakness he got drunk. H is sin starts the ball rolling in the wrong direction.

This morning I want to take us to three stories from Scripture which demonstrate, in a rather potent way, this characteristic of selflessness, and then examine the result of their selflessness. Each of these stories happens at a critical, pivotal moment in the Biblical story; and in each of them, the selflessness sets the stage for the next amazing thing God has for His people. They are the stories of three mothers.

What headline would you write if you were covering the great flood of Noah’s day? One panelist suggested this headline: “God Destroys World in Flood.” Another panelist, a pastor, suggested something completely different: “God Gives Humans a Second Chance.” I found myself more in line with the second question with a different perspective. My headline would have read: "God gives the world a mulligan."