In these three chapters, above all, I am struck by the "tribal" nature of those times. The family tree mattered. Were you a son of the cursed Ham? Maybe you could trace your lineage to Nimrod, the first great warrior who was also numbered among Ham's descendants.
Lineage mattered. Family mattered. Why? Family trees tell stories. They talk about what "our people" have been through and how we ended up here today. They tell us, in part, why we function the way we do.
For Noah and his family, their primary identity above all the messiness, is that of Covenant people. They have been saved from the Flood and are allowed to enter into a Covenant relationship with God. Their identity - their existence - is a result of God's mercy. They are because of God's provision, protection, and providence.
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