Genesis 9:18-29 A Fall And A Prophecy

“All of the people on earth came from these three sons.”  That’s probably hard for many people to accept, unless they use it, as I was once told, to explain the races of men.  But my commentary had specific things to say about this section of the Bible that for years was used as a justification for slavery.

First, the event that caused the stir:  Noah’s father, Lamech, had been a farmer, and Noah started a vineyard after the flood, which produced grapes, raisins, and yes – wine.  As my commentary put it, this man of faith – a preacher of righteousness who had saved his household from death -- sinned by becoming drunk, and his position made the sin even more repulsive.

“As Spurgeon said, ‘God never allows His children to sin successfully.’  There’s always a price to pay,” my commentary said.  Noah suffered disgrace, but his sin also impacted his family.

Perhaps Ham was concerned about his father’s welfare when he chose to enter his tent.  Noah might have overslept due to his drunkenness.  Would this story have turned out differently if he’d quietly covered his father’s nakedness and never said anything to his brothers?  We’ll never know.  “How people respond to the sin and embarrassment of others is an indication of their character.”  In telling his brothers about his father’s nakedness, he effectively gossiped. 

Shem and Japheth backed their way into their father’s tent with a garment between them and their eyes averted, and they covered Noah’s naked body.  My commentary compared it to “Love covers all sins … It doesn’t cleanse sin … nor does it condone sin … but it doesn’t go around exposing sin and encouraging others to spread the bad news.  When people sin and we know about it, our task is to help restore them in a spirit of meekness.” 

Finally, my commentary doesn’t list Noah’s speech (his only on in Scripture) as a curse, but says it was a prophecy.  “The word curse is used only once, but it’s directed at Ham’s youngest son Canaan and not at Ham himself.  This suggests that Noah was describing the future of his sons and one grandson on the basis of what he saw in their character, not unlike what Jacob did before he died … If Noah had wanted to pronounce a curse, it would have been directed at Ham, the son who sinned against his father, but instead he named Canaan three times.”  History bears out the results of Canaan’s character and how his descendants rose against the people of Israel.

I’ve been helping my son to understand the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin which he’s reading for a class.  It has taught me much of how the Bible was wrongly used to justify slavery.  Perhaps those who did so were actually descendants of Canaan and didn’t know it.

Father, thank You for the reminder that You never allow Your children to sin successfully.  The next time I’m tempted to sin willfully against You, remind me of Noah’s fall and help me to turn from the sin before I commit it.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford