Daily Devotions
Genesis
"A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother." Proverbs 10:1
Text: Genesis 9:1-28
UNDERSTANDING THE LANGUAGE OF NOAH
It is not easy to understand the outburst of Noah. He seemed to have been more conscious of Ham’s indiscretion than of his own weakness. How should we read his rather harsh words concerning his own son, Ham?
1. Not just an Angry Outburst
There is no question about the fact that Noah was angry with his son Ham! He made no excuse for his inebriation, for he must have known that he too was at fault. However, two wrongs do not make a right! His words were telling! They revealed much more about Ham and his future descendants than is realized at first reading!
2. “Cursed be Canaan”
These are very painful and difficult words to interpret. Surely, Noah couldn’t just curse his own son, when he was partially at fault!
a) The churlish nature of Ham
Any son who dishonours his father may indeed be described as churlish. Churlishness is more than just a personality problem. It betrays a deeper problem involving his character.
b) Like Father, like Son
Noah had a fairly deep comprehension of how a father can affect and influence his son. In this case here, Ham would affect not just his immediate family. He would affect his whole clan. If a leader were churlish, the people he leads would fare no better!
c) A Predictive Element
Noah must have caught a glimpse of the future. Ham called his son Canaan. He would be one of the people who would domicile in the land of that name. In time, the Canaanites would indeed be servants of Israel (Shemites).
d) A Word of Reproof
Ham was wrong to have shown such disrespect towards his father. The words of his father were stern words of rebuke! The words contained somber element of truth. If Ham did not repent of his churlish ways, he would one day be nothing more than a servant rather than an equal with his brothers Shem and Japheth!
KIND WORDS OF BLESSING ON SHEM AND JAPHETH (Genesis 9:26-27)
Noah’s words to his other two sons were kind ones. His words contained a blessing that would have far-reaching consequences. How he must have wished that Ham could have been similarly blessed, but that was not to be!
The greatest blessing that a person could ever wish for, would be to see the Lord’s hand involved in his life. Noah blessed Shem and Japheth because of the sense of honour and respect they showed towards him (Genesis 9:23).