Thursday, March 26, 2015

What's Wrong with Ham? - Devotion on Genesis 9


Scripture: Genesis 9:20-25
Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed be Canaan!
    The lowest of slaves
    will he be to his brothers.”

Seriously, drunk people are funny. They do silly things. And it wasn't like Ham was the one getting drunk - it was his old man - so why is Ham the one getting the bad rap here?

Let's answer that question with a question. Has anyone ever taken advantage of you when you were in need? Maybe you were vulnerable and someone saw your moment of weakness as an opportunity to get something for themselves rather than giving you support.

Has anyone ever spread word of your mistakes?

That's what Ham did. 1) He didn't help Noah when he saw him in need. 2) He saw Noah's mistake and spread the word about it for his own amusement.

Rather than showing grace to his father, he left him as he was and then, exposed his father's mistake to his brothers needlessly.

Let us not be like Ham. When we see someone who has made a mistake, let's not further shame them by telling others about it. Instead, let us quietly help them correct the mistake as Shem and Japheth did for their father. We are called to be full of grace, helping one another, not taking joy in another's downfall or spreading gossip about it.





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