Genesis 9:18-10:32

March 27, 2013 Everyone is out of the ark and life has resumed in a somewhat normal way.
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And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. This is important: Ham is the father of Canaan. Everything that happens next shows us why he writes this.
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These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. Were not going to read it all, but this is fleshed out in chapter 10. I think the general consensus goes something like this: Japheth (10:1-5) Ham (10:6-14) Canaan (10:15-20) Jebusite, Amorite, Girgasite, Arkite, Hivite, Sinite, Arvadite, Zemarite, Hamathite Sidon, Gerar, Gaza, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, Lasha Israel and the surrounding area Shem (10:21-32)

The isles of the Gentiles

Babel, Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calah, Resen

Mesha, as you go unto Sephar a mount of the east

Mostly Europe and some of Asia

Mostly Africa and the Middle East

Semitic peoples (mostly east of the Jordan River)

Its not a clear cut division, and scholars have held different opinions about some of the details over the years, but this is good for a general understanding. It might not seem all that important now, but I think by the time we get to the blessing and the curse at the end, youll see that its helpful.
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And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: 21And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

Its sad, but this is reality. This is why the flood couldnt be a do-over: sin is still something that exists inside a man, and no amount of water can ever take it away.
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And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. Some people have interpreted this as a sexual thing, but I personally have a hard time thinking he would go and tell his brothers about something like that. I think a more plausible explanation is that his sin was a failure to honor his father. One of the Ten Commandments was to honor your father and mother. Mosess Law commanded the youth to rise in the presence of the aged and to show respect (Lev. 19:32). When they honored the elders it wasnt just civility; it was a legal requirement. Proverbs 30:17 warns that the eye which mocks a father will be plucked out by ravens, and Moses commands that a stubborn and rebellious son was to be stoned to death (Dt. 21:18-21). Hams sin could have been sexual in nature, but we dont need to magnify it for it to be worthy of a curse. Ham goes into Noahs tent, sees him in a dishonored state, and rather than covering him he mockingly tells his two brothers. But Shem and Japheth are better than that:
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And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their fathers nakedness. They realize the humiliating situation their father is in, and they go to great lengths to help him without adding to it.
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And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. We dont know how he knew, but somehow it was brought to his attention:
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And he said, Cursed be Canaan;

He doesnt curse Ham; he curses Hams youngest son. Why would he do that? We dont have a lot of details about where Canaan was while this was going on or of his response to it, but I think we have to read this as a prophecy of sorts. These cursings and blessings are all over the Old Testament: it says in Hebrews that Isaac blessed his two sons by faith and that Jacob blessed Josephs two sons by faith (Heb. 11:20-21). Its not a magical incantation; its something from God.

It might help to think of Balaam and Balak (Num. 22-24). Balaam was supposed to curse the Israelites, but every time he tried God stopped him and made him bless instead. In the end they just gave up because there was no cursing the ones God had blessed. This cursing from Noah is more than just an angry response to wrongdoingthis is a statement that comes by faith. He knows that God will avenge him punish the wicked, and Canaan is one of those wicked. Hes a type as well see played out in the rest of Scripture. Hes guilty of the sins of his father, and while this might not seem fair, it is at least Biblical. For instance, all men are counted guilty of Adams sin even though none of us were there (Rom. 5:12). In another place Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees saying, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation (Mt. 23:29-36). The Pharisees and scribes were only outwardly Jews (Rom. 2:28), and spiritually they were the sons of the devil (Jn. 8:44). Jesus says things like fill up the measure of your fathers and you generation of vipers. A generation doesnt necessarily mean a group of people within a 40 year spanthese are the sons and the genealogy of Satan, and so they are held guilty for sins they didnt personally commit. When were talking about spiritual birth and spiritual family its obvious that God punishes the children for the sins of the fathers (Is. 65:7; Dt. 5:9-10; Lev. 26:39). But its not unjust of Him to do this. First of all, He creates everything for His own purpose (Prov. 16:4), and He has the right to do whatever He wishes with His own creation (Rom. 9:20-21). But even more than that, the children are actually guilty of the same crimes personally.

The Canaanites, for example, were completely wicked. 1 But God didnt go straight to the threshing floor with them; they had around 600 years to get ready. Way back when God promised to give the land to Abraham He said, Thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16But in the fourth generation [the Israelites] shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full (Gen. 15:15-16). The Amorites were of the Canaanites, and they were personally wicked. Leviticus 18 warns against acting like the Egyptians and the Canaanites; it warns against uncovering nakedness, sexual immorality, blaspheming God, and offering children to Molech. The Canaanites burned their children alive, practiced bestiality, and engaged in religious prostitution. They were just a wicked people Sodom and Gomorrah were Canaanite cites. They had a reputation for being immoral, violent, and wicked. And so Noah utters this phrase foreshadowing his future spiritual state: cursed be Canaan. Here in Genesis we have a righteous man bringing down a divine curse on one who is apparently wicked; Canaan serves as a type in the Old Testament. These are the wicked who are cursed and theyll die because of their sins and theres no escape. The righteous will inherit their land and make them slaves: a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. If youll go back and read Joshua 9 and I Kings 9:16-21 youll see that this is exactly what happened. Those who didnt die in battle were made into slaves to serve the Israelites.
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And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 27God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. This is where youll be glad we took the time earlier to figure out the nations which were born from these men. The blessing is to God; not to Shem. But God is the LORD God of Shem and this God will enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem. Isnt it interesting that the brother who fathered the Gentile nations will dwell in the tents of the brother who fathered the Israelite nation? Isnt that just the gospel? 1. God will avenge the righteous 2. God will preserve the righteous 3. God will deliver the inheritance as promised
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As a matter of interest you can read an ancient account regarding some of the practices of Sodom from a book called The Book of Jasher: http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/jasher/19.htm

4. The promise is fulfilled in Christ! (Per the line of Shem)

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And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died. newgracebaptistchurch.wordpress.com