Ask Your Preacher - Archives
“R-E-S-P-E-C-T”
Categories: OLD TESTAMENTWhy did God allow Noah to curse Canaan because Ham accidentally saw Noah naked?Sincerely,
That Doesn’t Seem Fair
Dear That Doesn’t Seem Fair,
Noah cursed the descendants of Ham (specifically the descendants of Ham’s son, Canaan) after Ham treated his father in a very dishonorable way by joking about his father’s nakedness instead of preserving Noah’s dignity (Gen 9:22). The problem wasn’t only that Ham saw his father naked, but he didn’t honor his father by treating him with respect.
Noah cursed Ham’s descendants for the same reason that parents will tell their children, “I hope you have children just like you!” Ham’s sin had to do with the interaction between family and descendants. Canaan would be a servant to his brethren because his father, Ham, was unwilling to show a servant’s heart to his family (Gen 9:25). Since Ham didn’t care for his family’s reputation, his descendants would have a low reputation. Since these things did come to pass, it shows that God agreed with Noah’s opinion. Canaan’s children would be blessed to learn the lesson of service… a lesson Ham had never learned.
