GENESIS 9:20-29

• You recall the naming of Noah:

• The name “Noah” means “rest” or “comfort.”

• Lamech “called his name Noah, saying, ‘This one will

comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands,

because of the ground which the LORD has cursed’” (Gen

5:29).

• From Genesis 5:29 came a tradition that Noah

invented the plow, thereby making farming easier.

• We have absolutely no way of knowing whether or not this is

true.

• When we talked about Noah’s name, we spoke of this text

as a prophecy of the renewal brought about through the

Flood.

• Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a

vineyard, v 20.

• The literal Hebrew of this verse would be: “And Noah, a

man of the ground, began and planted a vineyard.”

• The RSV translates this: “Noah was the first tiller of the soil.”

• That cannot be, for Adam was the first one to till the soil

(Gen 2:15; 3:17-19).

• However, this could mean that Noah was the first

person to plant a vineyard.

• We do not know that this was the case, but it is a strong

possibility of what is intended.

• It is also possible that this simply means that Noah

became a farmer after the Flood.

• Maybe he had some other occupation before the Flood

(carpentry?), and became a farmer afterwards.

• Noah drank of the wine and was drunk, and

became uncovered in his tent, v 21.

• It is very possible that Noah is the first person to get

drunk.

• Notice that there isn’t a word of condemnation to or about

Noah in the text.

• However, sometimes Scripture simply tells what someone did

without commenting on it.

• God, I believe, expects us to understand from other

Scriptures that the person acted wrongly.

• If Noah is the first person to get drunk, why didn’t God warn

him about the evil effects of alcohol?

• The Scripture doesn’t say that Noah is either the first person

to get drunk or that God did not warn him.

• The Scriptures condemn drunkenness over and

over.

• “Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And

whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Prov 20:1).

• Why is the one led astray by wine not wise?

• Prov 23:29-35.

• Gal 5:19-21.

• Because Noah became drunk, he undresses and

lies naked in his tent.

• Drunkenness often causes people to do things they

would not ordinarily do, including undressing (Lam

4:21).

• What are some things people do when they are

drunk?

• Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of

his father, and told his two brothers outside, v 22.

• It’s interesting that we’re told that Ham was the father

of Canaan.

• Canaan is prophesied to be the servant of Shem.

• Some of the descendants of Shem (the Israelites) would

drive out the Canaanites from the Promised Land.

• Ham sees his father’s nakedness.

• There are some who read a great deal into this episode and

make suggestions that Scripture does not say.

• Ham told his two brothers when he saw his father’s

nakedness.

• Ham seems to want to boast or to make fun of his father.

• There is absolutely no respect for the father here.

• Why is respect for parents so important?

• Ex 20:12.

• Eph 6:1-3.

• Col 3:20.

• How should adult children honor their parents?

• Why is it important for adult children to continue

respecting their parents after they leave home?

• Obviously marriage changes the relationship between

parents and adult children big time (Gen 2:23-24; Matt

19:5-6); however, that does not change the need to

respect/honor one’s parents.

• Shem and Japheth show a great deal of respect

and cover walk backward and cover their father’s

nakedness, v 23.

• Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his

younger son had done to him, v 24.

• Obviously, someone told Noah what Ham had done;

we’ve already seen how alcohol clouded Noah’s

judgment.

• How would you have like to have been the one to tell

Noah what Ham had done?

• Noah cursed Canaan, but blessed Shem and

Japheth, vv 25-27.

• A father’s blessings and curses are a common feature

in Genesis.

• Isaac and Jacob would bless their sons.

• These blessings and curses appear to be very prophetic.

• They could also not be revoked (Gen 27:37).

• Their prophetic nature and the fact that they could not be

revoked appears to be why the author mentions them so

often.

• The question is sometimes asked why Noah cursed

Canaan when Ham was the culprit.

• Some suggest that Canaan was involved in this sin, but

the author omitted that fact for some reason.

• This is certainly possible, but it does not seem all that likely.

• Although at verses 18 and 22, we’re told that Ham is the

father of Canaan, we’re not necessarily told that Canaan

has already been born.

• It could very well be that Moses is looking backward in time.

• We do the same thing at times.

• The most likely reason that Canaan is cursed is that

this demonstrates that the sins of the father affect

the son.

• Ex 34:6-7.

• Deut 5:8-9.

• Lam 5:7.

• However, God teaches that sons shall not bear

the guilt of the father (Ex 18:19).

• How is it that sons shall not bear the guilt of the father,

yet children often suffer for their fathers’ sins?

• Two ideas:

• One: Sons often repeat the same sins their fathers

committed.

• How many of us have found ourselves acted very similar to

ways that our parents acted?

• How many folks repeat harmful--even dysfunctional--

patterns witnessed in their home of origin?

• Two: Sons often bear the consequences of the sins of

their fathers.

• That is really the context of Lam 5:7.

• How many children are suffering greatly because of the sins

their parents have committed?

• There are several ideas about when Noah’s curse

was fulfilled in history.

• The most likely explanation is that this looks forward to

the day when the Israelites (descended from Shem

and the Philistines (descended from Japheth) enslaved

the Canaanites (Josh 9:23; 1 Ki 9:21).

• Another problematic question would be, “Why did

Moses find it necessary to include this episode in

the first place?”

• It makes us uncomfortable, and it surely made the

people of Moses’ day uncomfortable.

• Therefore, why include it?

• The most likely reason that this text is included in

Scripture is that this shows how the Canaanites lost

their moral compass.

• In the Law, God would condemn the sexual

promiscuity of Egypt and Canaan, both descended

from Ham (10:6).

• Lev 18:3.

• Immediately after that text, God teaches His people about

the sexual sins of Egypt and Canaan.

• This episode seems to speak about the first sexual sin of

Egypt and Canaan.

• This text would likely have greatly resonated with the first

hearers.