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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.

(Gen 9: 23)

Ham the father of Canaan had seen his father naked and doesn’t cover him up, rather he goes and tells his brothers outside. The Hebrew word for saw used here means to look meticulously, to consider closely. One commentator I read said this means that this was not an accidental look he gazed with intent maybe even a sense of self-satisfaction. What in the world is going on, why does his son gets cursed because of this, obviously, something's not right here. So, what’s, not right?

The main problem is that because he failed to cover his father up immediately which is deemed a shameful act. It was a disgraceful because by leaving his father naked he committed what would have been considered a gross violation of Noah's honor. Rather than immediately protecting his father’s modesty, instead he went and shared the situation with his brothers. In other words, he dishonored his father in a very profound way. I don't think we can understand the full extent of these feelings today. We have got to understand this was written at another time when to come upon your naked father was shocking and  not dealing with it appropriately would be seen as a shocking violation of family honor.

Herodias an ancient author tells the story of a man who saw his neighbours wife naked and the point of the story is the husband is said to need to either kill the neighbor or be take his own life. It was that much of a dishonor for a stranger to have seen her naked. Ham’s sin was that he showed no respect or honor for his father. But worse than that because he then goes and tells his brothers. Some have suggested that the way this is worded in the text he did it with delight, he gloated over the situation. One view I read said that what he did was make fun of his father's nakedness and uncovered state. Ham sees his father's nakedness and Hams actions dishonor Noah, both as a parent and as some have suggested as a head of the community, and as a preacher of God. Shem and Japheth, then take a garment and covering their faces back up and cover Noah. Thereby the brothers covered the father's nakedness without looking upon it. In doing it that way they preserved their father’s purity and maintained respect for him. The sum of the story seems to be that Ham dishonored his father, but his two other brothers honored him.

Now comes the really tough part of the story. The first part about the nakedness is a problem in itself just trying to work out what is going on. But that's nothing as compared to the next problem how do you explain the curse that follows.

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.

(Gen 9 24-25)

In the first of these verses Noah awakes from his wine induced stupor and immediately knew what his son had done. He probably knew because the text suggests that the covering used were the garments he would normally have worn, and they have now been placed over him.Then the next verse he says then he says; “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” The curse falls not on Ham’s but on Ham’s son Canaan. Ham is the one who sinned against Noah, but the curse falls on his son not him. Is that fair, how do we explain that? The curse on him is that he would be destined to be a servant. He was not only to be a servant, but a servant of servants, the lowest type of servants. This story is the seed of something that will come to fruition later. Something that is still blossoming today. Something that we will look at next time.