Genesis 9:14-25

¹⁴ When I place clouds over the land and the rainbow is seen in the clouds,

¹⁵ I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living soul of all flesh. And the water shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

¹⁶ When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living soul of all flesh that is on the land.”

¹⁷ God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the land.”

¹⁸ The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.

¹⁹ These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole land were scattered.

²⁰ Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.

²¹ He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.

²² And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside.

²³ Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

²⁴ When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, ²⁵ he said, “Canaan is cursed; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” _________________________________________

A Curse on Canaan

The latter verses of this chapter show that Noah is not just spouting off a curse on one of his grandsons because of embarrassment and anger. Noah actually sees into the future enough to know that this particular line – not all of Ham’s children, but only Canaan – would suffer and be servant of many. In Joshua’s time, the Canaanites who survived were slaves among the Israelites (Joshua 9:23,27). The same was true during the time of the Judges (Judges 1:28-30), and Solomon (1 Kings 9:20-21). The shameless act of Ham may have been the catalyst for Noah’s remarks, but the Israelites reading or hearing these words would know them as a promise that they would not be overcome by these adversaries.

LORD, thank you for the reminder that you are in control, even of our enemies.