LIFE SCRIPTS

Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 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. When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” He also said, “Praise be to the Lord , the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. May God extend Japheth’s territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”
Genesis 9:20‭-‬27 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.9.20-27.NIV

These are some of the most contentious verses in scripture whose interpretation have led to misguided beliefs. Noah, drank wine from his vineyard after which he became drunk and had his judgement impaired. Its easy to brush aside this departure point. Alcohol corrupts our thinking. It interferes with our reasoning. It’s easy to say that we could take alcohol for socialisation and nothing less however scripture’s first reference to alcohol is when it corrupted Noah’s judgement leading him to expose himself to his sons. Noah, the only man who found favour in the eyes of God had fallen into shame. This is where alcohol can take us. However, it’s also important to note the behaviour of Noah’s sons towards him after he lay drunk and naked. It’s said that Ham spread the news of his father’s misfortune while Shem and Japheth sprung into action to cover this misfortune. When the people who matter in our lives falter, it’s our responsibility to help them and not expose them. A family is a place of refuge. It’s a place to find solace. It’s a place of comfort. Its a place to belong irrespective of our behaviour. The love we experience from our immediate loved ones can change us for the better. I can imagine the shame Noah felt before Shem and Japheth. He must have highly respected them after this because they showed love and concern for their father. He actually blessed them and their generations. However, Noah instead cursed Ham’s offspring. It’s worth to note the words he spoke against Canaan, Ham’s son. In verse 25, he proclaimed a curse on Canaan stating that he would be the ‘lowest of slaves’ to his brothers. In verses 26 and 27, he went on delivering strong curses against Canaan declaring that he’ll be a slave to both Shem and Japheth. What proceeds from the mouth of a father has the power to affect future generations. Noah must have uttered this words in anger. That however did not change their impact. As parents what we proclaim over our children matters. Our mouths can shape or destroy their destiny. Various theological commentators state that the curse of Canaan is the reason why the continent of Africa is poor. God indeed honors the words spoken by a parent over his or her son. However, He’s a God who can overturn what’s not spoken with pure motives. The story of Jonah the son of Amittai illustrates this to us. Jonah’s angry and judgemental outburst against Nineveh did not necessarily mean that God would judge them even though he was sent by God to do so. Infact God ended up admonishing Jonah later. However in this case, Noah’s words seemed to carry weight as we would see later on in scripture. His outburst interestingly wasn’t against Ham but Canaan. Canaan was the ancestor of the people who lived in the land of Canaan where Joshua conquered. The story of Canaan had already been pre-determined before his descendants inhabited the land. God would ultimately judge the Canaanites This curse by Noah was significant since it prepared ground for the judgement of the Canaanites and not Africans! Africa IS NOT cursed. Africa IS also NOT poor. Inasmuch as Africans descended from Ham, we have a divinely marked heritage on this earth. The problems of Africa arise not because of a curse but because of poor leadership to say the least. God is still in the business of blessing Africans and Africa. He’s looking for that one man or woman to rise up and be counted. To be used of Him to forge a future full of opportunities. God’s plan is final. Nothing can overturn it. Not even curses from the mouths of men.