Honoring Parents: Noah’s Example — Genesis 9 Daily Word

Explore the significance of Noah’s sons and the covenant after the flood. This Genesis 9 devotion examines honoring parents, Canaan’s role in Israel’s history, and Noah’s life as a farmer.

Honoring Parents: Noah’s Example

[Scripture]

[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 earth were dispersed. [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, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” [26] He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. [27] May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.” (Gen 9:18-27, ESV)

[Daily Word]

# God shows the rainbow as a sign of His covenant.

The rainbow is called “qeshet” in Hebrew, and the word means “bow.” Since the rainbow refers to placing this bow in the clouds, it signifies a state of peace. Scripture records that this is the sign of the covenant between God and the earth. Therefore, what all who dwell in the new earth must do is, as written in (2 Pet 3:13), [13] But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Pet 3:13, ESV)

# The significance of Canaan in Israel’s history

In verse 18, we read that the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and that Ham was the father of Canaan. *Canaan is a name closely tied to the history of Israel. It is therefore important to understand what kind of person Canaan was, and in that sense, God brings Canaan into plain view for us. God also caused the command to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” to be fulfilled through these three sons.

In this way, He caused people to spread across the whole earth. Noah, as a man of the land, then began to engage in farming. Noah settled near Mount Ararat. Interestingly, the region of Armenia, where Mount Ararat is located, has been known for its thriving viticulture since ancient times, which lends credibility to the account of Noah cultivating a vineyard.

# Noah, drunk on wine and uncovered

One day, Noah drank wine, became drunk, and lay uncovered inside his tent. Wine was, in fact, a very common beverage among the people of the ancient world. Noah’s becoming drunk therefore means that he drank far too much wine, and as a result, the veil of godly dignity that had covered him was stripped away. (Prov 23:29-30) [29] Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? [30] Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. (Prov 23:29-30, ESV)

There was someone who witnessed this scene involving his father—and that person was Ham, the youngest son. Notably, in verse 22, the word translated as “saw” (wa-yar’) in the phrase “he saw his father’s nakedness” does not simply mean an accidental glance. Rather, it carries the sense of “looking with keen interest and deliberate attention.” In other words, Ham gazed upon Noah’s naked condition with impure thoughts and took pleasure in what he saw. He then went to his two brothers and mocked their father. Shem and Japheth, however, chose to cover their father Noah’s shame—not with contempt, but with a heart of love. [8] Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Pet 4:8, ESV)

# When Noah sobered up, he learned what Ham had done.

What is striking, however, is that Noah did not pronounce a curse on Ham directly. Instead, he declared that Canaan—Ham’s fourth son (10:6)—would be cursed and would become the lowest of slaves to his brothers. Why did Noah want his grandson Canaan to bear this curse? Scholars offer various explanations, but one prominent view holds that Canaan actively participated in Ham’s sin. In other words, both Ham and Canaan were involved in exposing Noah’s shame. This is why the curse of God fell upon Ham’s son Canaan.

Historically, the Canaanite peoples were largely destroyed, and those who remained were reduced to servitude. This reflects the word God had spoken in 9:5—that no one should take another life for the sake of preserving their own, and that when a life is taken, God Himself will require an accounting. That word of judgment was ultimately fulfilled in the curse pronounced upon Canaan.

# When does sin occur?

Sin occurs when we fail to live by God’s law. Conversely, it is precisely when we order our lives according to God’s law that true order and wholeness come into our lives. Noah was a righteous man who walked with God—yet when he allowed wine to take the place of God and failed to maintain his faith, we see how the relationships within his own family began to unravel. Therefore, my hope is that you will believe this: when our faith is firmly and wholly rooted before God, we receive every grace from Him, and our families, our endeavors, and our lives as a whole become a source of joy in His sight.

Honoring parents, implicit mistakes, Noah’s curse, human choices, consequences of actions

Originally published in Korean at bible2u.com