Genesis 9:19-27

“These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled.

Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 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 away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said,

‘Cursed be Canaan;

   lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers.’

He also said,

‘Blessed by the Lord my God be Shem;

   and let Canaan be his slave.

May God make space for Japheth,

   and let him live in the tents of Shem;

   and let Canaan be his slave.’”

Question:

I'm doing a homeschool-type Bible study using the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary and The Revealing Word. I believe this scripture is talking about Spirit and reason having power over the physical body. I want to make sure I'm in the ballpark with my interpretation. Thanks!

Comment:

Hebrew scripture has many such incidental stories to explain why the Israelites felt themselves more favored by God than the other peoples and tribes around them. Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, Isaac and Ishmael—all concern superior and inferior choices being made under pressure. Here, since Canaanites trace their ancestry back to Ham, it is he who makes the “wrong” choice and is cursed as a result.

Metaphysically, your understanding makes a lot of sense. Noah, in his drunkenness and nakedness, represents the most basic aspect of this human experience; and Ham, by not only witnessing it but speaking of it to his brothers, becomes complicit in the baseness. It is by faith in their father's inherent decency, and reasoning out a way to solve the problem and still retain his dignity, that Shem and Japheth become blessed.  It's hard, by the way, to blame Noah. If he was the first to plant a vineyard, he may not have been aware that drunkenness would result from over-imbibing. The question is, did he learn from his misadventure and make better choices going forward?  

Blessings!

Rev. Ed