Today's Daily Bread


NOAH AND HIS SONS AFTER FLOOD

Date : Friday, January 17, 2025
Passage : Genesis 9:18~29
Keyverse : 19  
18
The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.)
19
These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth.
20
Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard.
21
When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.
22
Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.
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.
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."
26
He also said, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.
27
May God extend Japheth’s territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth."
28
After the flood Noah lived 350 years.
29
Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.

Noah went back to his old job and planted a vineyard. Perhaps he had a good harvest, because the Bible records him sleeping naked, drunk from the wine from his vineyard. When Ham saw his father Noah being indecent, Ham left Noah there and told his brothers, embarrassing Noah further. But Shem and Japheth had more respect for Noah than their brother. They entered the room and covered Noah without seeing his nakedness.

When Noah woke up and found out what had happened, he cursed Ham’s son Canaan to be a slave of his brothers. Here, Ham is referred to as “the father of Canaan.” It implies that Ham would not set a good, moral example as an ancestor, therefore, influencing his descendants to wickedness (Dt 9:5). Ham could blame Noah for this outcome—after all, Noah was indecent first, causing Ham to disrespect him. Yet, we each are accountable for our actions that we choose every moment of our lives. Experiencing and surviving the fatal flood did not make Noah and his sons holy. However, just as God had blessed them, God then raised people to fill the earth. Will you choose to live by the words of our faithful Father, overcoming pride and the temptations of the world? Prayer: Father, thank you for teaching us what is right and wrong. I want to share in your heart to see right and wrong clearly and make the right decision each moment.
One Word: Be right before God