GENESIS 9:18-29
18The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.b
20Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.c 21He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23Then 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. 24When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25he said,
“Cursed be Canaan;
a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
26He also said,
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem;
and let Canaan be his servant.
27May God enlarge Japheth,d
and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,
and let Canaan be his servant.”
28After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.
TEN POINTS TO PONDER
1. Faithful people still fail. Noah demonstrated extraordinary faith, yet he still fell into sin. Yesterday’s obedience doesn’t guarantee tomorrow’s faithfulness.
2. Good things can become destructive. God created the world for us to enjoy and steward. But when we misuse, abuse, or overuse His gifts, they can begin to control us.
3. Sin produces shame. Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed until sin entered the world. Ever since, people have been trying to hide their flaws and failures.
4. How we respond to other people’s failure reveals our character. Ham exposed his father’s shame. Shem and Japheth covered it. We can choose to amplify someone’s failures or respond with grace.
5. Covering shame is not covering up sin. Love acknowledges wrongdoing and seeks restoration. Covering up makes excuses, avoids accountability, and allows harm to continue.
6. Both gossip and secrecy are destructive. Broadcasting someone’s failures creates division and shame. Concealing serious wrongdoing prevents accountability and allows sin to continue.
7. Grace and accountability belong together. Galatians 6:1–2 calls us to restore those caught in sin with gentleness. Genuine restoration requires both compassion and truth.
8. Scripture must never justify mistreating others. Noah’s curse on Canaan has been misused to defend slavery and racism. The passage supports neither.
9. We cannot cover our own sins. Adam and Eve couldn’t provide the covering they needed. Neither could Noah. Only God can provide the covering we need through Jesus Christ.
10. Covered people cover people. Because Jesus has forgiven our sins, we should extend grace to others—refusing to gossip, hold grudges, or continually rehearse their failures.
SQUASHING RUMORS
What do you do when you hear something bad about someone?
We all hear rumors every day. Sometimes we think of them as gossip (which we sadly consider to be harmless), but often we hear a rumor and consider it to be at worst partly true.
You already know this principle from Proverbs, but it bears repeating.
The first person from whom you hear a story will rarely give you the full story.
Almost always, you need to hear things from multiple perspectives if you are going to have a truly robust understanding of the truth.
That said, what do you do when you hear a rumor which you KNOW is false? Unfortunately, we are often too cowardly to do anything in these situations, but can I suggest six steps you can take which will shut down the rumor quickly?
- Correct the error immediately
- Tell the truth to the person telling the rumor
- Determine the source of the rumor (where did it come from?)
- Determine the spread of the rumor (who else has heard it?)
- Go to the source and stop it (by correcting the error and telling the truth)
- Go to wherever it has spread and confront it (by correcting the error and telling the truth)
This approach is inconvenient, difficult, awkward, and likely time-consuming. But if we are to be MINISTERS OF RECONCILIATION who are concerned with seeing others experience the life Christ has called us to, then we MUST be about this business. Our willingness to deal with false rumors can mean the resolution of conflict, the abatement of pain, and potentially life-saving peace for those around us.
Click on the image to download the DiscipleQuest PDF
Use these seven passages for this week’s daily verse studies. They will help you to focus more on repentence and forgiveness.
- Proverbs 28:13
- Acts 3:19
- 1 John 1:9
- Isaiah 55:7
- Psalm 32:5
- Hebrews 8:12
- Ephesians 4:32
Use these questions as journal prompts or as conversation starters with a group of friends or a Bible study group:
Read Genesis 9:20-21. What did Noah do wrong?
What are some ways that people in our world misuse, abuse, or overuse God’s good gifts?
What is something good in your life that can become harmful when you allow it to control you?
What advice would you give to someone who is struggling this?
Brainstorm: What are some ways people try to hide or cover their shortcomings rather than honestly acknowledging them?
Read Genesis 9:22-23. What do you think Ham did wrong? What do you think Shem and Japheth did right?
Why do you think we sometimes find it easier to talk about another person’s failures than to help them work through those failures?
How would you describe the difference between graciously covering someone’s shame and dangerously covering up someone’s wrongdoing?
How can we recognize the difference between graciously covering someone’s shame and dangerously covering up someone’s wrongdoing?
Read Proverbs 27:5-6, Galatians 6:1-2 and James 5:19-20. As a group, create five principles for helping others deal with their sin.
Think about your next step:
- Is there a failure you need to confess to God
- Do you need to stop holding someone else’s failure against them?
- What can you do this week to extend grace instead of judgment?
Leave a Reply