Genesis 9:22-23 is an account of disgrace and decency in the first family that populated the earth after the flood during the time of Noah. Noah had lost self-control and was drunk with wine from his vineyard and as he lay in his tent, he was naked (uncovered). Ham the youngest of Noah’s son sees the nakedness of his father, and instead of covering the shame, acts disgracefully and goes and tell his other two brothers, Shem and Japheth. Shem and Japheth do the right and decent thing of taking a garment, laying it upon their shoulders, walking backward with their faces turned so that they would not see the shame of their fathers nakedness, and cover him.
From this account, we can learn a few important truths.
First, even after the flood, even from a family that was saved from being destroyed in the flood, we see the evidence of the effects of the sin of Adam. The evil one (devil) who was cast onto the earth was seizing every opportunity to make God’s people sin and like he influenced Cain (Genesis 4:7), he now influenced Ham, the son of Noah.
Second, sin leads to a life of disgrace and makes those who fall in it, treat it as a thing of little inconsequence – something that is to be gloated over and gossiped about.
Finally, those who are godly will cover the shame that stems from sin and and turn their backs and faces to not even look at the shame of sin.
Points to ponder:
How do you treat sin and the shame that stems from it … disgracefully or decently?
Genesis 9:22-23 (KJV)
22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.
