Devotion - Wednesday, Jan 20

In Genesis 9, after the ark has come to rest on Mount Ararat, Noah plants a vineyard. He makes some wine, and drinks a bit too much. His sons react differently to their father’s plight. Ham, the father of Canaan, see his father’s nakedness, does nothing to help him, merely tells the brothers. Shem and Japheth clothe their father.

This leads to curse of Ham. Ham’s offspring (Canaan) is labeled “a slave of slaves” to his brothers.

In my childhood, this curse was used as justification for discrimination against those of African descent. The curse of Ham was to all the dark-skinned people who lived outside the blood lines of Shem and Japheth. (I don’t understand how this line of reasoning would have explained Shem and Japheth’s skin color – assuming that they like their brother Middle Eastern.)

We are each affected by our heritage. We are molded, in some way, by our ancestry. But we each have the ability to choose how we will live out those traits. We can make the decision to comply with what is good and break where there is a need for change.

As a child, it was racism toward the children of former slaves which needed to be addressed. In today’s world, it may be our thoughts and feelings toward those who are Muslim. Is the curse of Ham to be interpreted as justification for perpetually looking at the descendants of one blood line and forever considering them to be subservient?

The Bible can be used to find all sorts of ways to look down upon others. The Word of God should never be used to harm or hurt any of God’s children.