(Genesis) Genesis 9:18-29

Now, this is something that's very disappointing in the rest of this chapter. The question arises, well, when man came out after the flood and all the sinners are dead, then there's no more sin in the earth. Is that right? Well, let's look and see.

And the sons of Noah that went forth in the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Ham is the father of Canaan. Why does he say that? Well, for two reasons we'll see in a moment. And the second is that they're going right now, traveling to the land of Canaan.

It's nice for them to know this. It'll be an encouragement. These are the three sons of Noah, and of them was the whole earth overspread.

And Noah began to be a husbandman. He planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine, and he was drunken, and he was uncovered within his tent.

And my friend, may I say to you, here you have Noah's sin. And the hard fact of the matter is that Noah got drunk, and this is sin. There's actually no satisfactory excuse.

Many have been made. One is that he was ignorant of the effect of wine, since no one had been drunk before. And you'll notice back before the flood, drunkenness is not mentioned as one of the sins.

Then there are those who hold the canopy theory about the flood. There are many things I did not mention. The canopy theory is that there was ice covering over, the sunlight filtered through, and that grapes would not ferment before.

And this was something new for this man Noah. Well, all I can say is that it's a new beginning in a new world, but it's old sin that's still there, and this reveals that. That's the reason this is given.

That's the big question. Why did God give it? Well, He gave it for a very definite reason. Let me drop down and read verse 22.

We are told that he was drunken, uncovered within his tent, and Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brethren without. And then we're told Shem and Japheth covered him, and Noah woke from his wine, knew what his younger son had done unto him. And notice what he does.

He said, Cursed be Canaan, not Ham. And I'd have you note that, and I'd like to answer. This is something that always comes up.

Isn't the curse of Ham upon the dark races? That is not true. That is absolutely absurd, and the scripture does not teach that to begin with. The coloration of the skin, the pigment that's in the epidermis of the human family has come there not because of sin within, but because of sunlight on the outside.

And he says, Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. Now, these people are going to the land of Canaan. That's the reason it's mentioned here.

Blessed be the Lord God of Shem. Canaan shall be his servant, and God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant. You must remember that the first two great civilizations were Hamitic civilizations.

The Egyptian and the Babylonian, they were both that, if you please. Now, this is the great covenant God made with Noah. We'll leave off right there today.