Question: Who was Ham and why was he cursed? Why did Noah curse Ham? Are Black or African people descended from Ham? Is it important for us to understand this?
Answer: Greetings in the most wonderful name of Jesus the Christ!
Noah was a good man who walked with God, and God saw that He was righteous, and told him to build a ark because He was going to totally destroy the world because of its wickedness and sin. Nearly every thought of all people who lived at that time on earth were violent and evil at all times.
Noah hearing God, moved with godly fear to build a ark and thus preached righteousness to all people to get saved before it is too late.
But sad to say, even the animals and birds were saved from the worldwide flood of those times through Noah's obedience, but the wicked people of his times mocked Noah and his family who were building a great ark just because they have never seen any rain in their whole lifetime. That is, right from the day of creation of the earth because God supplied water to trees and plants from the underground, and dew from above as the temperature was very much air conditioned with the canopy of water that surrounded the whole earth, God did not yet command rain as there was no need for it.
Among the humans, only the eight of the Noah's families were saved through the flood, all the rest drowned and died in the flood (1 Pet 3:20). That is, those who were saved from flood of destruction were Noah and his wife, then his three sons and their wives.
So in the New world of those times, Noah's family sacrificed clean animals and birds to God, and God was pleased with them to give rainbow as a sign to their descendants, that He will never ever destroy the earth completely through a flood of water.
After this Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard (Gen 9:20). Then after the harvest, "he drank of the wine and was drunk", and became uncovered in his tent.
For such a godly man, this mistake was something unusual as he always repented and turned back to walk with God always.
But to his family, it became a test from God when Noah faltered from his perfect righteousness that he maintained before God and his own family members.
WHO WAS HAM AND WHY WAS HE CURSED? WHY DID NOAH CURSE HAM?
As Noah had three sons, their names were Shem, Ham and Japeth.
Ham was mentioned as the "Father of Canaan" (Gen 9:18), because God foresaw that the living place of one of the four sons of Ham would be Canaan which would become the most important place in the whole world, where He wanted to settle his own chosen people of faith through Abraham from Shem's line in that place in the future time.
Canaan was just one son of the four sons of Ham who were called Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan (Gen 10:6). We know that Nimrod came from Ham's line of Cush to become the mighty hunter of souls against the Lord by building centralized economic cities to keep people together as one, so that they can be kept from scattering in all the world against the word and will of the Lord to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth (Gen 1:28). And also encouraging idolatry with a mighty religious temple tower, making a name for himself which will connect with fallen angels to keep a centralized political force to keep the world under him.
He began to build Babel, the one world economic control through the city building, one world religion through a tower with its head whose top is in the heavens, and finally making a name for himself through the one political leadership (Gen 11:4). And later God intervened in to it to scatter them in to all the world, to stop the rebellion against God through confusion of languages and separated the boundaries of nations (Gen 10:25), so that the worldwide united rebellion against God might be prevented until the end of the ages comes for the Antichrist to be revealed in God's time for His purpose.
So overall Ham have carried certain bad character within him that God foretold might affect his generations down the line. If Ham had repented of it all, He could have avoided these very bad happenings at least in his own life, if it is not possible for him to avoid it much later in his progenies generations down the line (Ezek 18:20-23).
Did Ham see the literal nakedness of his Father which was very disrespectful for a son or it was some kind of sexual activity of incest he was involved in?
We know that it was literal nakedness that the Bible was talking about, because we know in context to the previous verse, "Shem and Japeth, took a garment, went backward and covered the nakedness of their father" (Gen 9:23), which reveals that disrespectfully with a mocking heart that Ham saw and talked without honor towards his father's plight. The Satan's seed of rebellion against parents was working strong in Ham. This was not acceptable in the sight of God.
Also here we learn a lesson that we must keep the only command that comes with a immediate blessings, that is, "'Honor your father and mother,' which is the first commandment with a promise: 'that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land'" (Eph 6:1-4; Exo 20:12).
Thus in dishonoring his father Noah, Ham continued to walk in the sinful nature of rebellion against God and godly authority set through parents. This later took control of Canaan his child, and then through his blood line flowed in to the people of Canaan. The same seed of rebellion against God and godly authority, passed on through his other children like Nimrod the Babel builder and hunter of souls against the Lord.
Then we see that God in a vision have showed to Noah what has happened when he was in a inebriated condition by the wine, having clearly seen the disrespect of Ham towards him in seeing his nakedness, and Shem's and Japeth's full respect and honor towards their father, and how they came backward to cover his nakedness, immediately began to speak prophetically under the unction of the Spirit, cursed the rebellion that worked in the blood of Ham by saying "25 Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren" that will be carried to his son Canaan and his descendants for all generations down the line, but blesses Shem and prays for Japheth by saying, "26 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant." (Gen 9:25-27). After this Noah continued to live for another 350 years after the flood and in the ripe age of 950 years he died. What a blessedness for Noah to continue to walk with God and live such a long time as he must have honored his parents so much unlike Ham!
So we know that Ham's line of descendants in Egypt ruled over the Israelites, but then these people took the Israelites for a ride by making them slaves and used them for their own well being and enrichment through rigorous labor (Psalm 78:51, 105:23, 27, 106:22, and 1 Chronicles 4:40.). What does this show? Devil will try his best to work against the prophecy of God to get failed, but thank God that God at the right time remembered his own promise and took them out of Egyptian slavery and brought them to Himself through his mighty hand (Exo 19:4). Hallelujah! Glory to God!
Before Israel could posses the land of Canaan, the Canaanites were so wicked and evil in the sight of God, that God told the Israelites to kill all the Canaanite people in the cities they capture, so that they may not learn to follow "all the abominations that they have done for their gods and thus sin against the LORD [their] God" (Deut 20:16-18; Exo 34:11-17).
The Gibeonites were a group of people, descended from the Amorites (2 Samuel 21:2). But they disguised themselves as someone from far away land by ruse through wearing worn out old things made up to deceive, told Joshua to make a treaty and mercifully leave them without destroying them. Indeed Joshua made the pact without consulting God about it. So, the Gibeonites preserved their lives, but since as residents of Canaan they were to be subject to Israel, they were pressed into servanthood (Josh. 9:16–27). Thus in this case too, we see the prophetic word of Noah to Ham about the servitude of Cannan to the Shem's descendant the Israelite's being fulfilled. This teaches us that our sins will not only affect us, but down the line our generations through our bloodline, unless each of us individually repent of those sins and live by faith in Jesus Christ through which we overcome it and make it a blessing instead of a curse (2 Cor 1:20).
ARE BLACK OR AFRICAN PEOPLE DESCENDED FROM HAM?
Though we know that many African countries descended from Ham, but being black has nothing to do with servitude, it is the colonizers of all times who used the race card to twist the Scripture and promote their own interest. For example, all the slave owners who were big landlord bought African slaves for meager money in the western lands and in their own colonies around the world, and used them to work hard, toil and labor for their own survival in it, as they were all mistreated and abused. But when it comes to their Christian faith, they justified themselves by saying that Noah's curse made black people as servants. But they have forgotten that even Devil twisted the Scripture to tempt Jesus the Son of the living God? They have all sinned by the lawless nature of Satan and have tried to justify their sin by giving such lame excuses! Shame to all such deceivers!
God loves the black, white, brown, rose, etc... and all the colors he has created for himself with the same human rights, and can never be ill treated based on their outlook, financial status and education. Because any of them or all of them if they are empowered through education and self-respect, they are no different in any way less than any other human being in all the world to make a difference in the lives of their own families and others. Thus through the merciful heart of the fellow humans, other humans who are poor, uneducated and live without self-respect can always be empowered and blessed by those with existing rights and educative empowerment rights of humans that God has given to all humans born on this earth.
It is the evil nature of humans that cause such discrimination among fellow humans, and even try to justify themselves and their evil deeds without shame, wrongfully, by pointing to Scriptures. As Christians, we must strive to love all people, give human rights and self-respect to those who do not have it through lack of education, awareness, etc..by teaching them the truth of God through the Scriptural exposition empowerment.
WHY IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THIS?
Yes it is indeed very very important to know the above truth because many use the above same Scriptures in a wrong way to justify their own racial prejudices.
1) We must defend the truthfulness of the Scripture by saying, it is not about the race or color that God cursed, but only prophetically Noah declared that a curse of rebellion against God and his appointed authority in the bloodline will carry on and cause great devastation leading the offenders to idolatry. Because Ham and his descendants have not repented of their own rebellion and dishonor they have done to the great man of God Noah who was their grandfather and great grandfather, the rightful curse that was prophesied by Noah still follows them unless or otherwise they repent individually.
2) Being servants is based on the bloodline curse like that which affected Ham's descendants, but the way out is repentance towards God and believing in the Creator God Jesus Christ who rescues us all from it regardless or our race, color or language we speak or in the nation we live.
3) Honor your parents and grandparents always, and never try to usurp their authority, so that a long life of blessings can come upon you and your descendants.
4) God loves people of all color, because it is He who has made them all. He has given all humans the rights to dignified living, self-respect and the ability to look to themselves with all other humans as equally created in the image of God Himself.
5) Never believe twisted Scripture, which are taken out of context and used for the benefits and selfish gain of caste, color, people groups of faith and nations. Instead read the Bible and proclaim the truth as long as your live for the Glory of God. God will keep you as the head and not the tail, because you are empowered with His Word and work for the blessing of all humans.
Much Blessings....
Answer: Greetings in the most wonderful name of Jesus the Christ!
Noah was a good man who walked with God, and God saw that He was righteous, and told him to build a ark because He was going to totally destroy the world because of its wickedness and sin. Nearly every thought of all people who lived at that time on earth were violent and evil at all times.
Noah hearing God, moved with godly fear to build a ark and thus preached righteousness to all people to get saved before it is too late.
But sad to say, even the animals and birds were saved from the worldwide flood of those times through Noah's obedience, but the wicked people of his times mocked Noah and his family who were building a great ark just because they have never seen any rain in their whole lifetime. That is, right from the day of creation of the earth because God supplied water to trees and plants from the underground, and dew from above as the temperature was very much air conditioned with the canopy of water that surrounded the whole earth, God did not yet command rain as there was no need for it.
Among the humans, only the eight of the Noah's families were saved through the flood, all the rest drowned and died in the flood (1 Pet 3:20). That is, those who were saved from flood of destruction were Noah and his wife, then his three sons and their wives.
So in the New world of those times, Noah's family sacrificed clean animals and birds to God, and God was pleased with them to give rainbow as a sign to their descendants, that He will never ever destroy the earth completely through a flood of water.
After this Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard (Gen 9:20). Then after the harvest, "he drank of the wine and was drunk", and became uncovered in his tent.
For such a godly man, this mistake was something unusual as he always repented and turned back to walk with God always.
But to his family, it became a test from God when Noah faltered from his perfect righteousness that he maintained before God and his own family members.
WHO WAS HAM AND WHY WAS HE CURSED? WHY DID NOAH CURSE HAM?
As Noah had three sons, their names were Shem, Ham and Japeth.
Ham was mentioned as the "Father of Canaan" (Gen 9:18), because God foresaw that the living place of one of the four sons of Ham would be Canaan which would become the most important place in the whole world, where He wanted to settle his own chosen people of faith through Abraham from Shem's line in that place in the future time.
Canaan was just one son of the four sons of Ham who were called Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan (Gen 10:6). We know that Nimrod came from Ham's line of Cush to become the mighty hunter of souls against the Lord by building centralized economic cities to keep people together as one, so that they can be kept from scattering in all the world against the word and will of the Lord to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth (Gen 1:28). And also encouraging idolatry with a mighty religious temple tower, making a name for himself which will connect with fallen angels to keep a centralized political force to keep the world under him.
He began to build Babel, the one world economic control through the city building, one world religion through a tower with its head whose top is in the heavens, and finally making a name for himself through the one political leadership (Gen 11:4). And later God intervened in to it to scatter them in to all the world, to stop the rebellion against God through confusion of languages and separated the boundaries of nations (Gen 10:25), so that the worldwide united rebellion against God might be prevented until the end of the ages comes for the Antichrist to be revealed in God's time for His purpose.
So overall Ham have carried certain bad character within him that God foretold might affect his generations down the line. If Ham had repented of it all, He could have avoided these very bad happenings at least in his own life, if it is not possible for him to avoid it much later in his progenies generations down the line (Ezek 18:20-23).
Did Ham see the literal nakedness of his Father which was very disrespectful for a son or it was some kind of sexual activity of incest he was involved in?
We know that it was literal nakedness that the Bible was talking about, because we know in context to the previous verse, "Shem and Japeth, took a garment, went backward and covered the nakedness of their father" (Gen 9:23), which reveals that disrespectfully with a mocking heart that Ham saw and talked without honor towards his father's plight. The Satan's seed of rebellion against parents was working strong in Ham. This was not acceptable in the sight of God.
Also here we learn a lesson that we must keep the only command that comes with a immediate blessings, that is, "'Honor your father and mother,' which is the first commandment with a promise: 'that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land'" (Eph 6:1-4; Exo 20:12).
Thus in dishonoring his father Noah, Ham continued to walk in the sinful nature of rebellion against God and godly authority set through parents. This later took control of Canaan his child, and then through his blood line flowed in to the people of Canaan. The same seed of rebellion against God and godly authority, passed on through his other children like Nimrod the Babel builder and hunter of souls against the Lord.
Then we see that God in a vision have showed to Noah what has happened when he was in a inebriated condition by the wine, having clearly seen the disrespect of Ham towards him in seeing his nakedness, and Shem's and Japeth's full respect and honor towards their father, and how they came backward to cover his nakedness, immediately began to speak prophetically under the unction of the Spirit, cursed the rebellion that worked in the blood of Ham by saying "25 Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren" that will be carried to his son Canaan and his descendants for all generations down the line, but blesses Shem and prays for Japheth by saying, "26 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant." (Gen 9:25-27). After this Noah continued to live for another 350 years after the flood and in the ripe age of 950 years he died. What a blessedness for Noah to continue to walk with God and live such a long time as he must have honored his parents so much unlike Ham!
So we know that Ham's line of descendants in Egypt ruled over the Israelites, but then these people took the Israelites for a ride by making them slaves and used them for their own well being and enrichment through rigorous labor (Psalm 78:51, 105:23, 27, 106:22, and 1 Chronicles 4:40.). What does this show? Devil will try his best to work against the prophecy of God to get failed, but thank God that God at the right time remembered his own promise and took them out of Egyptian slavery and brought them to Himself through his mighty hand (Exo 19:4). Hallelujah! Glory to God!
Before Israel could posses the land of Canaan, the Canaanites were so wicked and evil in the sight of God, that God told the Israelites to kill all the Canaanite people in the cities they capture, so that they may not learn to follow "all the abominations that they have done for their gods and thus sin against the LORD [their] God" (Deut 20:16-18; Exo 34:11-17).
The Gibeonites were a group of people, descended from the Amorites (2 Samuel 21:2). But they disguised themselves as someone from far away land by ruse through wearing worn out old things made up to deceive, told Joshua to make a treaty and mercifully leave them without destroying them. Indeed Joshua made the pact without consulting God about it. So, the Gibeonites preserved their lives, but since as residents of Canaan they were to be subject to Israel, they were pressed into servanthood (Josh. 9:16–27). Thus in this case too, we see the prophetic word of Noah to Ham about the servitude of Cannan to the Shem's descendant the Israelite's being fulfilled. This teaches us that our sins will not only affect us, but down the line our generations through our bloodline, unless each of us individually repent of those sins and live by faith in Jesus Christ through which we overcome it and make it a blessing instead of a curse (2 Cor 1:20).
ARE BLACK OR AFRICAN PEOPLE DESCENDED FROM HAM?
Though we know that many African countries descended from Ham, but being black has nothing to do with servitude, it is the colonizers of all times who used the race card to twist the Scripture and promote their own interest. For example, all the slave owners who were big landlord bought African slaves for meager money in the western lands and in their own colonies around the world, and used them to work hard, toil and labor for their own survival in it, as they were all mistreated and abused. But when it comes to their Christian faith, they justified themselves by saying that Noah's curse made black people as servants. But they have forgotten that even Devil twisted the Scripture to tempt Jesus the Son of the living God? They have all sinned by the lawless nature of Satan and have tried to justify their sin by giving such lame excuses! Shame to all such deceivers!
God loves the black, white, brown, rose, etc... and all the colors he has created for himself with the same human rights, and can never be ill treated based on their outlook, financial status and education. Because any of them or all of them if they are empowered through education and self-respect, they are no different in any way less than any other human being in all the world to make a difference in the lives of their own families and others. Thus through the merciful heart of the fellow humans, other humans who are poor, uneducated and live without self-respect can always be empowered and blessed by those with existing rights and educative empowerment rights of humans that God has given to all humans born on this earth.
It is the evil nature of humans that cause such discrimination among fellow humans, and even try to justify themselves and their evil deeds without shame, wrongfully, by pointing to Scriptures. As Christians, we must strive to love all people, give human rights and self-respect to those who do not have it through lack of education, awareness, etc..by teaching them the truth of God through the Scriptural exposition empowerment.
WHY IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THIS?
Yes it is indeed very very important to know the above truth because many use the above same Scriptures in a wrong way to justify their own racial prejudices.
1) We must defend the truthfulness of the Scripture by saying, it is not about the race or color that God cursed, but only prophetically Noah declared that a curse of rebellion against God and his appointed authority in the bloodline will carry on and cause great devastation leading the offenders to idolatry. Because Ham and his descendants have not repented of their own rebellion and dishonor they have done to the great man of God Noah who was their grandfather and great grandfather, the rightful curse that was prophesied by Noah still follows them unless or otherwise they repent individually.
2) Being servants is based on the bloodline curse like that which affected Ham's descendants, but the way out is repentance towards God and believing in the Creator God Jesus Christ who rescues us all from it regardless or our race, color or language we speak or in the nation we live.
3) Honor your parents and grandparents always, and never try to usurp their authority, so that a long life of blessings can come upon you and your descendants.
4) God loves people of all color, because it is He who has made them all. He has given all humans the rights to dignified living, self-respect and the ability to look to themselves with all other humans as equally created in the image of God Himself.
5) Never believe twisted Scripture, which are taken out of context and used for the benefits and selfish gain of caste, color, people groups of faith and nations. Instead read the Bible and proclaim the truth as long as your live for the Glory of God. God will keep you as the head and not the tail, because you are empowered with His Word and work for the blessing of all humans.
Much Blessings....
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