So we come to the end of the story of Noah, and we do so with a confusing story that is ambiguous at best. It has caused a millennium of debate.
Here is our righteous, faith-man, walker with God, Noah, drunk and lying naked in his tent. So many questions, few answers, and we end with a curse that would reach down the generations.
If, like me, you may be wondering why it seems that Ham’s sin (whatever that was) was greater than his father’s. It brings confusion very early in the Bible story that we haven’t been able to perfect after all these years. We struggle with many questions, and the main one is: How do we handle the sinner? But let’s read.
“Noah, a man of the soil, proceededto plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of enslaved people will he be to his brothers.” 26 He also said, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. 27 May God extend Japheth’s territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.” (Genesis 9 v 20-27)
Noah gets drunk. He wasn’t expecting to, presumably, because he lay naked in his tent.
Then Ham “saw his father naked and told”.
What does this mean? What did Ham do that led to the curse on him and his descendants? Was this simple mockery —laughing at his father in front of his brothers? Was it worse than this? Did Ham violate his father in some way in his tent? Is the problem that Ham saw his father’s sin and did nothing to restore it? (I wonder if Paul was thinking about this when he wrote, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.” (Galatians 6:1)
Something happened. Not the drunkenness, that was obvious, but something hidden behind the text, and even if it was, as it states, that Ham was saying what he saw, his brothers did what he should have done.
Shem and Japheth refuse to participate in their father’s shame. They take a garment, walk in backward, and cover Noah without looking. It’s an act of deliberate, almost exaggerated respect.
Covering shame was sacred; exposing it was worse.
When Noah wakes and hears of what Ham, his son, had done, he curses the sons and the daughters that would come from Ham.
Where is your focus? Noah’s sin or Ham’s disrespect of the sinner?
It is a big question. An uncomfortable one, perhaps.
Noah’s sin is not ignored. It was a sin. But the story is focusing on the other two sons and their response to it.
Perhaps we are just meant to struggle with this story.
Sin is messy. Sorting out the consequences of sin is difficult. Responding to the sinner is always done by the imperfect.
We can be thankful for this disturbing story as we move into the Bible story. We know we will find so many similar stories. What do we know?
- Even the heroes of our lives fail.
- Salacious reporting is as wrong as the story itself.
- What we do today can hurt those who follow us.
Perhaps the gospel is good news to those who are vulnerable, carried by those who treat others as they would want to be treated when they, too, fall into sin.
Missions Paul 
Thank you for this, Paul. This is a really good way to deal with such a difficult passage — well done.
Interestingly, in my own personal devotion yesterday, I wrote down some thoughts about how God our Father deals with our sin. I was intrigued by the Greek word in Luke 15:2 — a word that’s really not possible to translate fully into English. A simple “receive” or “welcome” just doesn’t capture its depth.
Here are my musings…
“This Man Welcomes Sinners”
(Luke 15:2 and the Prodigal Son – a reflection on extravagant, over-the-top scandalous, grace!)
The Pharisees were whispering again. Their words were heavy with accusation:
“Look at Him – this man receives sinners and eats with them!”
They meant it as a criticism. But Jesus heard it as a celebration.
Because that word – δέχεται – doesn’t mean He simply puts up with sinners. It means He welcomes them – gladly, eagerly, joyfully. It means He opens His arms and His heart. Not just a little bit, but completely.
And so Jesus tells a story to show them what that looks like…
A young man, restless, reckless, and proud, demands his inheritance early, turns his back on his father, and walks away from home carrying a fortune and leaving a wounded heart behind him. He spends it all in wild living, but when the famine comes, he finds himself feeding pigs; hungry, filthy, empty, alone.
And finally, when he can fall no further, he remembers the goodness he walked away from. He decides to go home, not as a son because he knows he’s forfeited that, but as a servant. He rehearses his apology, hoping that maybe, somehow, he can work off his shame.
But before he can reach the gate, the father sees him. And that’s when the story turns from sad to shocking; from repentance to scandalous grace.
Because the father doesn’t wait. He doesn’t fold his arms. He doesn’t demand repentance on the doorstep. He runs. He runs down the road, robes flying, tears streaming, sandals pounding the dust. He runs to the son who broke his heart.
When he reaches him, he doesn’t hesitate; he throws his arms around him and kisses him.
That’s not measured mercy, that’s extravagant grace. That’s love that breaks the rules of propriety, defies common sense, and disregards what people might say.
This is a father who knows exactly what his son has done; every insult, every betrayal, every wasted coin. And yet, not one of those things is held against him. Grace doesn’t pretend the past didn’t happen; it simply refuses to let the past define the future.
So the father doesn’t let the son finish his confession. He interrupts with orders for restoration:
“Bring the best robe!” – the robe of honour.
“Put a ring on his finger!” – the mark of belonging.
“Sandals for his feet!” – the sign of freedom.
“Kill the fattened calf”. – it’s time to celebrate!”
This is over-the-top mercy. This is perfect love. This is scandalous grace; grace that goes beyond fairness, grace that offends the religious mind, grace that makes no sense except to the heart of God our Father.
That is what Jesus is showing the Pharisees when they mutter, “This man welcomes sinners.”
Yes, He does. He δέχεται them. He embraces them, celebrates them, restores them.
The Pharisees guarded their shady purity. Jesus revealed the Father’s passion. They valued reputation; He valued reconciliation. They measured sin; He multiplied grace.
And that’s our story too. Every one of us has wandered away, every one of us has come home down that same dusty road. And when we did, we found a Father who didn’t stand with folded arms. He was already running toward us.
That’s what happens when we turn from our own ways to the way of Jesus Christ and make Him Lord and Saviour of our lives. We don’t just get accepted; we get embraced. We don’t just get forgiven; we get celebrated. We don’t just get another chance; we get a seat at the feast.
This is the Gospel; the extravagant, scandalous grace of our Father God who knows exactly who we are and loves us still. Our Father God who says, “You are My child. You were lost, but now you are found.”
So yes, “this man welcomes sinners”. He welcomed me. He welcomed you…
The Father’s love; extravagant, over-the-top scandalous, grace!
Amen.
Paul.
Paul Robinson m: 07427 606333 w. http://www.releaseinternational.org/ w. http://www.footstepsinternational.org/
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Beautiful devotion. So good!! Thank you Paul
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