Genesis 9:20-24

V. 20-21

It is possible and in fact, commonly believed, that the changed "physical" conditions of the earth is the cause for the "fermentation" effect on the grape juice. Thus, Noah would be unaware of the negative effects the fermented juice would have on his physical senses.

Noah became drunk and careless. He did the normal pass-out routine for drunkenness and in the process discarded his robe.

So he is lying in his own room sprawled out naked on the floor or possibly on his sleeping area.

V. 22

Ham arrives:

1. Ham is a believer ignorant of truth and grace.

2. He is negative to his father's authority.

3. He is negative to his father's teaching.

4. But he is under that authority and has been hearing the teaching all his life.

5. He is resentful and rebellious but has never been able to truly find fault with his father until now.

6. Ham enters Noah's tent and sees his father's condition quite by accident. There is no blame or guilt at this point.

7. But the context indicates that Ham saw his opportunity to put his father "in his place" and accordingly, rejoiced in the shame and helplessness of Noah.

8. But private gloating holds little satisfaction. So he makes public not only Noah's condition but his own attitude of rebellion as well.

9. Those who abide in darkness, walk in darkness and are blind to the light of truth. This includes moral objectivity.

10. In his blindness he assumes that his brothers will join with him in this gloating of a "victory" over Noah.

11. He has no capacity to understand that they just might not feel as he does.

12. And so they, being positive to truth and Noah's authority, reject Ham's rebellion and express the opposite attitude of love and respect.

13. That proper attitude and action is first reflected in what the brothers did in covering Noah.

14. Secondly, it is reflected through the teachings of scripture

a. Ex. 20:12; 21:17

b. Lev. 20:9; Deut. 27:16

c. Deut. 21:18-21

d. Pr. 20:20; 30:11-14

e. Pr. 13:1; 15:5

f. Eph. 6:1-2

15. The statement of the deed:

a. Ham SAW the nakedness of his father.

b. He did NOT UNCOVER the nakedness of his father.

c. Uncovering usually connotes sexual activity and accordingly must certainly involve the idea of "seeing," as at Lev. 20:17.

d. But "seeing" does not automatically indicate that some type of sexual activity took place. The context must indicate that such activity took place by the use of the term "uncovered" or some other explicit language.

V. 23

Shem and Japheth acted opposite to Ham and indicate their respect for both the authority and the teaching of Noah.

1. Ham's act was rebellious disrespect, not homosexuality.

2. The act of his brothers, designed to offset Ham's act, does not logically do a thing if Ham's act was physical.

3. But if, as is the case, Ham's act was rebellion against authority and truth, this act by his brothers rebukes him and testifies to their own positive attitude toward God's established moral design.

4. Another indication of the character of this crime is found in Noah's prophecy. The content of his teaching has nothing to do with homosexuality, but everything to do with moral and spiritual authority.

V. 24

The Hebrew narrative here is very simple with clauses being joined with the simple "waw" which basically means "and."

1. And Noah awoke: not "when." This is important because what he KNEW about what happened is NOT "when" he awoke, but what he learned after he awoke.

2. From his wine: yayin (LXX = eknepho + apo oinos)

3. And knew: yAda - means to know or to LEARN. (Brown Driver Briggs Lexicon, page 393)

4. What Ham had done to him:

a. This is the only factor that could indicate a homosexual act.

b. But again, the context is simple and centered around the issue of moral and spiritual authority, not a sexual sin.

c. This word "did" does not demand a physical act but can apply to Ham's expression of attitude as he himself related it to his brothers.

d. And then, is says he knew what HAM had done. So obviously, someone else had to tell him what had happened. How else would he know WHO did it?

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İRon Wallace, http://www.biblefragrances.com. Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it,
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