Sins of the Father

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth.
20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to 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’s nakedness 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 nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father’s nakedness.
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 slaves
will he be to his brothers.”
26 He also said,
“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem!
May Canaan be the slave of Shem.
27 May God extend the territory of Japheth ;
may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,
and may Canaan be his slave.”
28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died.
Genesis 9:18-29

How could Noah speak such harsh words to his son and grandson, Ham and Canaan? Wasn’t he the one who sinned by getting drunk?
There are many questions we can ask, and many possible answers. Some writers guess that this was the first time grapes had been turned into wine. Genesis 9:20- 21 is the first time that the words “wine” and “vineyard” appear in the Bible, and words like “grape” and “vine” do not appear until much later. So perhaps Noah’s drunkenness was due to unfamiliarity with the effects of alcohol.
But what happened that made Noah so angry? Was it simply being seen naked? Or was there mockery and disrespect, or even a homosexual aspect? Whatever happened, it brought strong words from Noah. But was it a curse or a prophecy? Perhaps what happened was a sign of things to come. Ham sinned, which led his son Canaan into sin, which would lead to corrupted generations.
The sins of the father are often passed on to future generations. The children of addicts become addicts themselves. Children raised in violence can grow up to be violent. Children from broken families marry and have their own broken families. The cycle of addiction and brokenness can persist through generations.
But there is a solution: Jesus. Through Jesus, we can find forgiveness. Through Jesus, we can find and share peace. Through Jesus, we can leave sorrows behind.
Whatever happened in your past, it can be left in the past. Through Jesus, God’s blessing is always available.

Prayer:
• What do you need to leave behind? Pray to God that, through Jesus, you can leave the past behind.