Read Genesis 9:18-27. What is the message of this strange story?

 Noah´s act in his vineyard echoes Adam in the Garden of Eden. The two stories contain common motifs: eating of the fruit and resulting in nakedness; then a covering, a curse, and a blessing. Noah reconnects to his Adamic roots and, unfortunately, continues that failed history.

 The fermentation of fruit was not a part of God´s original creation. Noah indulged, then lost self-control and uncovered himself. The fact that Ham “saw” his nakedness hints at Eve, who also “saw” the forbidden tree (Gen. 3:6). This parallel suggests that Ham did not just “see” furtively, by accident, his father´s nakedness. He went around and talked about it, without even trying to take care of his father´s problem. In contrast, his brothers´ immediate reaction to cover their father, while Ham left him naked, implicitly denounced Ham´s actions.

 The issue at stake here is more about the respect of one´s parents. Failure to honor your parents, who represent your past, will affect your future (Exod. 20:12; compare with Eph. 6:2). Hence the curse, which will influence Ham´s future and that of his son Canaan.

 Of course, it is a gross theological mistake and an ethical crime to use this text to justify racist theories against anyone. The prophecy is strictly restricted to Canaan, Ham´s son. The biblical author has in mind some of the corrupt practices of the Canaanites (Gen. 19:5-7, 31-35).

 In addition, the curse contains a promise of blessing, playing on the name “Canaan,” which is derived from the verb kana´, meaning “subdue.” It is through subduing of Canaan that God´s people, the descendants of Shem, will enter the Promised Land and prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, who will enlarge Japheth “in the tents of Shem” (Gen. 9:27). This is a prophetic allusion to the expansion of God´s covenant to all nations, which will embrace Israel´s message of salvation to the world (Dan. 9:27, Isa. 66:18-20, Rom. 11:25). The curse of Ham will, in fact, be a blessing for all nations, including whichever descendants of Ham and Canaan accept the salvation offered them by the Lord.