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So God blessed Noah and his sons... (9:1)
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. (9:22)
Ham happened upon a drunken, passed out Noah and what did he do? Did he cover his father's indignity? The man who saved his life and the life of his family? He did not. He sneered at him and went directly outside to tattle and maliciously damage his father's reputation. He felt the thrill of his father's sin, the electric shock of superiority we feel when we have a chance to put someone else down and lift ourselves up. That's exactly what it does, this sneering gossip. It falsely elevates us by putting another person down. Why are we as a race so ready to put ourselves forward, to judge the faults and iniquities of others? It's sickening, really.
Shem and Japheth are my heros in this story. I imagine them turning away from their brother, Ham, in concern over what he had just told them. I imagine them quietly conspiring about how to best walk in and how to hold the cape and how to cover him up so they won't have to at all look at Noah in his indignity. They cover him up with their faces turned away, never having to see his nakedness- showing the deepest respect for their father.
This is the kind of person I would like to be. Not the kind that sneers, not the kind that laughs, not the kind that thrills over a sister's sin. The kind that will do everything I can to cover her, to help her, to show compassion and respect even if what I do there might never come to light. Even if I might not ever receive acknowledgement or thanks or the same treatment in return. I have too often been the one who whispers and sneers and secretly thrills. I have too often been the one who needs forgiveness, let alone the one who needs covering up.
So God blessed Noah and his sons... (9:1)
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. (9:22)
Ham happened upon a drunken, passed out Noah and what did he do? Did he cover his father's indignity? The man who saved his life and the life of his family? He did not. He sneered at him and went directly outside to tattle and maliciously damage his father's reputation. He felt the thrill of his father's sin, the electric shock of superiority we feel when we have a chance to put someone else down and lift ourselves up. That's exactly what it does, this sneering gossip. It falsely elevates us by putting another person down. Why are we as a race so ready to put ourselves forward, to judge the faults and iniquities of others? It's sickening, really.
Shem and Japheth are my heros in this story. I imagine them turning away from their brother, Ham, in concern over what he had just told them. I imagine them quietly conspiring about how to best walk in and how to hold the cape and how to cover him up so they won't have to at all look at Noah in his indignity. They cover him up with their faces turned away, never having to see his nakedness- showing the deepest respect for their father.
This is the kind of person I would like to be. Not the kind that sneers, not the kind that laughs, not the kind that thrills over a sister's sin. The kind that will do everything I can to cover her, to help her, to show compassion and respect even if what I do there might never come to light. Even if I might not ever receive acknowledgement or thanks or the same treatment in return. I have too often been the one who whispers and sneers and secretly thrills. I have too often been the one who needs forgiveness, let alone the one who needs covering up.
i like this. it reminds me of Galatians 6:1. Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
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