At the time of the flood, Noah had three sons Shem, Ham and Japheth who along with their wives and Noah’s wife and all the animals were on the ark with him. When they came off the ark God told them to be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. Since they were the only ones to survive the flood that means that all the people on the face of the earth are descended from Noah.
The Bible relates a not-so-nice story about Noah and his sons. Remember that although God considered Noah righteous, Noah was a sinner like all the rest of us and didn’t always do things right.
18The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth.
20Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside. 23But 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.
24When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”
26He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. 27May God extend the territory of Japheth; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave.”
28After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died.
Noah planted a vineyard and then drank the wine he made from the grapes. The Bible doesn’t say that drinking a little wine is wrong, but it does say it isn’t good to get drunk. Drinking wine to excess and becoming drunk caused Noah to lose good judgment and act immodestly.
When Ham saw his father laying in his tent drunk and naked, he didn’t try to protect his father. Instead, he broadcasted his father’s condition to his brothers. He was dishonoring his father and that displeased God.
Instead of following Ham’s example, Shem and Japheth covered up their father making sure that they didn’t look at his nakedness and therefore disrespect him. Their actions pleased God.
Just because Noah walked with God didn’t insure that his sons would follow in his footsteps. Each person has to make a choice as to whom or what he will follow. Ham chose to dishonor his father. Because of his choice he was cursed by God. Shem and Japheth chose to honor their father and do what was right and were blessed by God.
Shem was the ancestor of the Israelites, the people of God, through whom God blessed the world by sending his Son. Israel’s enemies, the Canaanites, came from the line of Ham. The Canaanites were the people God would drive from the land because of their evil.
Our choices either lead us toward God or away from him. We can’t go our own way and do our own thing and expect to please God. How we respond to God’s commandments impacts our lives. Following God’s laws brings blessing and benefit. Disobeying them brings ruin and destruction. Our choices also affect those who follow after us.
The only one of the Ten Commandments that has a promise associated with it is the commandment to honor your parents.
Ephesians 6:2-3 says, 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
If you honor your parents, you respect both them and their authority over you. You obey them without question or delay. You do what will bless and benefit them, not harm or hurt them in any way. You don’t bad mouth them or talk back to them.
Children who honor their parents show they understand their place in life; they are submitted to the authority God put in place over them. In honoring their parents they are more likely to honor God and do things his way.
- Overview Questions: What did Noah do after he planted a vineyard? How did Ham respond to his father’s condition? What did Shem and Japheth do? Why was Ham cursed by God? Why were Shem and Japheth blessed?
- Thought Questions: Why do you think Ham chose to dishonor his father? Why do you think Shem and Japheth chose to respect their father? What do our actions show about us? How does God know what is in our hearts? How do children honor their parents? What causes children to honor their parents? Does honoring the parents depend on the parents being worthy of honor? Explain. Why does honoring one’s parents bring God’s favor on a person? Why do you think children dishonor their parents? Why do children think they can dishonor their parents? Why does dishonoring one’s parents bring God’s disfavor?
- Prayer: Thank God for the parents he has given you. Pray that God would reveal to you any way you are dishonoring your parents, no matter how small. Pray that God would work in your heart so that your thoughts would be pleasing to him and you would truly want to honor your parents.
- Week’s Memory Verse: Ephesians 6:2-3
2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”Questions: What does it mean to honor someone? How do you show honor to your parents? What is the promise associated with honoring your parents? Why is that a good promise? Why will life go well for children who honor their parents?
What is the result of honoring parents?
Life will go well for children who honor their parents.]