Slighting Son

By: Ely Lagajino

Honor your father and mother so that you may live long in the land your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12 (NIV)

Noah planted a vineyard and became the first successful gardener. That was after 375 days in the “stay at home” boat. The vineyard is a common word used in the Bible for the grape farm. Noah must be the first to discover the production of grape juice. Grape juice in the Bible is commonly called wine.

In Hebrew, Noah means relief. His father Lamech said after his birth, may he bring us relief from the painful labor of working in the soil that the Lord had cursed. The discovery of making grape juice or wine was the fulfilment of his father’s prophecy. Those days, you would be considered rich if you owned a vineyard. Normally, grape juice was served at every mealtime. Yet too much drinking of grape juice could rob a man of his dignity and bring him a disgrace.

One-time Noah drank too much grape juice and got drunk. He lay naked in his tent as he slept off the wine’s effect. His son Ham laughed and make fun of his father when he saw him as he went outside and told his brothers. Shem and Japheth went to the tent and covered their father’s nakedness.

Ham’s insulting attitude revealed a severe lack of respect for his father and God. Even before this incident, Ham was already discourteous to his parents. When Noah found out what Ham had done to him, he cursed Ham’s son Canaan to be a slave to his brothers, while he blessed Shem and Japheth.

The curse was fulfilled when the Israelites entered the Promised Land and the Canaanites were driven out.

Ham’s disrespect to his father affected many generations.

References: Genesis 9; Exodus 20; ABC of the Bible Pages 31, 32;

Bible Dictionary Page 170; Patriarchs and Prophets Page 99