From: bresson@cbnewse.att.com
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: The Curse on the sons of Ham.
Date: 8 Apr 92 08:08:33 GMT
Organization: AT&T

In response to Olufemi's question I looked over some notes I had on 
the passage on Noah's curse of Canaan - Genesis 9 contains a passage of
prophecy and a dynamic secret which has directed world history to this day.
I summarise below, to rid you of the notion that Noah cursed black people
and to explain the meaning of this passage.

A few preliminary points. We all contain the genes of Noah - Noah, his wife
and 3 daughters-in-law provided a rich genetic soup from which their 
children derived their distinct characteristics : from them came the Vikings, 
British, French, Germans, Russians, Negros, Arabians, Mongolians, Chinese, 
Aborigines ... etc. (v.19)
God told Noah's family to multiply (v.1), to be no longer vegetarian (v.3),
and promised no more floods (v.11)

The sons of Ham were:
- Cush (BLACK) who occupied Eithiopia, the Arab Peninsula and the Red Sea Area.
- Egypt (WHITE/YELLOW)
- Put (BLACK) who occupied Libya.
- Canaan (WHITE) who occupied Palastine.

The sons of Canaan were Sidon and Heth, father of the Hittites. The Canaanite
Phoenicians founded the city of Carthege on the north coast of Africa.

I believe that the interpretation of this passage that makes the most sense
is that the episode about Noah's nakedness refers to an undisclosed sexual
sin which was committed by Canaan on his grandfather while he was in a
drunken stupour. Canaan interfered with Noah in an attempt to compromise him:
Ham was involved in an attempt to reverse the order of inheritancy by
an unnatural act on the part of his son Canaan. (Note the fact that he was the 
youngest son.)

The Bible tells of Canaan given over to these vices cf Hab.2.16.
If we trace the history of Canaan's descendants it is one of sexual immorality
and homosexuality. The depravity of the Canaanites - whom the Lord
drove out before the Israelites (Exod. 33.2; 34.11ff), desiring their utter
destruction (Num 21.3; Zeph 2.5) - is illustrated in Psalm 106.34-39 and in
the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19).
Also on a historical note archaelogists have been shocked and stunned by the
pornographic friezes left behind by these people - most of these remain
covered up. During the Punic Wars, when the Romans fought against Carthege,
the Phoenicians sacrificed their children by throwing them into fires
to appease their gods and had mass orgies driven on by their screams - Carthege
was wiped out and salt sowed in the ruined area.

Noah's curse on Canaan was that he would be a 'slave of slaves' (v.24) ie
an utter slave whom they can do what they want with.
v.26-27 tells us that Canaan would be dominated by Japheth and Shem, who were
responsible for wiping them out.

Now lets look at the 3 sons of Noah

SHEM The Semetic people were used by God to reveal things about Himself.
Abraham was Semitic, and it was to the jews that the oracles of God were 
given. They were called to be God's witnesses (Isaiah 43) - and the Bible
was almost entirely written by Semitic people. Salvation is from the jews 
(John 4.22), as Jesus was born a Semitic man. The Semitic people grew and
dominated the Middle East, defeating the whole land (Josh 3.10; 9.1; 10.40).

HAM Note that it was only Canaan who was cursed; although Ham significently
did not receive a blessing from Noah, as his brothers had.
History tells us that the Hamitic people were the dominant family and 
went all over the world. They spread into Africa, Southern India, South East 
Asia, Indonesia, Austrailia - their descendants include the Aborigines, 
Maoris, Tongans, Fijians, Hawaiians, Mongolians, Chinese, Japanese,
Eskimos, Red Indians, Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. Up to the sixth century BC
Hamitic people were the most advanced civilisation, and showed great 
intelligence - their heritage includes cross-bred plants, domesticated animals,
paper, ink, writing, wool, cotton, linen, knitting, medicine, insecticides,
gears, pulleys, clockwork and steam engines.

JAPHETH Noah blessed Japheth saying he would be 'enlarged' (v.27). The 
Indo-European people dominated after the sixth century BC, and especially 
in the last 400 years. The Persians moved into North India, the Greeks
replaced the Hittites and the Romans destroyed Carthege. The Spanish moved
into Latin America, the British moved into Africa, as did the Germans, Dutch 
and Spanish. The French moved into South-East Asia, the Dutch into the East 
Indies, the British into Austrailia and New Zealand, the British and French 
into Canada and the Danes into Greenland. The domination of Japhites extended 
over Russia and into Asia. In Africa and South East Asia the Hamitic people
were colonised and squashed.

The domination of Japhitic people helps explain factors that allowed the
enslavement of negroes and their enforced deportation to the Americas - ie
a root cause of the slave trade - however it in no way legitimates it and 
note that the Japhetic Americans (" brother against brother") fought a bloody
civil war over the issue.

Noah also said Japheth would `dwell in the tents` of Shem, ie share 
hospitality. Japhites were promised a share in the oracles of Shem, and
after the rejection of their Messiah, the gospel went to the Gentiles.
The church is mainly Japhetic - all can join the church but it has through the 
centuries been largely Japheth's descendants who have been the wild branches 
grafted in (Rom 11), who abide by being humble and in faith. I say this by 
way of historical note and not in any way to differentiate between people's
ability to come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus, for God shows
no partiality (Eph 6.9). The New Testament does not even mention any
difference between Hamites and Japhites, but used the embracing term 
"Gentile".


May you grow in grace and knowledge of Him, Olufemi.


Barney Resson
"Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase" (Daniel)