Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“May God make space for Japheth, and let him live in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his slave.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, September 14, 2026
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Here we learn why the Canaanites were such anathema to the Hebrews. Noah had a vineyard, grew grapes, made wine, and promptly got drunk and naked in his tent. His middle son, Ham, the father of Canaan, walked in on his dad and instead of covering Noah up, he goes to his brothers and tells them he found Noah in the buff and three sheets to the wind. Now, the text isn’t clear about what was so awful about this. I’m sure there’s something cultural here I’m missing. But the way I play it out in my head is that Ham thinks its hilarious and can’t wait to tell his brothers about their father’s shameful behavior in a bid to somehow gain power over their dad by ruining his reputation. Ham’s brothers are horrified by Ham’s behavior—far more than by their father’s. They go into Noah’s tent with their eyes averted, and cover him up. When Noah wakes up and knows what Ham has done, he utters a curse on Ham’s son, Canaan, and all his descendants, proclaiming that they will forever be destined to be slaves to the others.
It’s a retrofit explanation for why it was okay for the descendants of Shem to swoop in and conquer Canaan following the Exodus, written by people living in an honor-and-shame culture. What troubles me about it is that it seems to encourage family dysfunction by using one person’s indiscretion (however egregious) as an excuse to judge, ostracize, or even retaliate against them and their whole branch of the family. I hear of this kind of thing happening in families all the time, and it’s so destructive of what ought to be mutually supportive, forgiving, loving relationships. But I guess the writers just figured this was normal (and therefore acceptable?) in family relationships, and the lesson is about doing right by your father, no matter what.
Have I experienced rifts in my family due to one person’s poor choices—or even just misunderstood choices—at some time in the past?
