June 17, 2026:

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.’” (Genesis 9.24-25)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Before I can go further, I have to reflect upon the power of shame. In the Garden of Eden, the Serpent exhibited no shame in leading Adam against God through Eve. It was as if the Serpent courted Eve and drew her away from Adam. His words were enticing, inviting and intriguing. Captured in a moment of sensations she had not experienced in that context before, Eve allowed herself to do what she knew was wrong to do. With the Serpent, it seemed right. Not only did it seem right but acceptable and without consequence. Of course, we know that when Adam accepted her invitation to eat of the fruit, they both felt shame. They hid themselves from God among the low Sycamore branches behind its broad leaves. When confronted, they confessed their condition and found the consequences more severe than simple shame. It would seem that from that moment until the one where Ham found his father passed out drunk, shame was not really a part of the story. That is until God was seemingly ashamed He had ever created human beings and tried to wash it all away with a flood.

Yet, in the story of Noah and Ham, we see the inappropriate response to shame. We do not know what led Ham into his father’s tent. Where was his mother at the time? Was she fixing dinner, cleaning house and waiting for Noah to again “sleep one off”? Ham is surprised and tells his brothers the condition of their father. It would seem by his brothers’ response this is the first time this has happened. Or is it just the first time that it was actually witnessed? What was it like for them to be the children of a drunk whose faith had once been so great that he devoted his efforts to building an Ark. For around a hundred years, he was the rock of faith and determination. Imagine, as some have suggested, there was no rain. Consider that the ground water of the earth was always sufficient to sustain the growing of crops. In the midst of building an Ark, Noah and his family continued to farm, garden, tend the vineyards and livestock. They had to maintain their normal routines in supporting their lives and serve God. How did they serve God? They followed the traditions taught to them by their ancestors to worked six days and honored the Sabbath day to keep it holy. They offered sacrifices and remembered the delivering grace and mercy which had been shown to their family time and again. They served God by building an Ark. It was a symbol of deliverance they did not understand because a flood meant nothing. Were there boats on the nearby rivers? If not, then what did building a boat mean; especially in a field where they once had planted and harvested grains. It would mean that space was set aside for the act of obedience and trust. It was an offering and a sacrifice itself. And in the presence of a vile and unbelieving world, it would have been an even greater challenge. And then the floods came. The heavens opened up. The ground seemed to burst like fountains. The animals had been gathered. The supplies for sustaining themselves, the animals and a future homeland were stowed away. The door was closed to the rest of the world. Imagine as the waters rose, fear may have caused many to knock at their door begging for help. They were turned away until there was only the sound of the water, the rain, the animals and their prayers. Now all of that seemed so long ago and so far away. They had started over in a new land with the same vision of trusting in God alone. But they were not perfect. God didn’t save them because they were perfect. God saved them because they trusted and believed in Him even in the face of the impossible and the detestable. It would have been easier, as it had become for all the rest, to just get swept up in the flood of sin that covered the earth. They did not. They held fast. Their hearts, mind, bodies and spirit were a community unto themselves and God. Their community had become an Ark with a singular focus. They practiced what Solomon would later write down for posterity, “Trust in the Lord with all you are and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3.5-6) Now that was behind them. The enemy was defeated. There was no one beating at the door seeking to seduce them into their sinful culture and climate. The earth was new again with God’s provided “do over.” Still, the feelings, emotions and trauma remained. Being faithful isn’t easy. It requires great work and greater devotion. While they remained strong, now they were challenged by their weakness. They were challenged by the “now what.” Noah soothed himself with the fruit of the vine. The rest of them just accepted it as “the way things are.” Now I am not saying that is the way it was. I am trying to describe a way to understand why there was shame again. Ham was ashamed to find his father whom he counted on as strong in a state of drunkenness and disorderliness. He went and told his brothers who were equally ashamed. In respect for their father, they sought to cover up his shame in a way that God had covered up the shame of Adam and Eve. They covered him with a garment. It was most likely made of animal skin. Once again, the blood of the lamb was spilled so that the evidence of sin would be put away. Should Ham have done that himself when he discovered his father in such a state? Is that what he should have done instead of tattling on his father to his brothers or telling his mother? We do not know the complexity of the “could have beens” and “should have beens” and “what was.”

What we do know is that Noah was upset that his behavior had been discovered and revealed. The evidence of was clear because he had been covered with a garment, wrapped in a robe and put in a position of “it never happened.” Except Noah knew it happened. He inquired. And the shame of it all fell on Ham. Shame became blame and the result was a curse. It is the same old story. It is as old as time itself. It isn’t just an old, old story. It is a continuing saga that permeates the lives of people today. The invitations to consider something other than “trusting in God” regardless of the circumstances continue to be extended. And too many of us, if not every one of us at some point in time, succumb to the invitation of temptation. The Spirit within us, let’s call it our conscience, brings to light a better way and in the conflict between light and dark, we are covered with shame. We try to rationalize it. We make it less than what it is. We attempt to put it away as nothing really. When confronted with the truth, we turn our shame into blame even if it is blaming ourselves. The cycle repeats. The wrongs mount up like a tidal wave and crash against the shores of our lives. The flood waters rise. We close ourselves off like God shut the door of the Ark so that it would float until things were made right. Where is the peace? Listen back to the story. Hear the rhythm of the explanation: flood (baptism- putting sin to death); dove (anointing- the testimony of life and peace reborn); communion (a taste of new wine in the midst of a new community, culture and climate) and then there is the next day (discipleship- the efforts maintained to keep to the path of righteousness for the sake of God’s name to keep it holy with our own lives out of gratitude for His mercy and grace.) Take one element out of the rhythm and the beat of our religion loses something in the translation. There is an answer to it, of course. The answer has a name: Jesus. For today, however, let’s focus on what brought us to this time and place. Let us pause to remember that the only means of salvation comes from God alone. That story will never change no matter what the world may say.

TODAY’S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.