Genesis 9:18-29: a reflection

18The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. 19These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated. 20Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard. 21He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent. 22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness. 24Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.” 26He said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. 27May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.” 28Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood. 29All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and then he died.

After the flood, Noah plants a vineyard, drinks too much of its wine, and lies drunk and uncovered in his tent. His son Ham sees his father's nakedness and goes out to tell his brothers, broadcasting his father's shame. But Shem and Japheth respond differently: they take a garment, lay it across their shoulders, and walk in backward so as not to see, and cover their father. Two responses to a father's failure: one exposes it, the others cover it.

Notice the contrast. Ham saw his father's shameful state and told others, spreading it, making it known. Shem and Japheth, seeing there was shame to be covered, went out of their way not even to look at it, and covered it discreetly, protecting their father's dignity. Faced with someone else's failure and shame, one brother broadcast it; the others covered it in love. And it is the coverers, not the exposer, whom the story commends.

That is a searching picture of two ways we can respond to others' failures. When we come upon someone's shame, a failure, a weakness, an embarrassing lapse, we can be like Ham, telling others, spreading it, perhaps enjoying the telling; or we can be like Shem and Japheth, covering it, protecting the person's dignity, not broadcasting what love would rather conceal. Love covers a multitude of sins, Scripture says; it does not expose and spread them. When you come upon another's failure or shame, do not broadcast it. Cover it, as Shem and Japheth covered their father, protecting rather than exposing. That is the way of love.

Lord, when Ham broadcast his father's shame, Shem and Japheth covered it in love, and it is the coverers you commend. When I come upon another's failure, weakness, or shame, keep me from being like Ham, spreading it, perhaps enjoying the telling. Give me the love that covers, that protects a person's dignity rather than exposing them. Help me remember that love covers a multitude of sins, and to be a coverer, not an exposer.