That Noah was
drunk seems to be the consensus from many commentators. Not that he was tipsy,
he was flat out drunk. This drunkenness caused him to be relieved of his
clothing while in his tent. But does the nakedness of Noah simply mean his
clothing? I found the comments by Leon R. Kass quite poignant; he says, “His drunkenness robs Noah of his dignity, paternal
authority, and humanity. It leaves him prostrate rather than upright; stripped
of his clothing, naked, exposed, and vulnerable to disgrace, he appears merely
as a male, not as a father--not even as a humanized, rational animal.” John
Davis writes of Proverbs 20:1, “Wine is indeed a mocker.”
It was in this vulnerability that Ham “uncovered his
father’s nakedness.” There are many speculations as to what exactly is Ham’s
sin. Some camps believe, “Ham’s sin to be homosexuality…” or some act of sexual
depravity. Others, Kass included speak to Ham gossiping about seeing his father
naked and thus bringing shame on Noah. Kass writes that “Ham looks upon his
father's shame and traffics in it.” Was Ham’s sin more that he chose to promote
his father’s time of weakness rather than see to it that he was protected from
it?
The Bible is clear that Ham did go and tell his
brothers about what he saw. He was certainly able to cover his father up,
gently put him to sleep and leave with none being the wiser. Why he did not do
so, well, why do any of us do some of the things we do that are offensive? And
as far as Noah, whatever his reason for getting drunk was, it surely left him
exposed to the manipulation of Satan. We would be reminded that none of us are
exempt from his rage against God’s children. No matter what heights God allows
us to attain, we must always be on guard and ever in His presence.
Bibliography
John J. Davis. Paradise to Prison: Studies in Genesis (Salem: Sheffield Publishing Company, 1975), 128.
Leon R. Kass. 1992.
Seeing the Nakedness of his Father. Commentary, vol. 93, no. 6:41, http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/195868738/abstract?accountid=12085
(accessed October 1, 2012).
The New Encylopedia of Judaism, s.v. Noah, http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/entry/8446987
(accessed October 1, 2012).
This was a good take on the story about Noah and Ham Mr. Ortiz. I agree with your perspective, good job.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bill, I appreciate your taking time to read and respond. God bless.
Delete