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2. Ham. ( I ) H is sin (G en . 9 :2 2 ) w as d u e to a n irrev e ren t an d ob scene m ind. H e g a z ed ( “ saw” ) w h e re h e ough t, not. H e sc an d a l ously “ to ld it to his b re th re n w ith o u t.” It is H am lik e to in tru d e into th e p riv a cy o f o th e rs; a n d to u n co v e r th e ir physical, m en tal, m oral, o r m a te ria l n ak ed n e ss; to sp o rt w ith th e p itiab le p ligh t o f a d ru n k m an ; to je st w ith indecency, o r obscen ity ; an d one w ho d e rid e s his fa th e r is no t fa r from th e p it o f hell (P ro v . 3 0 :1 7 ) . O b scen ity a n d irreverence a re c a rd in a l sins o f ou r generation. (See “yellow ” jo u rn a ls.) ( 2 ) H am ’s curse (G en . 9 :2 5 ) . It w as n o t d u e to p erso n a l a n g e r; N oah was th e o rg an o f p roph ecy . C an a an se t tle d Palestine, P hoen icia a n d N o rth A frica (C a rth a g e ) a n d b e c am e se rv a n t (Jo sh . 9 :2 7 ) to Israel (S h em ), an d to G reece a n d R om e ( J a p h e th ). Verbally it fell on H am ’s first-born, b u t historically, also, on himself. H am ’s ra c e h as supp lied th e slave m arkets o f th e ages, a n d still serves th e d iam o n d a n d ru b b e r tru sts of A frica. A ll o f w hich goes to p ro v e th a t G o d deals w ith th e hum an fam ily iti ju d gm e n t a n d (vv . 26, 2 7 ) in grace on th e p rincip le of p a ren ta l responsibility an d h e re d ita ry re tri bution. 3. Shem and Japheth. (1 ) G rav e a t H am ’s im piety, w ith no laugh fo r his jest, w ith a v e rte d eyes th ey co v e red th e sham e o f th e ir fa th er. So th e y an tic ip a ted th e fou rth c om m an dm en t (E xod . 2 0 :1 1 ) an d o b ta in e d its prom ise (E ph . 6 :2 , 3 ). ( 2 ) T h e ir blessings (G en . 9 :2 6 , 2 7 ) . T h e blessing o f Shem w as so g re a t th a t th e p ro p h e t cou ld only say, “B lessed b e Je h o v a h th e G o d of S h em ,” fo r to him w ere th e prom ises m a d e a n d th ro u g h him th e salvation com es fo r th e w ho le w o rld . T h e blessing o f J a p h e th w as first, e n larg em en t. H e inhab its Europe,
A sia, Am erica, has m o st o f th e civil ization, w ealth, a n d p ow e r o f th e w o rld . It w as second, dw elling in th e te n ts of Shem . O f J a p h e th are m o st of tho se w ho h a v e b e en g ra ft ed in to S h em ’s olive (R om . 1 1 :1 7 ) ; b e com e citizens o f his comm on w ea lth (E ph . 2 :1 2 ) , a n d p a rtn e rs o f his p rom ises (E ph . 3 :6 ) . IV. The Confusion of Tongues. (G en . 1 1 :1 -9 .) 1. Sin judged. (1 ) W e h av e seen sin a t th e beg inn ing o f th e new age, now w e see its cu lm ination an d ju d gm e n t a t th e end. T h e re is a “ final ju d gm e n t” a t every end, b e w a re o f th a t. ( 2 ) U n d e r N im rod ( “R e b e l” ) m en reb e lled against G o d (P s. 2 :2 , 3 ) . T h ey jo in e d in god le ss association (h ow m uch o f it in ou r d a y !) ; to “m ak e a n am e ” fo r them selves (th e re is b u t one nam e, A c ts 4 : 1 3 ) ; “in th e e a rth ,” thus, n o t “w ritten in h e a v e n ” (L uk e 1 0 :2 0 ) ; “b u ild a city (A b ram “p itch ed a te n t” ) ; ‘-‘a tower, whose to p m ay reach un to h e a v e n ,” a sky sc rap e r; a n id o la tro u s tem p le as th e ruins show . ( 3 ) T h is w as th e cli m ax “now n o th ing w ill b e w ith- h o ld en from th em w hich th ey p u r po se to d o .” ( 4 ) T h e re fo re th e L o rd “ co n fo u n d ed th e ir lan g u ag e ,” an d “ sc a tte red th em a b ro a d .” T h ey h av e b e en sc a tte red , confused in speech, opin ion a n d pu rpo se, ever since; a n d shall find no un ity till, g a th e re d b y th e Spirit, th e y find it in C h rist (A c ts 2 :1 -1 3 , 4 2 ; 1 Cor. 1 :1 0 ; J o h n 1 7 :2 1 -2 3 ) in th e C ity of G od , bu ilt n o t o f m ud, b u t of 1 2 :1 -9 .) 1. Its importance. ( 1 ) T h e call of A b ram an d th e call o f Paul, th e one p rep a rin g th e w ay fo r C h rist in th e w o rld , th e o th e r d e c la ring th e w ay o f C hrist to th e w o rld , a re th e go ld an d preciou s stones. V. The Call of Abram. (G en .
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