There’s an interesting little story in Genesis 9 about Noah and his sons. They had recently left the ark and were establishing their homestead. One evening, Noah was enjoying wine he had made from the vineyard he planted. After drinking excessively, he passed out in his tent without any clothes or covers on. His son Ham walked into the tent and found him naked, then went and told his brothers. I can just hear him mocking his father now, “Guys, Dad is so drunk he passed out inside the tent. Look at him! He’s sprawled out in there completely naked! What a disgrace! Ha ha ha!”
Realizing their father’s drunkenness and nakedness would bring him much shame the next day, Shem and Japheth did the opposite of what Ham expected. They took a blanket and walked backwards into the tent so they could cover their father up without seeing his nakedness. The next day, when Noah learned what had happened, he blessed Shem and Japheth for their role in covering his shame. But because of Ham’s behavior, he cursed Ham’s son Canaan, stating that he and his descendants would serve the descendants of Shem and Japheth.
I’m always blown away when I find these little Jesus stories in Scripture. Though at first they may seem insignificant, they represent such enormous Kingdom concepts! As I ponder these verses, I can’t help but think about the many times Jesus has covered my shame, my sin, my nakedness.
Jesus hung naked on a cross—beaten, humiliated, ridiculed, spat upon, laughed at—so that my own nakedness would not be exposed. He humbly walked backwards into my tent and covered my naked shame with the warm blanket of His redeeming blood.
How often have I done the opposite, speaking ill of others and exposing their weaknesses or faults? Why, oh why, do we so easily act like Hams instead of Shems or Japheths? May we always remember to walk backwards into the tents of our friends when their naked shame has been exposed.
Reference: Genesis 9:20–27