Genesis Chapter 9
Do Not Dishonor Others With Your Speech.
God spoke many things to Noah regarding their settling back on the Earth. He told them to increase in number on the earth and this would be done through his Three sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
One day Noah drink some of the wine from his vineyard and became drunk. Ham, father of Canaan, saw Noah’s naked body and told his two brothers. It appears he looked at him with disrespect and perhaps told his brother as if it was funny. The two other brothers covered Noah’s naked body out of respect for their dad. When Noah had heard what happened, he cursed Ham’s son Canaan while blessing the other two brothers.
Why would Ham’s son be cursed for seeing Noah naked. It’s not because he saw him naked but it was what he did that Dishonored Noah because of his nakedness. Ham committed “lashor hara” against Noah. This is the Hebrew word meaning, “to speak evil of someone” or “to gossip against someone.”
Ham could have respectfully covered his dad’s nakedness but it appears he went and told his brothers, perhaps making fun of his dad and dishonoring him or gossiping about him and dishonoring him.
Let this be a reminder to us to show respect to others versus “Lashor Hara,” speaking evil of or gossiping about others in a dishonoring way. It’s easy to do with people who offend us, or are unpopular people, or with people we define as less significant. Hence, it is easy to forget that in God’s eyes we are all of equal value and significance. Therefore we should treat others with love and respect. Romans 12:10.
