06/15/17 DON'T BE A HAM

06/15/17 DON'T BE A HAM

I don't think Noah got drunk on purpose, but I don't know for certain, so I cannot say either way.
I don't know of a Biblical passage that accuses Noah of deliberate drunkenness.
It has been suggested that the wine fermented due to either the environmental changes that took place because of the flood or because of the stored grape juice. It was Noah's first involvement with raising grapes and there is no mention of intoxicating wine before this time. STILL, I DON'T KNOW THE WHY.
I do know that he got drunk.

I don't know that he ever got drunk before or after that one time.
I don't know of a passage that either blames or accuses Noah of being a drunkard.
Of course, it is easy to attack Noah, since he is not able to explain or defend himself. It is easy to use Noah as a poster child against having desire for strong drink, but such an attack is based on a false narrative and is unkind.
Even if Noah got drunk on purpose (total speculation, devoid of evidence) then it is also possible (and probable) that Noah repented.
I am not excusing or accusing Noah of anything. I am simply saying that he did get drunk.

In fact, Noah's drunken state is not the actual focal point of the account. It was the attitude and actions of his sons that were important.
One son, Ham, demonstrated his own disrespect and disregard for his father by making a mockery of his father. The other two sons, Shem and Japheth, displayed their respect and concern and love for their father by covering him during his time of vulnerability and embarrassment. One son robbed his father of dignity and the other two sought to save his dignity. I can only guess that Ham may have been bitter and may have retold the event in somewhat of a different way than it actually took place, in the years that followed this event and the curse that fell on Ham and his children.

The fact that Shem and Japheth did the honorable thing does not prove that they were in a right relationship with God. There are untold millions of unsaved people who do not hold their parents up to open ridicule or smear the name of their loving parents. In fact, some folks would never think of demeaning their parents, regardless of how vile the parents have been.

If great numbers of sinners refuse to belittle their parents (publically or privately) then it is obvious that a loving, spiritual person would not do such a thing.
Don't forget, whatever you say on the internet that hurts the reputation of another person (whether based in truth or not) is there to stay.
Don't forget, if someone has done wrong, and then sought God's forgiveness (whether once or a multitude of times) then it is under the blood and is not to be used against them.
Don't forget, Christians often know truly dark things about other people (relatives and otherwise) and they have never said anything that would hurt those people or their families.
Don't forget, as ministers (preachers or otherwise) of the gospel, we consider the confidential knowledge of other people's failures as a sacred trust, and we should never put them to an open shame.
Don't forget, love covers a multitude of sins. Love will not only protect another person after they have sinned (and especially if they have taken steps of reconciliation), it will keep us from doing the unChristian thing of gossipping and accusing and attacking the children of God.

I would imagine that any retelling of this event would cause Noah to suffer great heartache.
Heartache because he was compromised by strong drink (for which he would have already sought God's favor).
Heartache because his own son mocked him.
Heartache because his friends and others gave credit to a false narrative.
Heartache because his testimony and representation of the true and living God had been besmirched by a cold and callous person.

DON'T BE A HAM.