Genesis 9 – Part 6 – ARE MY KIDS CURSED WHEN I CRITICISE MY PARENTS?
What grandfather would curse his grandson? Especially since the bone he had to pick was with his son, not his grandson. And the horrible thing is that God seems to go along with the curse! History shows that Noah’s curse on the Canaanites was carried out, seemingly by God! So what does that indicate – whenever I speak against my parents that I curse my own children? I hope not!
I THINK THAT THE DISRESPECT THAT I SHOW TO MY PARENTS DOES CARRY IT’S OWN CURSE DOWN THROUGH THE GENERATIONS.
But let’s see what happened after Noah gets drunk and gets naked in his tent. Sure, he behaves badly. He fails in terms of his witness to his family. He fails God in that he’s way out of control. But remember it is Ham’s disrespect, not Noah’s failures that feature in this story. The big sin in this passage centres around a son’s disrespect for his father, not the father’s failures.
WHAT IS WORSE THAN NOAH GETTING DRUNK?
Answer - NOAH CURSING HIS OWN GRANDSON! That’s what happened and God seems to go along with it!
Genesis 9:24-29 (NLT)
“When Noah woke up from his stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done. Then he cursed Canaan, the son of Ham: “May Canaan be cursed! May he be the lowest of servants to his relatives.” Then Noah said, “May the Lord, the God of Shem, be blessed, and may Canaan be his servant! May God expand the territory of Japheth! May Japheth share the prosperity of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant.” Noah lived another 350 years after the great flood. He lived 950 years, and then he died.” (The longevity of Noah’s life is amazing in itself but don’t get stuck there. The planet didn’t have the pollution we have now and long life was almost guaranteed. But the main point is the curse!)
Noah doesn’t apologise for getting drunk and getting naked. He has a conversation with Shem and Japheth about what transpired while he was drunk and then he gives a prophetic word.
Does God use this incident to give a prophecy about the future of the human race? It seems so. Does God make it clear through Noah’s prophetic word that DISRESPECT OF PARENTS EFFECTS YOUR CHILDREN? It seems so. The sins of the fathers are passed on down through generation after generation. If I show disrespect to my parents, I can almost guarantee my children will eventually show disrespect for me. I am the role model after all. Not only my genes but my behaviour is carried on. Sure, a child can break free from that behaviour, but the tendency is always there. Only Christ can break the curse of generational sin once and for all.
Galatians 6:7 (NIV) says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
The Bible says that the Canaanites were almost completely wiped out and they did become slaves to the Israelites. The Israelites or Semites came from the family of Shem. The Canaanites from Ham!
Some people, steeped in prejudice, try to justify the mistreatment and enslavement of black Africans by saying that they came from Ham. This is rubbish and has no basis in history and is not found anywhere in the Bible, but it is still a common belief. More slavery exists today than in the times when black Africans were taken to America. Does that mean everyone who is enslaved is from Ham? I don’t think so!
Shem, the Semites or Israelites, did rule over Canaan or the Canaanites. Japhethites did inherit the largest portions of land and they were the Gentile nations (Genesis 10). They enslaved Ham’s line also. So Noah’s prophetic word was accurate. Today, we have no longer have records of what happened to the descendants of Ham.
I guess what I get out of this passage after looking at it for the last few days is that disrespect for my parents, or those in authority over me, carries it’s own curse. If I allow that curse to go unbroken then it will become generational. I don’t even need to prophesy for that to happen. I am the role model for what takes place in my children. God allows such a curse to continue unless I break it in the Name of Jesus over my life and over my family.
How do I break the curse of disrespect? It amounts to repentance and a genuine desire not to see the results of my disrespect continue.
All through the Bible parents have the right of respect. Maybe it’s because they have given us life, but it is certainly not based on whether or not they deserve it. I guess when God looks at me, He sees that forgiveness is never based on the fact that I deserve it. Why should respect for my parents be any different.
My Dad died of cancer. Before he died he gave his life to the Lord. I can’t say that I respected him throughout my life. But I respect what he did about his own life when it came to his relationship with the Lord. I wrote him a letter before he died which he read over and over again in hospital, tears streaming down his face, apparently. My mother would read it to him because he was so weak, and he would cry. In that letter I spoke about forgiveness and about salvation in Christ. He already knew by that time what Christ had done for him and accepted Him into his life. I respected him for that, and I made certain that the generational curse of my disrespect for him did not continue down through my family. Thankyou Father for making me aware of all this. I break any such curse in Jesus Name from touching my grandchildren. May they always show respect for their parents.
Wow! I can’t believe it’s taken 6 days to look at this one passage. It obviously touched something deep in my own thoughts. Thanks Lord. It’s always good to explore your truth.
God bless you Church as you make choices to respect your parents despite their failures.
Pastor Ross
