Drunk History

Walter Henegar | Nov 5, 2023

Genesis 9:18-10:32 (ESV)

18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.

20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness.24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed be Canaan;

a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

26 He also said,

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem;

and let Canaan be his servant.

27 May God enlarge Japheth,

and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,

and let Canaan be his servant.”

28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.


*the preacher summarized and referred to selected verses in chapter 10 below

10:1 These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.

2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.


6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.13 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.


15 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth,16 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. 19 And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.20 These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.


21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan. 26 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.


32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.




Sermon Summary

Noah’s drunken final chapter reminds us that all of us are shaped by the models around us, especially our families, but that God always works through fallible people. Ultimately, Jesus is re-gathering people from all the scattered descendants of Noah into his new family where grace reigns.

Discussion Questions

  1. What stood out to you or stuck with you from the sermon?
  2. What is one good gift of God (like wine for Noah) that you struggle to steward well? How can that struggle give you constructive compassion for others with different struggles?
  3. How do you decide when to cover the flaws of others, and when to expose them in love?
  4. How do your ancestors show up in your life today? How has your life diverged from the patterns you inherited from them?
  5. How is the new family of God—the church—re-shaping your life?

Resources Consulted

  • Africa Bible Commentary, ed. Tokunboh Adeyowo
  • Genesis for Everyone, John Goldingay
  • The Message of Genesis 1-11, David Atkinson
  • Genesis: A Commentary, Bruce Waltke
  • NIV Application Commentary on Genesis, John Walton
  • The Five Books of Moses, Robert Alter
  • How to Read Genesis, Tremper Longman
  • Far as the Curse is Found, Michael D. Williams
  • Christ of the Covenants, O. Palmer Robertson
  • How to Know a Person, David Brooks



Walter's 2018 sermons on Genesis 1-3:

Genesis 1:1-2:3 Designed

Genesis 2:4-25 Defined

Genesis 2:21-3:24 Misaligned