Life Walk Lesson 106: God’s Covenant with Noah
The Canaanites -- Bible Study Tools, Easton's Bible Dictionary,
From the Jewish Encyclopedia
In Rabbinical Literature:
The first of the seven sinners who made idols for the heathens, the other six being Phut, Shelah, Nimrod, Elah, Diul, and Shuah. Canaan, with his six companions, brought precious stones from Havilah (Gen. ii. 11-12), and made of them idols, which at night shone as brightly as the sun, and which were endowed with a power so magical that, when the blind Ammorites kissed them, they regained their eyesight ("Chronicles of Jerahmeel," p. 167; compare Kenaz).
Canaan, in a certain sense, was predestined to this and similar offenses; for he was begotten by his father while in Noah's Ark, whereas God had commanded that the sexes should live separately therein (Gen. R. xxxvi.). Canaan was of so low and base a character that Ham, in the record of his wickedness, is designated "the father of Canaan," whereby father and son were ironically characterized as a "par nobile" (noble pair) (Gen. R. l.c.; Origen on Gen. ix. 18).
Concerning the curse of Noah upon Canaan, the Midrashim endeavored in different ways to give a solution to the question why Canaan had to suffer for the sins of his father. The old explanation was that Canaan, not Ham, though he had in no sense transgressed against his grandfather, had to be cursed by him because God had blessed Noah and his sons; and wherever the blessing of God rests there can be no curse (R. Judah, Gen. R. l.c.; Justin Martyr, "Dial. cum Tryph." cxxxix.). This explanation, however, was found to be defective; for it was contrary to Jewish sentiment to curse an innocent man; hence the new assertion that Canaan, like his father, transgressed against Noah.
There are different views as to the nature of Canaan's transgression. According to one, Canaan circulated the report that he saw Noah naked; another view is that he emasculated him that he should have no more sons (Gen. R. l.c.; Origen and Ephraem Syrus on Gen. x. 24, 25; more elaborated, in Pirḳe R. Eliezer xxiii.).
Note: Pirke Rabbi Eliezer beginning at Page 170 Rabbi Eliezer, the text and explanation of the events surrounding Noah, and his son's and the son of Ham; and The Ark and the Flood, Page 171 [Page 164 when I downloaded the document, begins the narrative].
In one of the ancient writings it states that Canaan, who was born on the Ark, even though the males and females were to be separated for that period of time, [Page 169, Pirke R. Eliezer] did not want Noah and his wife to bear any more children, and so he did it for that reason. It was not because Noah was drunk that he was naked, but because he had had intimacy with his wife, according to that particular Jewish tradition. According to that tradition, Canaan did not want any other child to inherit his portion in the earth.
As it was, according to the Ancient Book of Jasher, Canaan did not take the portion he was given by lot, but stole the portion given to Shem, and his descendants, and therefore, according to the Torah, God gave Shem's territory back when Israel was given the promised land, and told to eradicate all the nations born to Canaan.
We see a pattern emerging in the character which continues in the line of Ham, which God cursed.
The manifestation of that curse at first was slavery, according to this, and in Deuteronomy 28, we see how the curse God pronounces unfolds to a greater extent upon all who reject a godly lifestyle, by being rebellious to Him.
According to the Pirke, Noah blessed them: to Shem: "dark and comely", to Ham: "dark as a raven", and to Japheth: white; sending them to the regions assigned to them.
The blessing of skin color, for the body's natural adaptation to the region humans were sent to live in after the flood, sets people free from the equating of one skin color with evil or slavery, and another skin color with beauty, or blessing of any other kind. God gave to each human being a facet of His Own Image for the blessing of the human in the environment in which they settled. Every human being’s personal choices lead to the experience of evil or blessing in their circumstances, as described in Deuteronomy 28.
God looks at the heart, and especially one which wholeheartedly walks with Him, not just on the outward appearance. Let's take down the false concepts that keep people bound and tell them the truth about who they are in Christ.
Note: Justin Martyr Dialogue with Trypho is cited in the Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer on page 171 as a cross reference:
There are several references to Noah in this document, however one in particular that I found on page 277, in Chapter CXXXIV, verse 4, and another on Pages 283-284, specifically speaking of Noah's blessing upon his two sons, and the cursing of the son's son, because Ham was blessed and could not be cursed, according to this later tradition, also mentioned in the Pirke's annotations. See also page 39 of the Dialogue with Trypho for the mention of Noah and circumcision, and subsequent mentions regarding the eating of herbs before the Flood, and the eating of meat after the flood, the covenantal changes post-flood.
The Chronicles of Jerahmeel, Eleazar ben Asher ha-Levi, is also cited. The chapter on the descendants of Noah begins on page 57, but the narrative begins on page 52, which I recommend you start with. The Rabbi hear mentions the conversations between Metatron and the fallen angels, and we know from 3Enoch, written by Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha, that Metatron is the name given to Enoch, who was sent to the Watchers to tell them the word of God, speaking against their wickedness. [See 1Enoch]
