If you know the book of Genesis at all, you know that the book of Genesis is here to show us where we came from.
! That's why it's called Genesis. Genesis means origins or beginnings. It shows us the origin of where we came from.
So we see the origin of the universe and humanity in chapter 1-2.
We see the origin of sin in the fall and as we head out east of Eden.
We see the origin of salvation with God's promise in the garden to have a family for himself.
And from that family, a serpent crusher will come to save the world.
All of this has been the origin of how we got here.
And now in these chapters that Reuben read, we see the origin of the nations.
How and why the nations and countries and peoples and ethnicities and even how other religions got to where they are today.
The conflict and clash of the nations is constantly in the news at the moment, isn't it?
Peace deals are in the headlines.
The clash of beliefs is so prominent in the world right now.
And these chapters are here to show us why that is.
How it all began. It's the origin of the nations.
But in all these names and nations that Reuben did very well reading earlier,
in all of that, these chapters are here to show us how God's blessing and salvation is at the centre of it all.
When we think of the nations of the world,
Ukraine and Gaza and peace deals often feel like the centre of it all, don't they?
That's what is key on the world stage.
That's often what we think.
But actually, when we go back to the origin of the nations,
this shows us that actually God's people are at the centre of it all.
And so I want us to hit rewind on the history books this evening.
So I want us to rewind before the millennium,
before the First World War,
before the Industrial Revolution,
before the Reformation,
before the Middle Ages,
before Christ,
before the Roman Empire,
before Ancient Egypt,
before the Bronze Age,
before the nations and different peoples even existed.
Keep rewinding world history,
and we see
all the nations began
with one family.
Noah's family.
Because after the floods,
how many families are left?
Just one.
One family left in that arc,
and so this is the origin of the nations.
So yes, Adam is the starting point of all humanity,
but humanity has been reset.
Noah emerges as the head of a new creation,
and so this is the new starting point.
The single point of the family tree
where we all come from.
So if we all got a massive bit of paper,
and we all started to draw our family trees,
beginning at the bottom,
and everyone else in the world joined in
on that big bit of paper,
and we kind of kept building our family trees,
going up and up and up,
eventually all the family trees
would begin to merge,
and it would all end up
at this one point here,
Noah.
And so if we want to know
how the nations came to be,
we must look at Noah after the flood
and see how we get from that one family
to the nations.
And so as we rewind world history,
we see
the nations haven't randomly got here.
No, we see the nations
have all got to where they are
because of God.
We see in this,
God is sovereign
over the nations.
That's my first point today.
Got one big point at the beginning
and a smaller point at the end.
First point,
God is sovereign over the nations.
So do you remember God's command
to Noah's family as they left the ark?
Be fruitful and multiply.
God wants this one family
to boom and fill this world with life.
And with that in mind,
this passage starts well
because we focus on the next generation,
Noah's sons, verse 18.
The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark
were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Ham was the father of Canaan.
These three were the sons of Noah,
and from these people,
and from these,
the people of the whole earth
were dispersed.
We're looking for life,
looking for families,
looking for a son,
and here we have three.
And from these three sons,
the whole earth comes from them.
And so as Noah and his family
leave the ark,
life gets going again,
including work,
verse 20.
Noah began to be a man of the soil,
and he planted a vineyard.
Now,
Noah really is like a new Adam here,
isn't he?
Adam was meant to work the ground,
but here is Noah fulfilling that again.
It's a new start.
And what's his speciality?
He makes a vineyard.
He's a wine merchant.
He makes Malbec.
But not all is well in the house of Noah.
Look what Noah does with the wine.
Verse 21.
He drank of the wine and became drunk,
and they uncovered in his tent.
So yes,
wine is good.
It's a good gift from God.
But too much wine,
an abuse of that gift,
it can so often lead to shameful things
that we say or do.
Things that we so badly regret the next day.
Because look how it affects Noah.
He lay uncovered in his tent.
He's laying naked, unconscious,
steaming drunk on the sofa.
We don't know all the details of what happened,
but all this drinking,
it's clearly led to this shameful, indecent state.
And so as the family begins to grow again,
this is a troubling start.
But the future doesn't hinge on Noah in this moment.
It hinges on how his sons respond to this.
And that's the case with any family, isn't it?
We are all born to sinful parents,
but the next generation hinges on,
well, how are we going to respond to that sin?
Well, look what Ham, his youngest son, does.
Verse 22.
Ham sees the shame of his father,
and he doesn't help him.
And he doesn't look away either.
No, he watches,
and then goes to his brothers,
and says,
come and have a look as well.
Now what's going on here?
What's so bad here?
Well, not only does he dishonor his father
by watching his humiliation,
and adding to it,
but by getting others to watch.
But here also,
there seems to be
something a bit more deviant going on.
He's wanting to look,
and he's getting others to join in.
It's the equivalent of filming it
and sending it out.
The sin of watching shameful things,
it hasn't started with the internet.
It's been here since the beginning.
But Ham's response
is contrasted with his brothers.
Because Shem and Japheth
hear what's going on,
but they do something about it.
Verse 23.
Do you see?
They get a blanket,
they hang it between them,
across their shoulders,
they face it away from Noah,
behind them,
and they walk backwards,
and they lay the blanket on Noah,
and they cover him up.
And this is the right response.
Not only do they not look for themselves,
but they honour their father
by not looking,
not adding to that shame.
And not only that,
they don't just leave him,
they cover him,
they help him.
Actually, it's just like
what God did for Adam and Eve,
isn't it?
He clothed them in their shame.
And so we see here
two contrasting ways
we can respond to sin.
Indulge in it and add to it,
or shield yourself from it
and cover it and help it.
And when Noah finds out
what's happened,
he responds.
And his response
shapes the future of the nations.
Noah dishes out
blessing
and curse
on his sons.
And we need to realise
what this is.
Noah is a prophet.
That's how the New Testament
talks about him.
It calls him
a herald of righteousness.
Noah,
he's a prophet.
And so as a prophet,
God is speaking
through him
in this moment.
And so what comes next
is God
pronouncing something
upon the future
of the nations.
God is pronouncing
curse
and blessing.
Verse 24,
when Noah awoke
from his wine
and knew what his
youngest son
had done to him,
he said,
curse be Canaan,
a servant of servants
shall he be
to his brothers.
Noah turns to Ham
and says,
curse be your son,
Canaan.
And notice,
he doesn't curse
Ham directly,
does he?
He curses his son.
God is pronouncing
something about
all the sons
and all the bloodline
that will come from Ham.
And remember,
sons and bloodlines
have been key
in all of Genesis
so far.
Where does God promise
salvation will come from?
It's through a bloodline,
a family,
and from that family
will come
a serpent crusher son.
And so if salvation
is coming through a son,
what's going on here?
This isn't Noah
just saying,
Ham,
you're not my favourite
child anymore.
No.
This is God
cutting off
Ham's family
from salvation itself.
In fact,
all the people
that come from Ham
will be servants
to the people
from the other brothers.
This is God saying,
from now on,
the world
is going to be fractured.
There are going to be
three branches
that will come
from Noah.
And this branch,
Ham's branch,
the nations from Ham,
are going to be cursed,
shut off from salvation.
Basically,
you aren't going to be
the promised family.
And in chapter 10,
you can see
that is what
Ham's family becomes.
Chapter 10,
it's often called
the table of nations.
And it's kind of like
a quick fast forward
from these three brothers
to all the nations
that come from them.
And there's 70 in total here.
That's the number
of completeness
in the Bible.
It's kind of a complete
world map
of where the nations
come from.
And look who
comes from Ham.
See if you recognize
any names.
Chapter 10,
verse 1.
The sons of Ham,
Cush,
Egypt,
Put,
and Canaan.
Some big names there.
Egypt
and Canaan.
But also,
look at verses 10 and 11.
Babel,
Assyria,
Nineveh.
Verse 14,
the Philistines.
All these come from Ham.
And who are all
these nations?
These are all the bad guys
of the Old Testament.
These are all Israel's enemies.
It's like saying,
oh,
and you need to know
who the sons of Ham were.
They're Voldemort,
Sauron,
and Darth Vader.
Okay?
You read that,
like,
alarm bells are going off.
And so,
we're seeing here
why Israel's enemies
became their enemies.
Why Pharaoh and Moses?
Why David and Goliath?
Why Israel and Assyria?
Well,
it's all because
God has cursed them,
shut them off
from the promise.
And so,
whose side are they
going to be on?
They're not going to be
on God's side.
They're going to be
on Satan's.
God promised
enmity
with God's people,
and here it is.
And so,
as we rewind
and look back
to the root
of the family tree,
this is how
and why
God's people
have enemies.
It's from this curse.
And also,
this is how
and why
other religions
have developed
in this world.
So,
think about it.
Originally,
everyone,
these three sons,
they all knew
the one God.
One family,
one God,
one knowledge.
But as humanity
divided here
and God's curse
came,
knowledge of God
began to fade
and warp
down the generations.
And other
distorted versions
of God
began to appear.
And that's why
some religions
and some writings,
they can have
similarities
to the God
of the Bible,
but at the same time,
they're horrible
distortions of him.
it's because
of this.
We all began
here with the same
knowledge.
Ham knew God,
but the nations
grew
and turned
God
into something
else.
But the focus
isn't on Ham,
though.
There's a real focus
on Canaan,
isn't there?
Verse 18,
Ham was the father
of Canaan.
Verse 22,
Ham the father
of Canaan.
Verse 25,
cursed be Canaan.
Verse 26,
let Canaan
be his servant.
1015,
we see all of
Canaan's family.
And why is this?
Well,
where are Israel
when they first
read Genesis?
Where is the law
given?
It's just before
they enter Canaan.
And so as God
rewinds world
history
for Israel
to read,
God is saying
these nations
before you,
however intimidating
they look,
whatever you think
may happen to you
when you cross
the River Jordan,
you need to know
all these nations,
they come from
a curse.
I'm not on
their side.
I'm not for them
and they're not
there by accident.
I have placed
them exactly
where they are
meant to be.
And that's why
God can say
to Joshua
as he enters
Canaan,
be strong
and courageous.
Don't be scared
as you enter
the land
where all these
nations are against
you because
I'm not on
their side,
I'm on yours.
And so as we
rewind
and we see
where the nations
came from
out and we
get to the
root of the
family tree,
we really see
God's sovereignty
here.
Even today,
when nations
rebel against
him,
when unbelief
is everywhere
you look,
when states
turn their back
on their God
given duty,
when the secular
becomes the
norm,
we need to
know that
unbelief
isn't God
losing control.
no,
even a cursed
nation like
Canaan
is there
under God's
sovereignty.
And so,
and so is
ours.
The earth
is his
and the
fullness
thereof.
God has
set the
boundaries
and the
lifespans
of every
single nation.
Kings
and prime
ministers
and parliaments,
they all
rise and
fall at the
will of God.
what is
going on
in Ukraine
and Gaza,
God knows
it all.
He's
controlling
all these
events right
now.
It's all
in his
plan.
God
set the
destiny of
Canaan
and he
set the
destiny of
every single
nation on
this planet.
Now,
it needs to
be said,
we can't
separate the
current world
into cursed
or not
cursed nations
anymore.
In many
ways,
the curse
on Canaan
was fulfilled
when Israel
took it
over.
Canaan
became the
servant of
God's
people.
But this
does still
show us
God's
sovereignty
over the
nations,
including
his enemies.
I read
this week
about what
the church
in China
is going
through.
And they're
in desperate
need of our
prayers.
I'll tell you
please pray
for them.
And a
newsletter I
read said
this,
since October
the 9th,
2025,
nearly 30
pastors and
staff members
of Zion
Church across
China have
been detained
or have
lost contact.
Basically,
their homes
have been
raided,
these
Christians
have been
arrested and
no one knows
where they've
been taken
to.
It is
horrific
persecution
going on
this very
week.
But we
need to
know,
when we
think of
a nation
like that,
we need
to know,
even then,
God is
in control.
The
Communist Party
of China
is only
able to
exist
because the
Lord says
so.
God is
sovereign even
over his
enemies.
And that
goes not
just for the
world stage,
but that
means in
the lives
of his
people too.
The
opposition you
face in
your life
because of
your faith,
the friction
you get at
work or
at school,
the difficult
conversations
you have
around the
dinner table,
we need to
realise God
is in
control of
all of
that.
God
knows
every
single
family,
he set
every
nation
and
household
in
place
and
he
knows
you
and for
everyone
in
Christ
he
says
I
am
on
your
side.
So
this
world
is full
of
unbelief.
Satan
is out
to get
us
in so
many
ways
but we
can go
into
this
world
fearlessly.
Whatever
you are
worried
about
in
this
coming
week
you
can
go
into
it
boldly
and
courageously
because
God
is
sovereign
over
the
nations.
That's
what we
see here
with Ham.
But as
we look
at the
other
brothers
we
also
see
God
is
doing
something
else
with
the
nations.
Yes
he's
sovereign
and in
his
sovereignty
God
is
bringing
blessing
to
the
nations.
It's
my
second
and
final
and
shorter
point.
God
is
bringing
blessing
to
the
nations.
So
Noah
after
speaking
to
Ham
turns
to
his
eldest
son
Shem
blessed
be
the
Lord
the
God
of
Shem
and
let
Canaan
be
his
servant.
Now
just look
at these
words.
This
is
the
first
time
in
the
Bible
we
see
two
things
about
God.
Firstly
this is
the first
time God
is called
the Lord
Yahweh.
This is
God's
covenant
name.
The name
God is
called with
by his
people that
he loves
and he
knows and
he saves.
And also
this is the
first time
God is
called
the God
of someone
the God
of Shem.
as
Noah
prophesies
here
God
sets
the
destiny
of
this
one
family.
I
am
going
to
be
your
God
and
I
will
be
your
Yahweh
and
you
and
your
family
you're
going
to
be
my
special
people
the
people
that
I
love
and
I
save
and
all
my
blessing
is
going
to
belong
to
you.
Canaan
will
be
your
servant.
And
with a
promise
like
that
you
might
have
thought
the
name
Shem
might
be
more
familiar
or
as
family
tree
in
1021
you
might
have
thought
it
might
ring
more
bells.
Well
actually
you
most
likely
already
do
know
these
names
two
in
particular
because
this
family
tree
the
line
of
Shemites
this
is
where
Israel
comes
from.
The
family
tree
in
chapter
10
it
isn't
complete
here
it
actually
continues
in
chapter
11
and
from
Shem
eventually
comes
Abraham
and
then
Isaac
and
Jacob
and
all
Israel
they're
all
Shemites
which
is
which
is
why
we
have
the
word
anti
Semitic
or
anti
Shemitic
it
means
anti
the
line
of
Shem
Jews
are
Shemites
which
is
why
you'll
also
know
another
name
here
1021
and
25
Shem's
great
grandson
Eber
and
everyone
from
Eber
are
called
not
the
Eberites
but
the
Eberus
the
Hebrews
and
so
God
is
beginning
something
very
special
here
he
pronounces
here
to
Shem
it
is
with
you
Shem
it
is
with
your
family
this
is
how
I'm
going
to
save
the
world
and
so
the
promise
back
in
Genesis
3
to
send
the
serpent
crusher
through
a
family
well
now
it's
confirmed
this
is
the
family
God
is
going
to
bring
blessing
to
this
world
and
it's
going
to
be
through
Shem
through
this
one
family
this
is
where
all
of
God's
blessings
are
going
to
be
stored
which
is
why
Israel
becomes
so
central
to
God's
plan
of
salvation
which
is
why
Israel
does
make
Canaan
their
servant
which
is
why
following
Israel's
genealogy
is
so
important
to
following
the story
of salvation
just like
Ruth and
Boaz
this morning
because if
we keep
following the
line of
Shem
and
Eba
and Abraham
and Boaz
and we keep
going and
going
eventually
we get to
Joseph
the husband
of Mary
the mother
of Jesus
and
so as
the
nations
expand
and the
family
tree
grows
from
Noah
God
is
narrowing
down
the
blood
lines
to
bring
salvation
to
the
world
not
Ham
but
Shem
not
Ishmael
but
Isaac
not
Esau
but
Jacob
and
it
keeps
getting
more
and
more
and
more
narrow
until
we
are
left
with
just
one
man
one
little
baby
there
in
Bethlehem
in
the
manger
the
serpent
crusher
God
in
all
his
sovereignty
has
been
building
and
shaping
the
nations
crafting
all
these
blood
lines
making
kingdoms
rise
and
fall
all
in
order
to
bring
his
chosen
people
through
it
all
and
from
them
bring
blessing
to
the
world
through
his
son
and
so
if
humanity
is
one
big
family
tree
on
that
paper
God's
people
are
like
the
trunk
of
that
tree
the
central
spine
holding
it
all
together
we
saw
last
week
God
is
upholding
the
universe
in
order
to
bring
salvation
well
we
see
here
God
is
upholding
the
nations
to
bring
salvation
and
it's
coming
through
Shem
but
if
all
this
is
just
happening
in
one
family
how
does
that
blessing
reach
the
world
well
look
at
what
Noah
says
to
Japheth
927
may
God
enlarge
Japheth
and
let
him
dwell
in
the
tents
of
Shem
and
let
Canaan
be
his
servant
God
promises
that
Japheth's
family
will
grow
and
they're
going
to
share
in
the
blessing
of
Shem
dwell
in
the
tents
of
Shem
now
you
may
not
recognize
the
names
of
Japheth's
sons
in
verse
2
of
chapter
10
but
Japheth
eventually
becomes
the people
of Turkey
and
Greece
and
eventually
Italy
and Rome
the
coastlands
think
of
those
nations
that's
the
Gentile
world
of the
New
Testament
isn't
it
and
so
just
have
a
think
when
Jesus
as
soon
as
Jesus
ascends
into
heaven
what
happens
he
sends
out
the
gospel
from
Israel
and
where
does
the
apostle
Paul
go
and
preach
Turkey
Greece
and
he
ends
up
in
Rome
the
gospel
goes
out
it
explodes
to
the
nations
and
we
see
as
soon
as
it
does
Japheth
comes
and
dwells
in
the
tents
of
Shem
the
gospel
is
the
fulfillment
of
this
blessing
here
in
Genesis
9
the
blessing
comes
to
the
Shemites
Christ
is
born
and
brings
salvation
to
Israel
and
then
salvation
explodes
out
across
the
world
to
the
nations
and
so
just
think
about
it
every
non-Jew
here
in
effect
we
are all
Japhethites
dwelling
in the
tents
of
Shem
this
is
what
happens
when
you
hear
and
believe
the
gospel
we
are
like
a
stray
branch
in
the
family
tree
and
God
takes
you
and
snaps
you
off
and
grafts
you
into
the
trunk
of
salvation
so
that
you
can
say
the
Lord
is
now
my
God
through
Shem
through
the
Shemite
the
true
Hebrew
blessing
has
come
to
the
world
and
God
in
all
his
sovereignty
has
shaped
the
nations
shaped
your
life
to
bring
you
here
today
so
that
you
can
hear
this
gospel
we
were
lost
but
now
we
have
found
our
home
in
the
tents
of
Shem
but
I
don't
want us
to
miss
how
all
this
began
how
curse
and
blessing
came
to
these
families
it
all
hinged
on
how
these
three
sons
treated
the
saviour
of
the
world
so
Noah
sinned
here
we
can't
escape
that
but
we
can't
miss
Noah's
significance
in
all
of
this
even
in
his
sin
Noah
is
still
the
man
at
the
centre
of
God's
promises
the
head
of
the
covenant
the
new
Adam
the
saviour
who
brought
a
people
through
the
flood
and
how
each
of
these
three
sons
treated
this
saviour
that
determined
whether
blessing
or curse
came to
them
whether
they
belonged
to a
dead
branch
of the
family
tree
or to
the
living
trunk
at the
centre
of it
all
and that
goes for
us too
but it's
not about
how we
treat
Noah
it's
about
how we
treat
his
descendant
the
greater
Noah
Christ
now
Christ
never
sinned
but he
did
become
sin
for
us
and he
never
did
anything
shameful
but he
did
experience
the
humiliation
of the
cross
and how
you
respond
to that
how you
respond
to that
crucified
saviour
whether you
trust
and honour
him
or you
don't
that is
the difference
between
curse
and blessing
in this
world
but if
you trust
him
like
Shem
and Japheth
if you
honour
him
there is
unending
blessing
in the
tents of
Shem
and that
goes
for the
Jews
too
you might
be wondering
what about
the Jews
what about
the Shemites
now
if this
is the
promise
has God
rejected
his people
well no
but many
have rejected
God
you could
say
they've
left
their own
tents
because
the
Messiah
the
promised
son
is
finally
here
but so
many
haven't
believed
and so
for the
descendants
of Shem
today
that they
need to
trust in
the Messiah
otherwise
God will
break branches
off the
trunk
but for
those who
believe
those who
hear the
gospel
and trust
in the
Saviour
we can
say
blessed
be the
Lord
the
God
of
us
our
God
our
Yahweh
and so
as we
look
to the
origin
of the
nations
it's
really
the
origin
of
the
church
we
are at
the
centre
of
God's
plan
for
the
nations
we
are
the
trunk
of
that
tree
so
this
is
why
the
world
is
as
it
is
it
has
all
come
from
this
one
family
and
this
is
why
the
world
isn't
hopeless
God
in all
his
grace
has
brought
blessing
to
this
world
God
has
brought
blessing
through
one
family
and
that
blessing
has
reached
the
nations
it's
reached
us
and
so
this
blessing
is
for
you
believe
in the
promised
son
and
come
and
dwell
in
the
tents
of
Shem
let's
pray