Is the curse put upon Ham (a black man) still in force today?
It is important to note that there was no curse put upon Ham. The curse that you are referring to was put upon his son Canaan. Let’s take a look.
So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren.”
And he said: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant.”
(Gen. 9:24-27 NKJV)
Remember, Ham had four sons: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. If you study Bible history, you will discover that it was from these four sons that the Black, Mongoloid, and Indian races came.
The curse was put upon only one son, Canaan. Canaan and his offspring inhabited the land that eventually became known as Israel (which God had given to the children of Israel).
During this time, Canaan became a slave to Israel. “And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out” (Josh. 17:13 NKJV). Many Bible scholars believe that the curse (Gen. 9:24-27) was fulfilled during this time.
As a matter of fact, many believe that the curse was a prophecy concerning the conquering of Canaan by Israel. I agree with them. Why else would Noah speak a curse on Ham’s son instead of Ham? Ham did wrong, not his son.
I believe God was simply letting us know that the land of Canaan would be conquered. I believe that the idea of the Black race being cursed is ridiculous and unscriptural.
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Joe Cameneti Sr. is the lead pastor of Believers Church, located in his hometown of Warren, Ohio. Pastor Joe, along with his wife Gina, pioneered Believers Church in 1983 following his graduation from Bible School.
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