Genesis 9:18. The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
We know the names of three of Adam and Eve’s sons (Cain, Abel, Seth), and now we know the names of Noah’s three sons – Shem, Ham, Japheth. Most likely Shem was not the oldest son of Noah, yet he is listed first here in Genesis 9. Why? Was Shem the first off the ark, the first to trust God’s renewal?
Like Seth before him, the line of blessing will come through this son. The son who honored his father, trusted the Lord, and taught his children.
Genesis 9:23. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father.
I could write pages and pages speculating about this sad and strange post-flood story. Here’s what we know: Noah grows grapes, makes wine, gets drunk, and falls asleep. But Noah is not the point of this drunken tale, Shem is. Again, here’s what we know: Ham fails to help his father in this embarrassing (if not sinful) situation, but Shem, together with his brother Japheth, covered up the nakedness of their father with a garment. Shem honored his father.
Genesis 9:26. [Noah] also said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem…
After cursing Ham’s son, Canaan (it’s a long story), Noah offers a blessing to the Lord, the God of Shem. The “Lord” here is the word Yahweh, the personal name of God. Yahweh is Shem’s God. This language denotes a personal relationship with God. Shem trusted the Lord.
Genesis 10:21. To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber (or the Hebrews).
Shem is the son of Noah that appears to have continued in the faith. Some ancient targums (old Hebrew commentaries on the Bible) tell of Shem forming a school for the passing down of divine wisdom. We don’t know for sure if that is true, but we do know that Shem is the son of Noah who will father the Hebrews, including Abraham, the one who will be used of God to bless the world. Shem taught his children.
Like Seth from Adam, Shem from Noah continues the godly line that will continue to worship and trust God. Although thousands of years of human history are apparently passed over with a simple (or not so simple) genealogy, the purpose is clear: Shem to Abraham. Faith to faith. The God of Shem will become the God of Abraham. And the son of Abraham is Jesus the Christ.
Luke 3:34-38. [Jesus]…34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Jesus the son of Abraham, the son of Shem.
By faith, we who are in Christ are all sons of Abraham and sons of Shem. Yahweh is our God and we are his children. We are the godly line passing down the faith from generation to generation. We are like the ancient children of Shem, the first to spread over the whole globe, taking the good news of Jesus to the ends of the Earth.
Whatever our lineage, our race, our nationality, we are by faith in Christ the true children of Abraham. The spiritual “Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16) that honors our Heavenly Father, trusts our God, and teaches our spiritual children to gospel truths that will bear the fruit of repentance and faith.
Questions: Shem’s lineage led all the way to Jesus? How does this prove to you that God was still gracious to mankind even after the flood? In what way are we the spiritual children of Abraham (and Shem) when we trust in Christ?
To Live is Christ 