Thus far we have not gone beyond the _historical_ truth of the
Pentateuch; but now let us turn to the _prophecy_,—that most remarkable
prophecy of Noah, in which he foreshadowed the future destiny of the
great families. Let us consider the three prophecies in the order in
which they stand.
(1.) Canaan. There is something inexpressibly awful in the words
respecting Canaan, and they are full of instruction respecting sin. They
show what an awful thing sin is in the sight of God, and how superficial
is man’s estimate of its guilt; for here is a whole race laid under a
solemn curse in consequence of the sin of its head. As Adam brought a
curse on the world, so Ham brought one on Canaan. The curse inflicted in
that case was bondage, and the prophecy was that Canaan should be a
servant of servants to both his brethren: _i.e._ to both Shem and
Japheth. And now look at the fulfilment.
Take first a period about 1,000 years after the prophecy was given, when
the Canaanites were still in the promised land, and Israel, the
descendants of Shem, came up from Egypt. The conflict then was between
Shem and Canaan, and what was the result? The greater part of the
Canaanites were destroyed, and those that remained were reduced to abject
slavery. The prediction was fulfilled, and Canaan became the slave of
Shem.
But some may say that all that was a long time ago, and only matter of
ancient history.
Let us then turn to our own times, and consider facts that are within our
own observation. How is it that our own West Indian islands are peopled
with negroes? Is it not because we English made slaves of the Africans,
or, in other words, because Japheth made a slave of Canaan? How is it
that there is a negro population amounting to 4,000,000 in the United
States? Is it not for the name reason, that Japheth made a slave of
Canaan? How is it that up to the year 1807, when the slave trade was
abolished, the West Coast of Africa was made the hunting-ground for all
the leading nations of Europe? What was it but the simple fulfilment of
this prophecy, in which it was foretold that Japheth should make a slave
of Canaan?
And now turn to the Eastern coast of Africa, and the present negotiations
now going on in Egypt. One of the great difficulties of these
negotiations arises from the horrors of the East African slave trade.
There is an extensive trade in slaves being carried on at this very time
all along the East Coast of Africa. There are gangs of miserable victims
being driven at this very hour to the principal slave markets. And who
are the great offenders in that most nefarious and wicked traffic? The
Arabs, some still living in Arabia, and some settled in Egypt at the time
of the great Arab invasion of the country. And who are the Arabs, and to
which race do they belong? I believe it is agreed by all parties that
they are Semitic, or from Shem. So that the result is that poor Canaan
has been enslaved by both his brethren—on the west by Japheth, and on the
east by Shem; and however deeply we deplore the woes of Africa, and
however earnestly we should arise as one man to urge our rulers to use
their powers to put down the accursed trade, we must look on the fact of
its existence with reverent wonder, and learn from those miserable slave
gangs a most solemn lesson as to the abiding truth of the prophecies of
God.
(2.) But now let us turn to Shem, where we have a brighter prospect; for
on the mention of his name the prophet exclaims, “Blessed be the LORD God
of Shem,” or rather, “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem.” Now here we
have not merely an act of praise, but a prophecy; for there is a clear
prediction that Jehovah should be the God of Shem. Canaan and Japheth
might worship devils and false gods, and bow down before man-made idols;
but the God of Shem should be Jehovah Himself, and Shem should be
distinguished by the fact that Jehovah should be his God. And is not
this precisely what has happened? Up to the time of our blessed Saviour
what nation was there in the world that worshipped Jehovah except the
seed of Abraham? It was the sacred calling of that family to stand out
alone as witnesses before an apostate world to the great principle—“Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” It was
Shem, and Shem alone, that worshipped the one self-existent, omnipotent,
omnipresent, and everlasting Jehovah.
The great prophecy, therefore, was most literally fulfilled in fact. But
if we understand the name “Jehovah” as applied to the promised seed of
the woman, the Saviour who was to come, the fulfilment is still more
remarkable; for it was in the line of Shem that the Coming One appeared.
No trouble is taken in the Scriptures to record the genealogies of either
Ham or Japheth, and they terminate with two generations. But the sacred
line of Shem is carefully preserved. We have every link given, from Adam
to Abraham, and after that from Abraham to the Lord Jesus; so that if we
thus understand the title Jehovah, the prophecy would mean, Blessed be
the Coming One, the Lord Jesus, the Christ, the God of Shem; and we
should see in it the prophecy that the coming deliverer, the deliverer
promised to Eve, should arise out of the family of Shem, so that in him
and his seed should all nations of the world be blessed. I need not stop
to point out how exactly this prophecy was fulfilled in the birth of the
Lord Jesus Christ about 2,300 years after it was spoken by Noah.
(3.) But now for Japheth.
The meaning of the name is generally considered to be “enlargement,” and
the prophecy is that he should be enlarged. The meaning of this must be,
that he should be gifted with what may be termed a spreading power. His
great characteristic is to be expansion, or, the enlargement of his
borders. Now think for one moment of Europe and Europeans. Think of
Europe as the home of the sons of Japheth according to the Scriptures, or
of the Aryans according to the men of science. And may we not appeal to
any one who will take the trouble to look around the world at this
present day, and ask whether this power of spreading is not one of the
most peculiar and exceptional features of the European family? Ham and
Shem are not spreading anywhere; but Japheth everywhere. Why, look at
this little island of our own—one of the very least of the “isles of the
Gentiles”—and see how its people have spread. Not only has it peopled
the vast continent of America, but it possesses at this present time such
a colonial empire that the sun never sets on the dominions of our Queen.
Most truly and most remarkably in our own case has God enlarged Japheth,
and so made England a “witness to the truth” of the prophecy which He
gave through Noah no less than 4,000 years ago.
But there still remains that last clause, “He shall dwell in the tents of
Shem,” and, as we ought never to speak too dogmatically respecting the
prophetic Word, I am free to admit that it is not perfectly clear in what
sense it should be understood.
It may refer to the spreading of the Europeans into all the nations of
the world, and so dwelling in the tents of Shem; and if there were
nothing more than our own settlements in foreign lands, there would be
the most complete fulfilment of the prophecy.
But surely there is more. And especially there is one remarkable
fulfilment, which I cannot help thinking must have been intended in the
prophecy. Now let us remember that the Lord and His coming is the
centre, or turning-point, of the whole prophetic Word. Let us not forget
how we found that the prophecy respecting Shem appeared distinctly to
foretell His advent. Now when the predicted time came, and the promised
Jehovah appeared, why did He not take His place on the throne of David,
and why did He not reign in the tents of Shem? The Holy Land had all
been given to Abraham, and belonged to the family of Shem; but when the
Lord, the God of Shem, came, there was neither throne nor kingdom for
Him, and He had not even where to lay His head. How could this be? And
what had become of the royal throne? The answer is most remarkable. The
Romans were on it, or, in prophetic words, Japheth was dwelling in the
tents of Shem. The Romans were sons of Japheth, and by them the Lord,
the God of Shem, was supplanted on His throne.
But, though that was a clear, literal, and most remarkable fulfilment of
the prophecy, I cannot help thinking that in these words the Spirit of
God referred to something higher. When St. James was speaking of the
call of the Gentiles at what has been termed the council of Jerusalem, as
recorded, Acts xv. 15, he quoted the words, “I will build again the
tabernacle of David.” The conversion of the Gentiles was compared,
therefore, to their admission into the tabernacle of David. And so the
safety of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is compared by David
himself to the shelter of God’s tabernacle, as, _e.g._, in Psalm xxvii.
5, where we read, “In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me.”
Now, bearing in mind the great fact that Jehovah is the God of Shem, and
that the predicted Redeemer came from Shem, may we not believe that the
tent, or the tabernacle of Shem, was the prophetic figure of the safety
provided in the promised Son of God? The word Shem means “name,” and
there may be something in the passage not unlike those other words, “The
name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is
safe.” Now if the passage were so understood, it would lead to the
conclusion that Japheth would shelter himself under the Jehovah of Shem,
and so dwell, as it were, in his tent, or under his tabernacle. It would
lead us to expect a salvation through the Jehovah of Shem, bestowed on
Japheth in such a way that Japheth should become possessor of Shem’s
inheritance.
Now if that view of the prophecy commend itself to your judgment,
remember that Noah spoke more than 4,000 years ago, and then look at the
present position of the world. In what quarters of the globe do we find
at this present time the most general recognition of the God of Shem?
Which of the continents are most prominent in the honour paid to His
name? Certainly neither Africa nor Asia; neither Ham nor even Shem
itself. Beyond all controversy the two great Christian continents that
are dwelling under Jehovah of Shem are the two peopled by Japheth; viz.,
Europe and America. Explain it as we may, the facts are most remarkable.
The Lord Jesus Christ came from Shem, and, according to the language of
scientific men, was Semitic, whereas by far the great majority of those
who believe in His Name are from Japheth, or, according to men of
science, Aryans. Shem has rejected its own Saviour; but Japheth has
received Him, so that, under our own eyes, and at this present time,
Japheth is dwelling in the tents of Shem. I know well how grievous a
perversion of truth there is throughout Europe, and I do not for one
moment maintain that the worship is pure; but still the name of Jehovah,
the God of Shem, as manifested in the Lord Jesus Christ, is avowedly
honoured, and we sons of Japheth are at this present moment abiding in
His tent.
Now how are we to explain all this? How are we to explain the agreement
between the conclusions of modern science and the historical fact of the
threefold division which occurred more than 4,000 years ago? How again
are we to account for the fulfilment of the prophetic Word? How do we
explain the fact that, in exact accord with the prophecy, Canaan is the
servant of servants; that it was from Shem that the Lord appeared; that
Japheth is at this day remarkable for enlargement; and that we ourselves
at this very moment are assembled to worship in the house of the God of
Shem? It is impossible to believe that the book of Genesis was written
to suit the conclusions of modern science; for these conclusions were
utterly unknown at the time of its composition. It is impossible to
believe that it is the result of design in our scientific men, for such
an idea would indeed dishonour science. It is equally impossible to
believe that the agreement was the result of chance or accident; for
there are far too many points, both in the history and prophecy, to
render such accidental coincidence possible. It is like a complicated
lock which can only be opened by the key that was made to fit it. No;
there is only one solution of the problem. As for the history, science
agrees with it, and therefore confirms its truth; and as for the
prophecy, it could have had its origin in no human calculation of the
future; for how should Noah make any calculation respecting the state of
this nineteenth century? But all is plain if we believe it to be
inspired. He who inspired the prophecy, He saw the end from the
beginning. He knew all, and by the lips of Noah he foretold what he
foreknew; and thus we are brought to the conclusion, so plainly stated by
St. Peter—“The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”