Topical Bible: Children: Wicked: Canaan

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The biblical narrative presents Canaan as a land and its inhabitants as a significant focus of God's judgment due to their wickedness. The Canaanites, descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham and grandson of Noah, are depicted in the Bible as engaging in practices that were abhorrent to God, leading to their eventual displacement by the Israelites.

Origins and Curse of Canaan

The origins of Canaan and the subsequent curse are found in Genesis 9:20-27. After the flood, Noah became drunk, and Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness. When Noah awoke, he pronounced a curse on Canaan, saying, "Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers" (Genesis 9:25). This curse is often interpreted as a prophetic declaration of the future subjugation of the Canaanites.

Wickedness of the Canaanites

The Canaanites are frequently described in the Bible as engaging in idolatry, immorality, and other practices that were detestable to God. Leviticus 18 provides a detailed account of the abominations committed by the Canaanites, including various forms of sexual immorality and child sacrifice. God warns the Israelites not to follow these practices, stating, "Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves" (Leviticus 18:24).

Divine Judgment and Conquest

The wickedness of the Canaanites led to divine judgment, as God commanded the Israelites to conquer the land of Canaan and drive out its inhabitants. This command is articulated in Deuteronomy 7:1-2, where God instructs the Israelites to "utterly destroy them" and make no covenant with them. The conquest of Canaan, led by Joshua, is a central theme in the book of Joshua, where the Israelites are depicted as instruments of God's judgment against the Canaanites.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons

The narrative of Canaan serves as a moral and spiritual lesson for the Israelites and for readers of the Bible. The Canaanites' fate is a warning against idolatry and immorality, emphasizing the importance of obedience to God's commandments. The Israelites are repeatedly reminded to remain separate from the Canaanites and their practices, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 20:18, which warns, "Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God" .

Legacy and Influence

Despite their destruction, the Canaanites' influence persisted in various forms, as remnants of their culture and practices occasionally resurfaced among the Israelites. The struggle against Canaanite influence is a recurring theme in the historical books of the Old Testament, highlighting the ongoing challenge of maintaining faithfulness to God amidst surrounding pagan cultures.

In summary, the biblical portrayal of Canaan and its inhabitants underscores the themes of divine judgment, the consequences of wickedness, and the call to holiness and separation from ungodly practices.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 9:25
And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Moses and his Writings
... power. So it was with the Children of Israel. ... pleasures. [Illustration: ANCIENT
FIGURE OF ASHTAROTH, THE WICKED IDOL-GODDESS OF CANAAN]. The ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter iii moses and his.htm

Abraham --The Father of the Faithful.
... There were warlike people in Canaan, and once when ... him, God promised him that his
children's children should grow ... lived there were so very wicked, and Abraham ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter iii abrahamthe father of.htm

Of the Third Promise of God, by which He Assured the Land of ...
... and Abraham was in the land of Canaan, but Lot ... comparison with the multitude of the
wicked, although even ... is the promise [907] of many children, not according ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 21 of the third promise.htm

They Shall be Called the Children of God
... put to our choice, we would be ever upon Mount Pisgah, looking into Canaan. ... The wicked
suck poison from that breast of ordinances where the children of God ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/19 they shall be called.htm

The Testament of Simeon Concerning Envy.
... Then shall perish the seed of Canaan, and a remnant shall not ... foot, and men shall
rule over the wicked spirits ... 7. And now, my children, obey Levi, and in Judah ...
/.../ii the testament of simeon concerning.htm

Pilgrims of the Victorious Life
... two pilgrims whose lives are spent in Canaan's most troubled ... Her husband was a wicked
man who gave her a ... and at last died and left her with several children. ...
/.../berry/adventures in the land of canaan/chapter thirteen pilgrims of the.htm

The Testament of Judah Concerning Fortitude, and Love of Money ...
... 105] Now Er was wicked, and he doubted concerning Tamar, because she was not of
the land of Canaan. ... his mother, for he did not wish to have children from her ...
/.../iv the testament of judah concerning.htm

The Testament of Benjamin Concerning a Pure Mind.
... good mind, my children, then will both wicked men be ... first year of the departure
of the children of Israel ... secretly in a place which is called Canaan; and they ...
/.../xii the testament of benjamin concerning.htm

Following the Cloud.
... were not led by a straight way to Canaan, for a ... of this after they had gone, and
his wicked heart grew ... over the sea and divide it, and the children of Israel ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xii following the cloud.htm

The Mystery of the Lost Brother
... "Hasten, follow after the men from Canaan, and say ... [Illustration: "What wicked thing
is ... was the one whom his father loved the most of all his children, now that ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the mystery of the lost.htm