ARE AFRICANS CURSED? Part 1

In my travels, I run into people from all walks of life. People I meet are, for the most part absolutely wonderful, and I thank God for this privilege. Cultures, cuisine, accents, personal stories, etc., are all quite fascinating, not to mention the diversity in the beauty of nature in different parts of the world – the Caribbean, Thailand, India, Africa, Europe, the US, etc.

I’m also fascinated by ideas. I love to learn what other people think about various topics. But once in a while, one comes across views that are so mistaken that one’s initial reaction is either sorrow or shock, rather than an attempt at a refutation of such views.

Such is the case with the issue I’m reflecting on right now. I had just finished a lecture early today on why Africa needs apologetics when someone said my diagnosis was completely wrongheaded; the problem is not that the people of Africa are not applying God’s Word to their lives and cultures well enough. The real problem is that Africans are cursed. That, he said, is a clear biblical teaching. We can do all the evangelism/apologetics we want, but, in the end, we are just wasting our time. God has spoken. Ouch!

For the record, I would normally not bother at all with such ideas, but, sadly, there are people who still hold these harmful and debilitating views. I know. I’ve met them. Such views have been used in the past to justify slavery and apartheid, and they continue to enslave minds to this day – both the minds of those who propagate the views and of the victims who settle for less than God’s best for them because of putting on such unworthy identities.

Shortly after I became a follower of Christ, I came across such claims and was determined to find out the truth. I did my research, and my confidence in God’s Word and His love for all of His children were greatly strengthened as a result. Since then, this has never been an issue for me. This is a problem that can hold me back in any way. But it is one that must be addressed anew since not everyone knows the truth. So, are Africans cursed?

One of the resources that I found helpful was a small book titled, “Is Africa Cursed?” by a man who later became a friend, the late Tokunboh Adeyemo. I will quote him to finish this post, but I may return to the topic later. By the way, I would really like to hear your thoughts on this. Here’s Adeyemo on Genesis 9:18-27, the problem passage (pages 16 – 17 of the 2009 edition):

The Scriptures contain the account where Ham ridiculed his drunken father, Noah, by failing to cover his nakedness. According to Deuteronomy 27:16, to treat one’s father or mother with contempt as Ham did was punishable by a curse. However, Noah could not curse Ham though he deserved it. In Genesis 9:1, God had blessed Noah and his three sons beforehand. Noah knew that he could not curse anyone whom God had blessed. This principle would be seen much later in Numbers 23:7-8, 8-22 when Balaam discovered that he could not reverse the blessing of God upon Israel.

But Ham had four sons – Cush (Ethiopia), Mizraim (Egypt), Put (Libya) and Canaan (Genesis 10:6). Noah could not curse Cush because he was protected by another law, the law of the firstborn (Genesis 27:1-37; Deuteronomy 21:17). He, however, could have cursed Mizraim or Put but he chose to curse the youngest son, Canaan.

In the story, between verses 18 and 27, reference to Canaan occurred five times. Also, in Genesis 10 Canaan is singled out for particular attention in verses 15-19. Why? Because the Holy Spirit and the human author do not want us to make the mistake of wrong or unsuccessful judgement. Ham was not cursed, but Canaan was (Genesis 9:25).

Thus for the first three sons of Ham, we have a good idea of the geographical locations of their nations and that is North Africa. Genesis 10:18-19 details how scattered the families of the Canaanites were: “And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza, then as you go toward Sodom, Gommorah, Admah and Zeboim, as far as Lasha.”

Note that these areas are not part of, neither are they in Africa. They are the areas that the Lord promised to give to Abraham when He called him to leave Ur of the Chaldeans for a promised land (see Genesis 15:18-21).

Professor Charles Ryrie (1976:20), in his study Bible, makes the following comments regarding this subject:

“Whether Canaan was personally involved with his father Ham’s sin we do not know (he might have seen Noah’s condition first and then told his father). But Ham is punished for his dishonour to his father by having a son who will bring dishonour to him.”

The curse is not on the Hamites, but on the Canaanites, the inhabitants of Palestine who were first subjected by Joshua and later by Solomon. The Canaanites long ago became extinct – the curse, therefore, cannot be applied to anyone today.

The Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary (1987:186) explains it as follows:

“This curse, which applies more to the descendants of Canaan, does not imply the slavery of a particular race (as some have held), rather, it suggests the inferior position of the Canaanites before the conquest relative to the important role played by their neighbours, the Egyptians and the inhabitants of Mesopotamia.”

Back to our question: Is Africa cursed? The answer is a resounding NO…