Ham saw his father’s nakedness. That’s always the way it is, for whether it’s regarding our birth family or our church family, those closest to us are those who will see our weaknesses. Why Ham talked about his father’s nakedness, I do not know, just as I don’t know why we are so eager to talk about one another’s weaknesses. But this I do know: Shem and Japheth wouldn’t look at their father’s nakedness themselves. Why did they stretch a garment between them? Because they didn’t want anyone outside the tent to look in and see their dad’s nakedness. They didn’t want those outside of the tent to be distracted by their father’s condition.

Folks, people are looking for reasons not to believe our message of hope and salvation. And hearing us talk about each other’s weaknesses gives them reason not to come in and join us.

But not only did Shem and Japheth keep others from viewing their father’s nakedness, they did not look upon it themselves.

Why?

Because even though I know someone may be forgiven, and even though I know sin is common to everyone, looking at someone’s sin or listening to reports of someone’s iniquity taints the way I view him in the future. You see, if you come home from work upset with your boss and you start complaining and exposing his mistakes and weaknesses to your wife, although you end up feeling much better, your wife stores that information away. And the next time she sees your boss, there are daggers in her eyes, and you wonder why she no longer wants to go to the company picnic. So too, if I listen to reports of the sin or iniquity of another, it will taint the way I view that person. Malicious exposure is damaging, destructive, and divisive.

Shouldn’t we talk about problems? If it’s your problem, yes. But if it’s someone else’s problem, someone else’s sin, someone else’s weakness, nakedness, or vulnerability, follow Shem and Japheth’s example: walk in backwards and conceal it from others. Not only will this protect the one who sins, but it will protect you as well, for the person who talks to you about someone else will invariably also talk to someone else about you.

How do I know this?

Because Paul warns, “Take heed that you do not bite and devour one another because you will be consumed one of another." Paul summarizes this by saying, “the entire law is fulfilled in the one word: love” (see Galatians 5:14–15).