by Sue Watkins
Japheth, Noah’s oldest son, tried not to laugh as the snickers went around the campfire. He woke Noah and offered to assist his father to his tent and to bed. But Noah stood and shaking his head excused himself and retired to his tent under his own volition. After undressing, Noah covered himself with the same lambskins he had only a short time before shown his grandchildren.
Later, when Noah’s wife Naamah, entered their tent she found him in a deep sleep. Not wanting to disturb him, she moved her couch to a separate partitioned area of the tent. Laying on the couch, she could feel the new life within her stir. An elation at the thought of holding and nursing that new life overtook her. When she fell asleep, she did so blissfully unaware of the dark figure that lurked outside her tent and of the evil that would steal her dreams.
7
And no wonder! For Satan, himself, transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
Ham entered the perpetual darkness that formed just past the outer boundary of the camp. Seeking a place of privacy he realized the further he moved from the light of the campfire and the eyes of those who sat there, the less sure he was of his footing. Stars blinked brightly overhead in a cloudless, but moonless night sky. However, the light of the stars wasn’t sufficient to offer any true assistance in viewing the ground under his feet. He didn’t see the small boulder until it was too late. Tripping, he lost his balance and fell face first to the earth. Grabbing at injured toes and swearing as tears smarted behind his eyes, he rolled in agony. Suddenly a hand touched his shoulder. Jumping while releasing a yelp of unbridled surprise, Ham demanded, “Who are you?”
“My name is unimportant. Let me get right to the point of why I’m here. I need the animal skins of Adam and Eve. Give them to me, and in exchange, I will enlarge your boundaries and increase your lifespan so your offspring becomes a great company. Your brothers will envy you. You will exceed Japheth, the elder son and Shem, who is the favored son.” As the stranger spoke, he bent toward Ham and extended a hand.
Examining the offered hand as if it held a scorpion, Ham reluctantly placed his hand to mate against the tendered one, and gave to the pull that helped him achieve a standing position. As he rose, his eyes moved upward to meet the face of the one who had so mysteriously appeared from nowhere. Ham’s mind raced with all the possibilities and then he concluded the only logical explanation, this man is not human.
“Are you an Elohim?” Ham asked as he limped to a nearby tree. The answer was mumbled and vague. Staring outright, Ham studied the stranger intently, as he mentally reviewed all options. There was still only one possibility, Malakhim.
Never having conversed with a Malakhim, Ham was unsure of what to expect, but he knew something wasn’t right about this unexpected encounter. The Malakhim always came in pairs and normally only appeared to the Melek. Why was this one not going straight to his father? Folding his arms across his chest Ham asked, “Why do you not just go to my father’s tent and take the skins?”
The stranger stepping deeper into the night shadows answered, “Do you take me for a thief. Permission must be granted! Noah would curse me if I stole what he believes to be his birthright.”
Peering into the dark to the one who spoke, Ham reasoned behind the request was an ulterior motive, else why not ask my father himself? Just as he started to ask the shrouded stranger this question, the intruder spoke again, “Do you remember El Elyon’s pronouncement to mankind before the flood. The edict that man would no longer live past one hundred and twenty years?”
Nodding his head slowly, Ham answered, “I think I know of what you speak, but that’s not exactly what I remember my grandfather saying was God’s decree, nevertheless, what of it?”
“El Elyon pronounced he was removing his Spirit from man. You understand what that means?” Remaining in the shadows, the visitor did not wait for an answer but continued, “It means neither the light of El Elyon’s presence nor the sound of his voice can be envisaged by mortal man any longer. The glory, which gave long life to humanity, retreated permanently, to the stars.
“When the crystal canopy fell from the sky it not only expedited the deluge, it forever changed the way light and sound enter Earth. Dimensions changed, the Supreme God changed. Changes occurred in what you cannot see as well as what you can. In a way, you could say that God poured himself out into his created sons, the Elohim.
“Oh, it is true we had to leave Earth when the floodwaters came. But we went to guard the cosmos. You were on the ark and did not see the meteors as they broke and fell into the earth. We had to save the cosmos when El Elyon abandoned Earth, mankind, and all of the terrestrial. Now the stars are our homes.”
Ham shifted from one foot to the other as he nodded his head again, not because he understood, but because he was perplexed, “But…”
“Directions have changed and shifted, the forces that rule gravity and other such matters within the atmosphere of Earth are now different than they were before the great flood, is that not so? Did not the judgment of El Elyon make it so?”
Again, Ham slowly nodded.
“Then it is also true man will no longer live six hundred years. Without a great year, how can men ever subdue Earth? It takes at least six hundred years to see the cycle of the heavens. The marking of one’s great year has always meant a celebration of immense achievement, but how will that be possible for you or your brothers? When Adam disobeyed, El Elyon removed immortality. With the flood, he removed long life. Do you not see?” Again, not waiting for a reply the invader moved a few paces closer as he continued to speak, “Because of El Elyon, the elements no longer work for you, but against you. The green valleys and the great fields, which before the flood produced large harvests, have become deserts of sand. Extremes of swamps and dry places have formed where they did not exist before, the land continues to rupture and divide as the earth continues to quake and spew fire. Oceans of water have swallowed land, and ice freezes the far north and extreme south.
“It is not only the physical changes of Earth; there are other things you and your children will now be deprived of. Such as, who will rebuild cities, will you? I think not. In order to dominate Earth you must learn new laws regarding the geophysical processes of Earth. Can you do this? Will you or your sons live enough years to conquer the dynamics of this new Earth? Don’t forget it was they, the fathers of the giants, who gave much understanding to men. It was they who taught humans how to utilize and advance Earth’s resources, did they not?
“The Celestials who oversaw Earth went to a place that humans are not allowed, the stars. I urge you to request that they and their wisdom return, but in order to do so they need new portals to gain entrance. To find new portals it becomes important they possess the mysteries of the Melek’s knowledge.
“The knowledge they seek is hidden in the skins your father so treasures. I ask that you obtain the skins for us. Noah is the strongest among you, yet he is past his six hundredth year, but how much longer can he live? We must have the skins before he gives them either to Japheth or Shem, and they disappear from our reach. You know Japheth would never give up the skins, he would never share his power, and Shem would not give us the skins, he is committed to the memory of El Elyon. You are our only hope.”
Ham did not answer immediately. Instead, he sat down on the nearest boulder. His head was spinning as he had tried to follow the line of reasoning of the stranger, but there seemed to be inconsistencies in the Celestial’s logic. At that moment, Ham wasn’t sure of anything, except he knew instinctively not to give the garments to this stranger. The implications of this stranger’s long discourse were most puzzling, “Are you saying that the garments somehow give long life because they belong to the Melek?”
The dark one, reading the thoughts of Ham, avoided the question and instead decided on a new tactic of reasoning. “You have
been taught in error. Not all of those who fathered the Nephilim are filled with ra.”
Ham raised an eyebrow, “All right,” putting a hand to his mouth he thought aloud. “I suppose not all the Watcher’s taught was evil, but back to my question, are you saying no one will live past six hundred years again unless they possess the garments or unless they are a Melek?”
“Mmm,” the dark one shifted his weight as he continued, “it is highly unlikely, but there is something else, the flood did not destroy the one who deceived Eve, water cannot destroy m...him, he escaped. He too is hiding among the stars. He stands at the portals over Earth and he will have offspring, but there is only one, the Promised Seed, who will be able to stand against him and his offspring. The Promised Seed will put an end to deception. He will become a great Deity and he will restore immortality, but until the Promised Seed arrives, we must have the garments to help man achieve long life.
“The skins of Adam have the imprint of El Elyon. The holder of the skins becomes the melek for many reasons, but mainly because he possesses the mark of the divine when he wears the skins. I must take possession of the skins so we can make ready for the Promised Seed. If you go to your father’s tent, remove the skins, and give them to me, I will reward you. You will live to see the birth of many generations. In fact, we shall make sure the Promised One is of your seed. You and your sons will be princes in his kingdom.”
Having listened without interrupting, Ham had many questions. Not moving for several moments, he contemplated all the Celestial had said then finally asked, “My brothers will praise me?”
“Yes, your name will be remembered throughout eternity as the one who helped me.” The messenger arched his back, placed both hands upon his hips and spat a terse, “Well?”
Ham adjusted his robes, “If you promise no harm will come to either my mother or father.”
Upon receiving such assurances, Ham stepped away, took care of his personal need, and then made his way back to the camp. Everyone had retired during his absence except for Shem and Japheth. They both sat in front of the campfire quietly discussing some matter of little or no importance and took no note of Ham or the one who followed him.
Making his way around the backside of the encampment, a plan began to form in Ham’s mind. Knowing Celestials possessed telepathic abilities Ham began to mask his thoughts and by the time they reached his father’s tent, Ham had hidden his plan under the sounds of nonchalant humming. Motioning for the visitor to wait in the shadows he whispered, “I’ll go in and make sure all is well, do not follow me, I’ll return. Keep in mind, I don’t know exactly where the garments are kept, this may take a few moments.”
Lifting the curtain that served as the tent door, Ham slipped under it and for a few seconds stood in the stillness of the temporary shelter. Recognizing the dim outline of his mother asleep on a couch on the far side of the large tented room, he tiptoed past her to gain entrance into the smaller adjacent quarters.
Noah, snoring raucously, did not flinch when Ham removed the animal skins from his body. The image of his father’s nude body shocked him, he quickly turned his head, but time was of the essence and spending it to find a blanket with which to cover his father’s nakedness was just not feasible. He knew to see his father’s uncovered body was a great humiliation, both to himself and his father, but in his mind, the greater humiliation would be if his father’s treasured possessions fell in the hands of the one who stood outside the tent. It was far more imperative he finish his task and complete the plan before the angel suspected anything was amiss.
Determined not to relinquish any valuable time, Ham slid under the tent’s drapes and ran for the shadows praying that neither his brothers nor the waiting angel would take note of him. Staying within the shadows, Ham adroitly maneuvered the distance between the tents, not stopping until he approached the tent where his young sons and wife slept. Once inside, he moved speedily with intent and purpose knowing the exact location of the basket he sought. He knelt, picked up the reed-woven container with both hands, turned it upside-down and shook it until it was empty. Then placing both lambskins inside the empty basket, he repacked it with its original contents and hid the basket behind all of the others. Satisfied, he smiled, shook his robes, and then ran posthaste back to his father’s tent.
Sensing the urgency of time, he glided quickly under the tent’s hemming, pausing to take in a deep breath he regained his composure. Lifting the rear curtain, he whispered to the one who waited, “I did not find the garments. They are not here.”
Obviously agitated, Ham’s angel said nothing, only pushed him aside. Ham merely responded by pointing to the tented room where his father slept. In his nervousness, Ham had forgotten his father’s naked and exposed body, but as he recalled the fact, he knew not to call attention to it. Instead, he thought of what the angel might do when the absence of the lambskins were confirmed. Believing his immediate safety was in numbers, Ham ran toward his brothers who were still at the campfire.
Rejoining Japheth and Shem as quickly as possible, and doing his best to appear carefree, Ham walked across their line of vision and sat down. Deliberately remaining silent, knowing he could not rely on his voice to conceal the apprehension he felt, he sat still and listened half-heartedly to his brothers’ cordial banter. Suddenly, a loud shrill filled the air with terror!
Recognizing their mother’s voice, all three sons jumped. Nonetheless, shock and fear overwhelmed Ham, he stuttered, “Th…the angel…he…he must have done something!” Guilt churning in his stomach, he gasped, “I left Father uncovered!”
Shem and Japheth had already broken into a full run toward their father’s tent when they heard Ham’s words, both paused but neither responded as they turned to enter the tent. Their mother, sitting on the floor covered in blood, was no longer screaming but staring at the small lifeless infant cradled in her arms. Turning pale, Shem shouted to his younger brother, “Ham, go for our wives. They are needed, and bring water!”
Japheth searched for blankets as Shem knelt and attempted to pry his mother’s fingers from the motionless body of the stillborn child. She would not relinquish possession of her infant. In hushed tones, she hummed as she began to rock back and forth, tenderly rubbing the head of the unresponsive baby.
Managing to coax Naamah in relinquishing her hold on her unfulfilled dream, Shem had just finished wrapping the infant in a soft woolen blanket when his wife and the others arrived. Quickly assessing the situation, the women began quietly performing the necessary tasks to service Naamah’s needs.
By the time Ham entered the tent with water, Naamah had somewhat gathered her senses and managed to whisper, “He said from my baby son, no seed would come, and Ham he said of your seed, blood would be mixed.” With tears streaming down her face she pleaded repetitively, “What did he mean? What did he mean?”
Unable to restrain his tears, Ham allowed them to spill over and flow down his cheeks. Closing his eyes tightly, he bit his bottom lip and muttered, “I don’t know exactly Mother, but he promised not to harm you or Father. I didn’t think to make him promise not to harm the child.”
Recalling the words of Ham as they had left the campfire, Shem grabbed a blanket and held it up. Indicating to Japheth, he should take the other end. The brothers put the blanket across their shoulders and walked backward into their father’s temporary chamber. Covering him and afterwards making sure he was unharmed, Noah’s sons awoke him. Noah immediately knew his birthright was missing. The garments of the Melek no longer covered him, but when informed his baby, a son, had been born prematurely, he quickly forgot everything the lambskins.
Most of the details became painfully apparent as each son told their version of the night’s events. Ham never admitted to Noah the truth of what had transpired. He intentionally omitted the pertinent fact he was now the possessor of the lambskin garments, and that they were safe in his tent.
What Ham did say, however, was an angel had entered the camp and asked to
be ushered into Noah’s tent. He had complied with the angel’s wishes. Ham purposefully fostered the assumption that a sleeping Naamah, weeks from giving birth, had awakened to an angel standing over her, and the shock caused pre-mature labor.
After gathering all the information and examining the events, it was the angel’s message that perplexed Noah the most. Why would the angel take the lambskins and the life of his infant son and leave a message that Ham’s seed would have mixed blood? Surmising the angel could not have been a holy one, but instead a fallen angel. Noah realized another great deception had transpired. He reasoned that somehow Ham had allowed this deception since he was the only son cursed by the angel. If Ham allowed the deception rightfully, he should be the only one to pay the penalty.
To Noah’s mind the right to rule Earth, the right of priesthood had been damaged when the garments were taken. Even more his personal honor was compromised and yet Noah wasn’t sure what the penalty should be. The pain over the loss of his young son was acute and the loss of the animal skins only heightened distraught emotions.
In great despair, Noah prayed as he prepared the blood sacrifices. The only answer he received; ‘many disembodied spirits now roam Earth; you must forgive your son and wait for the Promise Seed.’
Calling for his sons and grandsons to join him at the family altar, and then to sit before him; he began to speak, “After we have offered up the sacrifice to commemorate the anniversary of the flood, we will return to our homes. No longer able to convey the blessing of El Elyon to my sons by the giving of the sacrificial garments, I shall only be able to act as priest by offering the sacrifices, and decreeing a father’s blessing with my words.
“Shem, you and Japheth covered me, so you and your sons, will continue to be blessed. You have called on Yahweh as El Elyon, but now you will call him, as Elohiym. He will show you who he is in his fullness, and as you understand him as the Elohiym, he will be your covering because you covered me. When you make Elohiym the focus of your worship, he will be whatever you need him to be. He will cause you to receive the blessing of my house. Yahweh as Elohiym is sufficient in all things, take his Spirit into your dwelling and remember the covenant of the rainbow.