The Ancient Witnesses

156 • The Ancient Witnesses: A Journey to Discover Our Sacred Roots

blessed, while those who disobeyed such as Noah’s son Ham were cursed. 7 “The significance of the blessing is this,” explained Irenaeus, “that the Lord and God of all became for Shem a peculiar possession of worship. For, the blessing bore fruit in the tenth generation of the seed of Shem— namely, in Abraham. Thus, the Father and God of all was pleased to be called the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, for the blessing of Shem extended to them.” 8 Irenaeus reminded us that Abraham’s ancestors had been idol worshippers. “But Shem was absolutely faithful to God,” he explained, “so God became for Shem not an idol, but a unique possession of worship. Thus, He is the God of Abraham , because Abraham’s call began with his ancestor Shem’s obedience, and the blessing of that obedience was passed from generation to generation, from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob.” “In the same way,” Irenaeus continued, “Japheth was blessed when his father Noah declared, May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan (Ham) be his servant . 9 This blessing of Japheth was seen in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus. And the blessing bore fruit when God enlarged the Gentiles by calling them and their descendants into the Church.” 10

7 See the account in Gen. 9:20-27.

8 Behr, St. Irenaeus of Lyons , 52.

9 Gen. 9:27.

10 John Behr, St. Irenaeus of Lyons , On the apostolic preaching (Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1997) 52-53.