Where Are We--African Americans--in Prophetic Time?

Thousands of years ago, one of Noah's sons saw his father passed out drunk and naked in his tent. Apparently fired by selfish and shortsighted ambition, this son--Ham, the progenitor of many "people of color," particularly those who lived and continue to live on the African continent, "told his brothers without." The English translation obscures Ham's purpose and his behavior and generates many misunderstandings regarding his father's response to the son's insults. The Hebrew word translated "told" is "nagard," and it means to "noise abroad, with the intent to discredit." So Ham didn't just quietly reveal his father's indiscretion to Shem and Japheth--his brothers, but rather moved through the community discrediting his father for whatever reason. You know the story. Shem and Japheth backed into Noah's tent and covered him so they could truthfully refuse to corroborate Ham's allegations. Then the Bible says in an example of classic understatement: "When Noah knew what his younger son had done, he said 'Cursed be Canaan [Ham's son and Noah's grandson], a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem and may Canaan be His servant?"

Many people have tried to intrepret this historical incident to justify the enslavement of Ham's and Canaan's descendants. Their viewpoint reveals a tragic misunderstanding of Bible prophecy. Unfortunately, even the people who should be most focused on this prophecy often fail to understand its significance for both Africans--those remaining on the continent, and Africans of the Diaspora, particularly those living in the United States of America. Finally, most people, even professing Christians, seldom study this prophetic passage and thus see in it no significance for today and beyond. This scripture reveals one of the most important prophecies about African people ever recorded in the Bible.

To set the stage, let's review history. The Bible tells us that during Noah's lifetime, when this preacher of righteousness was about 480 years old, God revealed that He was going to destroy that generation because their thoughts were only evil continually, and because " . . . the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they married everyone they chose." God instructed Noah to build this huge boat, aka an ark, that was as long as two boeing 727s setting "nose-to-nose," and included more than five million cubit feet of volume. Yet, this boat, or ark, was to have just eight passengers. Noah and his wife, Shem, Ham and Japheth and their wives. The flood occurred just as God had prophesied, and because Noah demonstrated his faith by his obedience, he became savior for his family. Therefore, Ham's sin was particularly egregious because Noah was Ham's father, Savior and God's representative on earth. So why, then, did Noah curse Canaan?

We find keys to the answer in two other scriptural incidents that occurred thousands of years later. In Proverbs 16, during the time of Solomon's reign, the Holy Spirit inspired the king to write that while men form thoughts in their hearts, God reserves the right to determine what they say. I'm convinced that Noah, for reasons, not revealed as far as I know, intended to "curse" Canaan. But God put words in His servant's mouth that announced a prophetic challenge that would position Canaan's descendants for amazing blessings millenia later. Remember two key points. Canaan was to be a servant of servants to his brothers.
Thousands of years later, Jesus explained that being a "servant of servants" is the key to greatness and firstness. As Jesus listened to His disciples debate about positions and authority, He said: "You know that the Gentile leaders lord it over their people, but it will not be that way among you. If you want to be great, become a servant. Anyone who wants to be first must become a servant of servants. Now, who was Canaan prophesied to be a servant of servants to? His brothers--Mizarim, (aka Egypt), Cush and Put. Those were Canaan's brothers. Shem and Japheth were Canaan's uncles. Historically, Ham's children settled in Africa, with Cush comprising most of the people of South Africa, while Mizarim occupied the area of the continent known as Egypt, and Put or Phut settled along the north coast of Africa. Canaan and his descendants settled along the west coast of Africa.

Thousands of years later--1619--to be specific, according to Lerone Bennett, in his book Before the Mayflower, the first 20 Africans were brought to this country on a warship flying the Dutch flag. The ship's captain traded these Africans for provisions. These Africans were initially treated as indentured servants, according to Bennett, and later they were enslaved. Therefore, 2019 is the 400th anniversary of American slavery. Now consider several biblical parallels:

1) God sent 70 Israelites into Egypt, the descendants of Mizarim, to make them a nation there, and about 400 years later, he freed them, using Moses as His principal instrument, and brought them to the border of a land flowing with milk and honey. The Israelites were so addicted to enslavement that they refused God's blessings, claiming rather that they were simply "grasshoppers" in the eyes of the Canaanites, natives of the Promised Land. 2) Therefore, this generation of Israelites wandered for 40 years in a wilderness, sufferng economic deprivation, until all who were 20-years-old and older died. Later, God took the second generation into the Promised Land. 3) Thousands of years later, the Apostle Paul, writing to a Gentile congregation in Corinth, warned us not to make the mistakes the Israelites did.

Now think with me! In 1619, God sent 20 Africans from the continent's west coast--descendants of Canaan--and almost 400 years later, we have become a "nation" within a nation--38 million strong, and with an economy that would be among the top 15 economies in the world if we constituted a separate nation. We find ourselves, as a people, in a countdown to destiny--the 400th anniversary of our "journey" in this nation--descendants of one of Israel's adopted sons. I believe that we stand on the very verge of greatness, of the fulfillment of a prophecy uttered by Noah, almost 4,000 years ago. Canaan--in actuality, his descendants--will become servants of servants to his brothers, namely the descendants of Phut, Cush and Mizarim, still living in Africa, struggling with gargantuan challenges they cannot overcome without our help. We have more than a trillion dollars in education and training, according to George Fraser, in his blockbuster book--Success Runs in Our Race. So what should we, as a people, be doing in the decade-long countdown to destiny that begins next year?

I suggest the following plan: We, as a group of Americans of African descendant, the descendants of Canaan, should envision solutions to Africa's gargantuan challenges, particularly the AIDS pandemic in southern Africa, home to the descendants of Cush. We must adopt this vision as a shared mission of our people and develop a comprehensive philosophy of services to our brothers. We must establish a series of achievable objectives, such as becoming a significant portion of the 10 million new millionaires predicted to be developed in this economy during the next decade. In his power-packed booklet--The Perfect Storm--Paul Zane Pilzer says any of us can discover the route to millionaire status in the following formula:

Wealth = Personal Resources x Technology (W = P x T). "Your personal resources," Pilzer declares, " doesn't simply refer to your liquid assets. In today's market, this is also the network of People You Know, and who know and respect you. Your technology is not necessarily the newness of your computer or the latest cell phone. Your technology is actually your skills; and even more than your skills, your ability and willingness to adapt your skills to meet a need in the marketplace . . .Many people believe there is no longer a way to achieve wealth; that there are no more opportunities to create significant income unless one has a knack for technological inventions or get a great stock tip. But with today's perfect storm of opportunity, that's simply not true. Over the next 10 years, the US economy will create at least 10 million new millionaires. Does that number seem outlandish to you? A Small Business Administration report says that small businesses account for more than one-half of our nation's economic output. The large corporation is giving way to the independent contractor and the self-employed entrepreneur. In effect, we're breaking down those huge corporations into their component parts--namely, the individual entrepreneurs. In the past where we might see a corporation going to $1 billion, today, we'll more likely see 1,000 individuals each going to $1 million. Could your People and your Technology address these challenges to create Wealth for you?" I believe they can. We must develop two concepts among ourselves.

We must learn to trust each other by developing the practice of due diligence. Let's not begin conversations about opportunities with suspicious questions. Rather, let's learn to listen with open minds. Let's learn how to investigate the facts, assemble and analyze the numbers, and make decisions, based upon indisputable evidence, not in kneejerk reactions to opinions. Then we must work diligently to increase our financial intelligence as a people.

According to Robert T. Kiyosaki in his latest book, Increase Your Financial IQ, there are " . . .five core intelligences an individual must develop to become rich." The process begins, according to this author with an individual, or in this case, a people achieving integrity. "Integrity," Kiyosaki wrote, "is wholeness. According to Webster's, 'it is the quality or state of being complete or undivided.' A person who has developed the five financial intelligences I write about in this book has achieved financial integrity."

Kiyosaki lists the five core financial intelligences as 1) making more money, 2) protecting your money, 3) budgeting your money, 4) leveraging your money and 5) improving your financial information. Kiyosaki continues and definess financial intelligence as " . . . that part of our mental intelligence we use to solve our financial problems. Financial IQ is the measurement of that intelligence. It is how we quanify our financial intelligence."

Yes, we have our work cut out for us! Yes, this process, especially sowing these seeds into the minds and hearts of a people who have for so long internalized a slavery and oppression mentality, poses a challenge unparalleled in our history as a people. Despite the daunting obstacles, the burdensome barriers and even the nagging nemesis of self-doubt, I know we can do this.

Afterall, this is our destiny, the culmination of a prophecy uttered more than 4,000 years ago: "Canaan shall be a servant of servants to his brothers. Blessed be the God of Shem, and may Canaan be His servant." You see, the pronoun--His--in that sentence does not refer to Shem, but to the God of Shem, the YWVH, the anointed one known historically as Jesus of Nazareth.

Therefore, with this background, this opportunity--I will see you at the top!