Lenten Campaign 2025
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In the Book of Genesis, Noah is recorded as having, "three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth" (Genesis 6:10).
Shem is regarded as Noah's "good" son and received his blessing.
This makes Shem the bearer of God's covenant and a direct ancestor of the Messiah.
The Catholic Encyclopedia explains that "Noah's prophetic words (according to Massoretic Text), 'Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Sem' ... designate, in a special manner, Yahweh as the God of Sem and, consequently, Sem as the bearer of the Messianic promises .. .the Sacred Writer resumes (11:10 sqq.) the genealogy of the descendants of Arphaxad, the direct ancestor of Abraham, David, and Christ."
