The Kingdom Within Us

And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. (Gen 9:25-27)

Noah had three sons, Shem, Japheth, and Ham. Ham was guilty of disrespecting his father. As punishment, his son Canaan was cursed to be a lifelong servant to his brothers, Shem and Japheth. This is a picture of the Spirit (Shem), Soul (Japheth), and Body (Ham/Canaan) and the role each has in the Kingdom within us.

Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant…

The Spirit (Shem) is blessed to be master over the Body (Canaan). This speaks of God’s intention that His indwelling Spirit would have dominion over our actions, words, and works.

God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant…

Japheth represents the Soul. God’s intent for the human soul is that it would “dwell in the tents” of the Spirit (Shem), meaning that the Spirit in us should have dominion over our Soul, just as our redeemed Soul should have dominion over our Body.

In this way, the Spirit would ultimately have control over both Soul and Body resulting in the releasing of His Kingdom treasure (power, love, wisdom, etc. ) from our earthen vessels. We see this beautifully modeled both in the tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon.

The innermost chamber of God’s house is the HOLY OF HOLIES. This is the place of the SPIRIT OF GOD (Shem). It is where the ark of God’s promise and power is kept. The Hebrew word for “Shem” is translated “Name”. Therefore, the Holy of Holies is the place of the Lord’s Name.

He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. (2Sa 7:13)

The next room is called the HOLY PLACE which speaks of the Soul (Japheth) and is furnished with the table of showbread (Word) and the golden candlestick (Spirit of the Word), as well as the golden altar which speaks of communion with God (Prayer). This is what it means to “dwell in the tents of Shem”.

The last area is the OUTER COURT which speaks of the Body (Canaan). Here we find a laver for washing the hands (good works) and an altar for sacrifice (love). The Body has no will of its own. It is a “servant of servants to his brothers”, the Spirit and the Soul.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1Co 3:16)

Conclusions:

Jesus called satan the “god of this world”. During his reign, satan’s authority over the human spirit and soul was absolute, as it was in you and me before salvation came. While under satan’s jurisdiction, his lies were the only truth we knew. He controlled our understanding and response to every experience in our lives be it “good” or “evil”. He prescribed our values, our beliefs, our sense of justice, even our definition of love. And though we are now “new creatures” set free by the cross of Christ, these old values and beliefs are still firmly resident in our souls. And like giants in the promised land, they must be evicted if we are to release the pure, undiluted faith that accesses the power and promises of the Spirit of God in us.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2Co 10:3-5)