Why was Canaan punished for Ham's sin?

Gen 9:20  And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
Gen 9:21  And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
Gen 9:22  And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
Gen 9:23  And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
Gen 9:24  And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
Gen 9:25  And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
Gen 9:26  And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Gen 9:27  God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

The story does not say what Ham did to Noah other than he saw Noah drunk and naked in his tent. Ham then told his two brothers who covered their father with his garment, not looking upon his nakedness. Jewish tradition speculates on what Noah knew that his youngest son had done unto him. According to tradition Ham may have sodomized his father and even he may have castrated him, because there were no more children recorded from Noah.

Let's not go beyond what the story reveals. It revealed that Ham told his brothers of his father's nakedness and being uncovered. He was a tale bearer, a gossip. Instead of covering up his father he wanted to tell others of his father's moment of weakness. He did not respect his father. We must remember that God saved Noah from all people before the destruction of all life by the flood. Noah found favor in God's sight. Noah spoke to God face to face. Noah, a son of Adam, was the one who found grace out of all others who lived. Ham was making Noah look bad, uncovering his sins before others. This is the work of Satan, the accuser. There are those who seek to uncover the sins of God's anointed, this is wrong. A gossip can destroy the reputation of God's servant and by doing this, God's name is dishonored.

Gen 9:1  And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

God had blessed Noah and his sons, so Noah could not undo the blessing of Ham. Instead, the sin of Ham was passed on to Canaan, Ham's youngest son. Canaan may have had all the flaws of his father, perhaps he had shared in his father's sin?

Gen 9:25  And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

Canaan received a curse to be a servant to his brothers. Being a servant is not so bad, but being cursed is bad. Noah's other sons had been blessed with their families. Canaan was not so blessed. He had the nature of his father and did not receive the honor of Noah or his God. What we can learn is that we are not to be talebearers and gossips, especially concerning the anointed of God. We must keep ourselves from defiling others with our sin. 

Purify my heart LORD. Keep me from being a gossip or a defiler of others, but rather make me a blessing, in Jesus name. Amen

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