Noah and his sons....

We are all fairly familiar with the story of Noah and the Flood. God, thinking creation was a mistake, decides to wipe out the whole world and begin again. God could find nothing good in humanity, yet somehow Noah found favor with the Lord. He and his family were spared the end of the world. After the waters subside, and Noah and his family return to land, God establishes His first covenant with humanity.
So let's take a close look at this righteous man-- the only one of his time. He doesn't utter a word of protest about what God is planning. He seems to have no regard for his friends, or neighbors. He simply builds his boat, gathering the animals. And all the rest of world is destroyed. One has to wonder, if as the waters rose, those around Noah begged for passage on his ark. Was Noah troubled by this?
Perhaps that is why, in the part of the story we don't read in church, turned to drinking. Or maybe, being the first to plant a vineyard, he didn't know the full effects of alcohol. But Noah does find himself thoroughly hammered and gets naked in his tent. And his youngest son walks in on him. It's a little unclear as to what Ham walked in on, as is Ham's response to his father. What is clear is that whatever happened was inappropriate. Ham extends the impropriaty by telling his brothers what happened. They respond, according to the text, more maturely: they cover their father, backs toward him to preserve his dignity. And then they told their father.
Noah is angry, but does not punish Ham. Instead he curses Ham's son Canaan to slavery at the hands of his uncles. He cannot curse Ham directly, because God has already blessed him.
And thus ends the tale of the only man, in his time, to have found favor with the Lord.