God instituted slavery as a consequence for those who had contempt for authority. Ham exposed the nakedness of his father, Noah, to his brothers. His mocking and scorning revealed the contempt he had for biblical authority. Noah cursed Ham's youngest son, Canaan, because Ham was Noah's youngest son. This was perfect justice. It was the descendants of Canaan that would serve the descendants of Noah's other two sons, Shem and Japhath. This reveals the importance of honoring those in authority.