Episodi
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Abram’s Response (13:18)
Abram’s response revealed a growing faith in the God Who called him. He moved his tents toward Hebron, settling near the oaks of Mamre. It was a plot of ground which belonged to another, not Abram (cf. 14:3), but it was where God wanted him to be. There Abram built an altar and worshipped his God. We studied last time that everywhere he went, he built an altar and declared he served the Most High God. Even in the face of people who did not believe and did not want to believe. But Abram did it anyway!
How different were the paths of these two men, Abram and Lot, after they separated. The one was almost imperceptibly edging closer and closer to the city of Sodom, to live among godless and wicked men, and all for the sake of financial gain. We see that in families today, don’t we… The other was living the life of the sojourner, dwelling on those barren hills, with his hope in the promises of God. One lives in his tent and builds an altar of worship; the other trades in his tent for an apartment in the city of wicked men. Here was a decision which bore heavily on the destiny of two men, but, far more, on the destiny of their offspring.
Conclusion
The decisions reached by Abram and Lot are the same as those which confront every Christian today. We must decide whether to trust in the sovereignty of God or in our own schemes and devices. We must determine whether to trust in the ‘uncertainty of riches’ or in the God Who ‘richly supplies us’ (I Timothy 6:17). We must decide whether to invest in the ‘passing pleasures of sin for season’ or the future ‘reward’ which is promised by God to last forever (Hebrews 11:25-26).
These decisions are clearly contrasted in the separation of Lot and Abram. Lot chose to act on the basis of utility; Abram on the basis of unity. For the sake of unity, Abram was willing to allow himself to be taken advantage of (cf. I Corinthians 6:1-11, esp. verse 7).
Abram acted on the ground of faith, in a God Who had promised to provide. Lot chose to direct his life on the uncertain foundation of financial security. Abram was greatly blessed, and Lot lost it all.
Lot chose to dwell in a city which seemed like paradise (13:10), but was filled with sinners. Abram decided to live in a deserted place, but where he could freely worship his God.
Abram beautifully illustrates the truth of two New Testament facts. First, he provides a commentary on these words, spoken by our Lord:
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God (Matthew 5:5,9 NIV).
Abram was a man of meekness. He was not a man of weakness, as chapter 14 demonstrates. He did not have to forcefully snatch a blessing, but faithfully wait for it to come from God’s hand. He was one who was given to peace, rather than to sacrifice peace for prosperity. We could learn a lot from that lesson today…
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Reassurance for Abram
(13:14-17)
It is of interest that God did not speak to Abram (so far as Scripture informs us, at least) until after he had made his decision to separate. This fact is not incidental, but fundamental, for we read, “And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, … ” (Genesis 13:14).
God’s call of Abram (12:1-3), so far as we can discern, was to Abram alone. So also was the confirmation in chapter 13. God had commanded Abram to leave his relatives (12:1). Blessing could not come apart from obedience to God’s revealed will, and neither would reassurance. Humanly speaking, the only thing which stood in the way of divine blessing was human disobedience. God removed that barrier by providentially separating Lot, and now the promise of God is restated.
That can happen for us today. If we "miss it," just repent and then go back and DO what the last thing the Lord said for you to do!
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Episodi mancanti?
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Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan; and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other (Genesis 13:10-11).
He fixed his gaze on the beautiful Jordan valley. Its beautiful green evidenced the presence of the plentiful waters of the Jordan for irrigation. The parched hills and dusty ground beyond were of little interest. There was scarcely any water there.
Literally, this Jordan valley was a paradise. It was just like that ‘garden of the Lord’ (13:13). It, too, seems to have been provided for by irrigation, rather than rain (Genesis 2:6, 10ff.). The Jordan valley was also like the land of Egypt. One did not have to live by faith in such a place where water was abundant, and one did not have to look to God for rain.
And so Lot’s choice was made, clearly the shrewd decision, and seemingly the choice that gave him the decided edge in the competition between himself and Abram. It was, in my mind, a selfish decision—one that took all of the best and left Abram with that which seemed worthless.
The simplest and fairest separation would have been to make the Jordan river the boundary between the two men. What would have been more fair than to have chosen one side of the river to dwell in and to leave the other to Abram? But Lot chose ‘all the valley of the Jordan’ (verse 11). He was looking out for number one. He could have written a book on that subject.
Abram and Lot have now separated. Abram dwelt in Canaan, while Lot edged more and more closely to Sodom.
Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom (Genesis 13:12).
Lot had considered very carefully the economic factors of his decision, but he totally neglected the spiritual dimensions. God had promised to bless Abram, and others through him as they blessed Abram (Genesis 12:3). As Lot went his way, I believe he patted himself on the back for putting one over on old Abe. He must have been soft in the head to give such an advantage to Lot, and Lot was just sharp enough to cash in on it. But in the process, Lot did not bless Abram, but belittled him. That brought cursing and not blessing (Genesis 12:3).
Furthermore, Lot had not considered the consequences of living in the cities of the valley. While the soil was fertile and water was plentiful, the men in those cities were wicked. Much like any major metropolitan city in America today. Usually run under liberal philosophical control. The inner cities are sewers of evil. And they are all spiritually blind. They think “they know better than God” of what it takes to be blessed. They think more governmental control means more blessings. Jesus warned us there would be some fools who say, “Let me take that speck out of your eye, while ignoring the log sticking out of your own eye.” We see that all across America today, especially in democrat strongholds. But, I digress…
The spiritual cost of Lot’s decision was great. And, in the final analysis, the material benefits all become losses, too. Just like in American cities today…
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Essentially their separation was caused by three factors which are recorded in verses 5-7 of Chapter 13…
Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents and the land could not sustain them while dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land (Genesis 13:5-7).
The first problem was the success of both men as keepers of flocks. Both Abram (13:2) and Lot (13:5) had prospered. Now their flocks and herds had become so large that they could no longer dwell together (13:6). This was especially true for nomadic tribesmen who must travel about looking continually for pasture for their sheep and cattle.
The second problem was the strife which seemed to be steadily growing between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot (13:7). Each man’s herdsmen sought water and the best pasture for the animals of their master. This competition inevitably led to conflict between the herdsmen of Lot and Abram.
It would probably not be far from the facts to suggest that some irritation already had become evident between Abram and Lot themselves. This may be implied by Abram’s words in verse 8. This also would be true to life. Whenever there is contention between followers, there most often will be strife between the leaders also.
If the first problem is the success of both Abram and Lot, and the second is the resulting strife, the third is the fact that the land where they sojourned was shared with others; namely the Canaanites and the Perrizites (13:7).
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We had not been told in chapter 12 that Lot had accompanied his Uncle to Egypt. We presumed he had, but now we are told that he had. Lot was an adult man of some years by this time, but he was following Abram’s lead.
His great wealth, as you remember from the last episode, was in part the result of Pharaoh’s gifts. Gifts that were prompted by the lie that Abram had told. The Lord does not treat us as we deserve!
“Journeyed on” suggests that he moved his large caravan in stages, from one watering hole to the next. He eventually returned to Bethel where he had started, signaling that he had returned to the life of faith in which he had begun his sojourn in Canaan.
e are being told in this way that Abram’s faith in the Lord is still intact despite his fall in Egypt. Faith can co-exist with real sin, even great sin.
Many times, when we fail, we need to return to our roots. Kind of like, hitting the RESET button in our life and in our Faith. This is what I see here with Abraham. He returned to Bethel to demonstrate to God that he was still going to live in Faith to God.
Lot had also prospered; he had become a rich man in his own right, not least because he was sharing in the blessing that the Lord had bestowed on Abram.
As they came out of Ur with Terah, Abram and Lot seemed inseparable, even when God had commanded Abram to leave his relatives behind.
But finally, the ties between the two were weakening. Essentially their separation was caused by three factors which are recorded in verses 5-7 of Chapter 13…
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It is no surprise to see that as Abraham lied about his wife being his sister (not once, but twice) (Gen 12 and 20), this same sin was later found in his child as well. Isaac lied about his wife to Abimelech (Gen 26). Similarly, Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, was a compulsive liar. After this, Jacob’s children sold his son, Joseph, into slavery, and lied to Jacob about it for years.
Our sins commonly follow our children and, therefore, bring the same punishment from God that we received. This is why we see alcoholism, drug use, homosexuality, children out of wedlock, and witchcraft found generation after generation. The sins of the fathers’ visit the children to the third and fourth generation.
However, let us consider this. Whereas, our rebellion has effects to the third and fourth generation, our faithfulness to God has effects for a thousand generations. The rewards for obedience are greater than the punishment for sin. Let this motivate us to be faithful and obedient to God’s call; the lives of our children and our children’s children depend on it.
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God’s Call Is a Call to Bold Worship
Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev. (Genesis 12:6–9)
Another aspect of our call is bold worship. Throughout Abraham’s life, we commonly see him build altars. When Abraham gets to Shechem in the land of Canaan, the Lord appears to him, and he builds an altar to God (v. 7). After moving, he then builds another altar in the hills between Bethel and Ai (v. 8). The altar symbolized his worship. When Abraham began to follow God, he became a worshiper.
But not only was Abraham a worshiper, he was a bold worshiper. When it says, “Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh,” the narrator is trying to get our attention. He calls it “the great tree of Moreh.” The title “Moreh” means “teaching.” This was the “the great tree of Teaching.”9 Most likely, this was a Canaanite shrine where people gathered to worship some deity and also listen to the deity’s teachers.
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God’s Call Is a Call to Pilgrimage
Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev. (Genesis 12:6–9)
This is true for us today. We are pilgrims. This does not mean that we are wanderers. A pilgrim is not a wanderer. A pilgrim is person on a journey seeking a land. America was settled by pilgrims who left their home country seeking a land where they could have religious freedom. In the same way, Christians are pilgrims in the world today. The world is not our home, and like Abraham, we should not settle down in it.
We see this pilgrim analogy used throughout Scripture. Consider how Peter used it in his epistle: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Pet 2:11, KJV). In 1 Peter, these Christians were forced to leave their homes and land because of Roman persecution. It was clear to them that earth was not their home and that they were called to live for another land—a heavenly one.
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God’s Call Includes Great Promises for Those Who Obey
In Genesis 12 verses 2-3 (yes, that’s as far as I’ve gotten so far. I told you this would take us probably two weeks to get through), God says to Abram, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
In addition, God’s call comes with many great promises. When God calls us or moves in our lives, many times he doesn’t give us reasons or calm the waves of our curiosity. He may not answer questions like, “Why?” or “What for?” Sometimes he doesn’t even tell us “Where?” or “How?” but he always gives us promises.
What promises did God give Abraham?
1. God promised to give Abraham a land.2. God promised to make Abraham a great nation.3. God promised to bless him.4. God promised to make his name great.5. God promised to make him a blessing.6. God promises to bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who curse him.7. God promised that all the people of the earth would be blessed through him.
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Next, God’s Call Is Costly
The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. (Genesis 12:1)
Another aspect of God’s call is that it is costly. Abraham was called to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household. Abraham probably lived in Ur his whole life until then. His friends, family, and contacts were there. His job was there. Apparently, his family was fairly wealthy. In order to follow God’s call, he needed to leave everything behind.
However, this is not only true of Abraham’s call but ours as well. Jesus said,
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? (Luke 9:23–25)
If anyone is going to follow Christ, he must deny himself and take up his cross. When Christ called to the rich man to follow him, he told him to sell everything (Matt 19). Riches would hinder his full devotion to the Lord, and therefore, he needed to let them go. The cost of God’s call includes denying the pleasures of sin and denying our will in order to submit to his. All these were included in Abraham’s call.
That does not mean you need to take a vow of poverty to be saved. It means you must be willing to give up anything that is standing between you and Jesus. It could be you job (“I can’t go into ministry, I have a family to feed…”). If you trust God and serve Him Faithfully, He could provide you more resources than you could ever earn outside of God’s Will.
Some cannot discern and follow God’s call because they are not willing to sacrifice. They are not willing to give up career goals or leave family, home, and country. They are not willing to suffer and be uncomfortable. Some simply will not forsake sin (that is probably the BIG issue). If we are going to follow Christ, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross.
God called the rich man to let go of his riches. He called the disciples to leave their careers. He called Abraham to leave his land, home, and family.
What is God calling you to sacrifice in order to fulfill his call?
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God’s Call Is Really a Call to Obey
Abraham’s call began with God speaking to him. We don’t know exactly how this happened. Maybe, God spoke to him through a fiery bush, through a cloud, a blinding light, or a soft whisper. We don’t know. But we do know that God made his will very clear to Abraham—he was to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household.
Many believers want to know God’s will. What is God’s will for my future? What career should I pursue? Who should I marry? What should I do next?
Everyone should understand a few important things about discerning and following God’s call. In one sense, there is a general call for all believers as revealed through God’s Word. God calls for all of us to make disciples, to spend time with Him every day through his Word and through prayer. We need to be involved with and serve a Bible preaching church, and to turn away from sin. These are all aspects of God’s general call for all believers.
However, God also has a specific call for every believer—such as seen in God’s call for Abraham to leave his home and family in order to be a blessing to the world. A specific call deals with things that are not clearly revealed through his Word—such as who to marry, what job to take, and how to serve.
In order to discern our specific call, we must apply the wisdom principles in Scripture. David said, “Your Word is a light unto my path and a lamp unto my feet” (Ps 119:105).
When we are not using the principles given in Scripture, we walk in the dark.
Again, God has given a general call in Scripture for everyone to obey—like meditating on his Word day and night, sharing the gospel, using our spiritual gifts to serve the church, and turning away from sin. When we are faithful with what God has already revealed, he gives us more.
Jesus said if we are faithful with what we hear from God (including our general call and specific call), then he will give us more. But those who do not obey, God takes away.
There are many Christians that cannot discern God’s will because they are disobedient to their general call. Instead, they experience a hardening of the heart and an inability to hear and discern God’s voice. Another example of this is in Romans 12:2. It says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
When we are not conforming to the pattern of the world, we will be able to test (Is this of God or not?) and approve (This is God!) his pleasing and perfect will. By being faithful to God’s general will, we can discern God’s specific will.
The next thing we can discern about God’s call is that it is a call of His sovereignty. Why did God call Abraham? Was he more holy than everybody else? Was he more faithful? No. It seems that Abraham worshiped pagan gods just like everybody else. He was from the land of Ur, in Mesopotamia, that was known for worshiping Nanna, the moon god.
Joshua declared that Abraham’s family members were idolaters. Joshua 24:2–3 says,
Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the River and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac.”
Abraham was from a family of idolaters. No way around that.
Abraham, like Noah before him, was a faithful follower of Yahweh God. However, it seems that Abraham is included with the idolaters, as he was one of Israel’s “forefathers.” His call seems to be more like Paul’s.
While Paul was on his way to persecute Christians, Christ
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My Bible Study Genesis Chapter 12
God’s Calling of Abram – and How He Calls Us
We can learn a great deal about God’s call as we consider Abraham’s call. Abraham is a central figure in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the book of Genesis, his life spans twelve chapters. He is called a friend of God three times in the Bible (2 Chron 20:7; Isa 41:8; James 2:23), and he is referred to four times in the New Testament (Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, and James). He is called the father of all those who believe (Gal 3:7), and he is considered the founder of three religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
Now, I have numerous versions of the Bible in my study. My first 20 years in ministry, I bought a different version of the Bible and read it through at least once every year. That does not even count the 6 bookshelves full of reference material. My grandson once asked me, he said, “Papa, have you actually read all of those books?” I laughed…and said, “At least once. Most I’ve read several times.” And many I use as reference material for my teachings, Amen!
Abraham’s call was very special. God called him out of a rebellious world to be a conduit for salvation. He is a pivotal character in redemptive history. Actually, God is using the lineage of Shem, through Abraham, to bring Jesus into this world. As we study Abraham, we will learn a great deal about living a life of faith. But, specifically in this passage, we learn about God’s calling and how it can apply to us today as well.
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Genesis 11:6 "And the LORD said, Behold, the people [is] one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."
“Nothing will be restrained”: They were so united that they would do all they desired to do.
“They begin to do”: This would be only the start!
“Imagined to do”: means “they purposed.”
These people remind me of little children. One child will not get into much trouble, but when you add the second child, they get into ten times as much.
These people had evil hearts with every evil imagination. The fact that they spoke the same language, made it much easier for them to work together. Working together, people can accomplish more than working as individuals.
Even today, if those of other countries and American common people could sit down and talk together in the same language, we would find that we have many things in common. They love their families, just as we do; they want a peaceful world, just as we do. You see, the heads of government are the ones who have many problems, seeking power.
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Genesis 11:1 "And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech."
“One language, and of one speech”: God, who made man as the one creature with whom He could speak (1:28), was to take the gift of language and use it to divide the race, for the apostate worship at Babel indicated that man had turned against God in pride (11:8-9).
“One language”: is literally “one lip,” meaning language or dialect. There is a single family in one place speaking one language.
We know that when Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth were on the ark, all the people of the earth, eight, truly did speak the same language. As we have said before, the Bible was not written in chronological order.
Verses 3-4: “Let us make brick … let us build us a city and a tower”: While dispersing, a portion of the post-Flood group, under the leading of the powerful Nimrod (10:8-10), they decided to stop and establish a city as a monument to their pride and for their reputation. The tower, even though it was a part of the plan, was not the singular act of rebellion.
Human pride was which led these people to defy God.
Genesis 11:5 "And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded."
“And the Lord came down”: The “coming down” is significant (18:2, 21; 19:1). God was already aware of the program, but being the righteous judge, He wished to examine it closely. No matter how high their tower, He still comes down.
You notice in the Scripture above, that God called them children of men. They were followers of the flesh, and not the spirit. Whatever felt good, they did, following their fleshly lust.
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It’s overwhelming to think of all these names and to realize that they represent whole groups of people, whole nations, who lived and died, for the most part, without God. Perhaps there was more knowledge of God than we are aware of, but what we know of these nations from later history would not indicate that any of them worshiped the one true God.
Nimrod is a case in point. Apparently his name was proverbial in Moses’ day, so that people compared a powerful man to Nimrod (10:9), much as we may say, “a dictator like Stalin.” At first glance, you might think that Nimrod was a good guy, since he is called a mighty hunter “before the Lord.” But the point is rather that Nimrod asserted himself against the Lord.
For this reason, many commentators suggest that when the text says that Nimrod was a mighty hunter, it should be taken to mean not that he was a hunter of game, but a hunter of men. The Hebrew word is used elsewhere in reference to “a violent invasion of the persons and rights of men."
Thus when it says that Nimrod was a mighty hunter “before the Lord,” the Hebrew is, “in the face of the Lord,” or “against the Lord” (as the Septuagint translates it). Moses is reminding his readers that Nimrod’s tyranny did not go unnoticed by God. His name itself comes from a word meaning “we will revolt.” He established his kingdom in defiance of God.
Note also that Nimrod was a nephew of Canaan, who was cursed by Noah. James Boice imagines Nimrod, who would have been aware of this curse, saying, “I don’t know about the others, but I regard this matter of the curse of God on Canaan as a major disgrace on my family, one that needs to be erased. Did God say that my uncle Canaan would be a slave? I’ll fight that judgment. I’ll never be a slave! What’s more, I’ll be the exact opposite. I’ll be so strong that others will become slaves to me. Instead of ‘slave,’ I’ll make them say, ‘Here comes Nimrod, the mightiest man on earth’”
If Christians would stop to ponder the implications of this rather dry tenth chapter of Genesis, racial prejudice would be dissolved. I have often been shocked to hear racist comments from Christians. Sad to say, many chapters of the Ku Klux Klan have Christian pastors serving as chaplains! But the Bible is clear that whatever your skin color, you can trace your ancestry back to one of the three sons of Noah. We’re all brothers and sisters!
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The children of Ham possessed the land from Syria and Amanus, and the mountains of Libanus; settling all that was on its sea coasts, and as far as the ocean, and keeping it as their own. Some indeed of its names are utterly vanished away; others of them, being changed, and another sound given them, are hard to be discovered; yet a few there are which have kept their names entirely.
The sons of Ham spread out primarily toward Africa. Cush is mentioned often in Scripture, and refers to Ethiopia. One notorious son of Cush, Nimrod, is listed. He moved east into the area of Babylon and Ninevah. (I’ll say more about him later.) Mizraim is Egypt, Put probably refers to Libya, and Canaan, of course, to the many peoples inhabiting the land of Palestine during the conquest.
Shem, the third son of Noah, had five sons, who inhabited the land that began at Euphrates, and reached to the Indian Ocean.
Of the sons of Shem, Eber is named at the head of the list (10:21) and again later (10:24) because the word “Hebrew” probably comes from his name. Elam was the ancestor of the Elamites, who lived in southeast Mesopotamia. Asshur was apparently the founder of the Assyrians, although nothing is known of him. Arpachshad was in the line leading to Abraham (11:10-26). Lud was probably the Ludbu of the Assyrians, situated on the Tigris River. Aram is the name of the Aramean tribes which lived on the steppes of Mesopotamia.
A mysterious note is attached to the name of Peleg (10:25, whose name in Hebrew means “divided”), that “in his days the earth was divided.” Most likely this refers to the dividing of the nations at Babel. Thus chronologically, Genesis 11 fits in here, which may be during Nimrod’s time (three or four generations after the flood). If Nimrod built Babylon, then God could have scattered the nations in his time, after which he moved north to conquer Ninevah.
If you recall from the last session, SHEM was the one who was Blessed. He and Japheth. While Ham and his son Canaan were cursed.
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The chapter is divided between the descendants of Japheth (10:1-5), Ham (10:6-20), and Shem (10:21-32). There is debate among scholars as to the birth order of Noah’s sons.
Some translate verse 21 so that Shem is the older brother of Japheth (NASB), whereas others understand Japheth to be the eldest (NIV, NKJV). There is also debate as to whether Ham was the middle son (he is always listed second) or the youngest (see 9:24).
We probably cannot know for certain, but I’m inclined toward the view of Keil & Delitzsch (Commentary on the Old Testament [Eerdmans], 1:156) that the birth order is Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
In chapter 10, Japheth’s descendants are probably listed first because they were the most remote and thus the least important to Israel (which is Moses’ common pattern in Genesis, to dispose of the least important matters first).
Since the line of Shem will occupy the rest of the book, it comes last.
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We are now going to go into Chapter 10. Some people start to get bogged down because of all the “begets” and things like that. But if you will take the time to actually study out the material presented, you will discover some interesting things!
I remember the first time I heard that Jesus’ bloodline had adulterers, murderers and even prostitutes in his geneology! I thought, “That can’t be right! His blood is supposed to be pure!”
But when I started researching the scriptures given, and started reading some other commentaries, sure enough! There it was! IN THE BIBLE!
As I continued to study that out, I discovered the Bible is extremely accurate in the things it presents to us. There is a reason for every single Word in the Bible! Otherwise, it would not do us any good at all.
“Well, brother Bob, why would God want us to know that the bloodline of Jesus has murderers, adulterers and prostitutes in it?”
Simple, but profound… the reason: So we can identify with everyone and realize that they were no better than we are. And that Jesus died for them just like He died for you and me! AND, that should give us hope…that if people like that could still, BY FAITH, purify their bloodline so the Messiah could still enter the world, then we can believe BY FAITH that He can save us, too! AMEN! Don’t shout me down when I’m preaching good!
Let’s go over to Genesis Chapter 10 and begin reading.
Now, before we get started, I want to let you know something. In my research for today’s topic, I found a great resource on the Internet. I’m going to give them credit for it. I’m going to be sharing some things with you from the research they already did. I found it so interesting and relevant to what we are talking about today.
It is a website called, “Answers in Genesis.” It is www.answersingenesis.org/josephus-genesis-chapter-ten
There is a great summary at the end of the article and a beautifully illustrated chart that I will be referencing from. So if you want to see what I’m talking about, you go over there and read it as well.
Ok, let’s get started in Genesis Chapter 10, beginning in verse 1.
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I suspect that the story was well known around the camp by the next morning, and probably due to Ham blabbing about it. If Ham did not hesitate to tell his brothers, why hesitate to tell everyone else. Perhaps this is why Noah became angry at him.
Regardless of Noah’s source of information, his response was one with broad implications. Canaan, the youngest son of Ham, was to be cursed. He was to be the lowest servant to his brothers. While some understand the “brothers” of verse 25 to refer to his fellow man, I believe it refers specifically to Canaan’s earthly brothers, the other sons of Ham.
In this way, Canaan’s curse is intensified in these three verses. In verse 25, Canaan will be subservient to hisbrothers; in verses 26 and 27, to his father’s brothers, Shem and Japheth.
Viewed in this way, it is impossible to see any application of this passage to the subjugation of the Black people of the earth. Ham was not cursed in this passage, but Canaan. Canaan was not the father of the Black peoples, but the father of the Canaanites who lived in Palestine and who threatened the Israelites. These scripture say NOTHING about cursing black people. So get off that. It is NOT in the Bible. Period! Amen. Don’t shout me down when I’m preaching good! Praise God!
Now, I want you to notice something else.
In verse 26, it is not Shem who is blessed, but Shem’s God - Yahweh: “He also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant” (Genesis 9:26).
By this, the godly line is to be preserved through Shem. From his seed the Messiah was said to come. The blessing comes not from Shem, but through Shem. The blessing flows out of the relationship which he has with Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. And the servitude of Canaan is one of the evidences of this blessing.
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While Shem and Japheth refused to go inside, Ham had no reservations about entering the tent. Whatever the failing of Noah, remember, he was inside his own tent, in the privacy of his own tent (9:21). That is the way Shem and Japheth wanted to keep it.
Ham had his own idea. He entered in, violating the principle of privacy, yet not to assist his father but to be amused at his expense.
Ham did nothing to preserve the dignity of his father. He did not see to it that Noah was properly covered. Instead he went outside to his two brothers and graphically described the folly which had overtaken their father. It seems to me that Ham also may have encouraged Shem and Japheth to go into the tent to see this for themselves.
The lengths to which Shem and Japheth went to in order not to see their father nakedness seems almost extreme in our sexually permissive society today. But, our televisions have desensitized us to nakedness or rudeness and immorality. There is nothing which is not advertised, even products which once were considered very private and personal are now openly addressed on television.
Shem and Japheth, scripture says, took “the” garment, the one which Noah should have been wearing, upon their shoulders, they went backward into the tent. Without looking upon their father, they covered him and left the tent.
In the morning, when Noah awoke from his drunkenness, he knew what had happened. We do not know how he learned of this. Perhaps he was alert enough to remember the events of the previous night. One thing I am certain about though—Shem and Japheth did not tell Noah, or anyone else.
I suspect that the story was well known around the camp by the next morning, and probably due to Ham blabbing about it. If Ham did not hesitate to tell his brothers, why hesitate to tell everyone else. Perhaps this is why Noah became angry at him.
Now, I want you to notice something else.
In verse 26, it is not Shem who is blessed, but Shem’s God - Yahweh: “He also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant” (Genesis 9:26).
By this, the godly line is to be preserved through Shem. From his seed the Messiah was said to come. The blessing comes not from Shem, but through Shem. The blessing flows out of the relationship which he has with Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. And the servitude of Canaan is one of the evidences of this blessing.
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