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| Assignments in Genesis |
Hello, before we start this lesson, I wanted to remind you that we did look at Gen. 11 in our last lesson a bit. Because, Gen. 11 goes back and gives clarity to what we studied last time. Basically Gen. 11 serves as a commentary for chapter 10.
Also remember that when God first formed the land mass on the earth. It was ONE land mass. So even though we read about nations and languages—this was done to show how the earth was repopulated and looking at the different lines and where they were finally seen.
So, be sure to go back
and look at a certain verse from our last study: Gen. 10:25. It was DURING
Peleg’s life that the earth was divided. Chapter 11 tells us WHY and what had
been happening up to this point, to lead to the division in land mass.
- Remember that the Bible really can teach its self, which is why it is important to seek the whole counsel of the Word of God, and let His Holy Spirit show you how the Bible fits together.
Quick Review of Chapter 10
Chapter 10 gave us the family line from Noah’s sons (Japheth, Ham and Shem).
- Japheth’s sons (or descendants) wind up forming the coastlands.
- Ashkenaz: Some relate Ashkenaz with the Sithians, a group of people that came up later in history.
- On a footnote for “Dodanim” in verse 4, says “Rodanim,” Some tend to think that this was a reference to the island of Rhodes.
- Tarshish: Jonah tried to flee to Tarshish when told to go and warn Nineveh.
- Gomer, Magog, Tubal, Meshech, Togarmah, Tarshish: Are mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel in relationship to war and God’s judgment in the end times.
- Ham is Noah’s son who made fun of Noah’s nakedness. We also read about his sons (and descendants).
- One of Ham’s sons was Cush, who became the father of Nimrod.
- Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord. He began his kingdom in Babel (or later know as Babylon). He also established Erech, Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. From there he went into the land known as Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen.
- NOTE: Assyria and Babylon took the Northern and Southern kingdoms of Israel captive later in history.
- Another one of Ham’s sons was Mizraim. From this son and his descendants came what is known as the Philistines.
- Canaan is another son of Ham’s. From this son’s descendants come what is known as the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hivites, the Arkites, and the Sinites.
- The Promised Land for the Israelite's was Canaan.
- Noah’s son, Shem and his descendants, are recorded in the last section of chapter 10.
- It is from this son came his descendant Peleg.
- It was during Peleg’s lifetime that the land mass was divided.
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Chapter 11
So how does chapter 11 fit into chapter 10? What we read is an overview of the descendants from Noah’s sons and the nations that will come from them. Remember that each son is listed with his descendants in a listing. But all three sons were having sons at the same time, even though they are listed separately.
Chapter 11 goes back and gives us more detail into the families. It also tells us about a very important event in the changing of the land mass.
The first half of chapter 11 specifically tells us about gives the details about the city of Babel. Which chronologically happens during Nimrod’s time. Up to this point, the whole earth used the same language.
Some of the descendants of Ham found a plain in Shinar and settled there. That was where the beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom was.
- NOTE: They journeyed from the area of Mount Ararat (which is modern-day Turkey). Babel is southeast of Mount Ararat.
The people began using bricks for stone and tar for mortar to build a city and more specifically a tower whose top “would reach”.
Why did they want to do this? Because they wanted to make for themselves a name, lest they be scattered. However, this went directly against God’s command. Because in Genesis 9:1, 7, God told them to multiply and fill the earth.
So, the Lord came down to see the city and the tower. He said that since they were united as one people (and all had the same language), nothing they purposed to do would be impossible. And these were evil people going against Him.
- Notice that the Lord used the plural pronoun in verse 7 (which is the same as in Genesis 1:26), “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language.”
- This was His plan—that they be scattered abroad. What He planned will happen. Look up Pr. 19:21, what does it say?
So, what happened? It resulted in of God’s action of stopping what they started building. It was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth and scattered men over the face of the earth. Which is what He had commanded them to do in the first place.
Look back at chapter 10, what does verse 20 say about the people?
- Now relate this to verse 10:5. “… according to their families and languages, by their lands and nations (by their clans, their languages, their lands and their nations)
- Verse 5 says that they were separated into their lands according to their language and families / clans. They were separated into their nations by these things.
Remember, that God’s Word (His command) will be fulfilled.
Coming back to chapter 11: now look at verses 21-32
Shem is called the father of all the children of Eber (who is his grandson).
- NOTE: Some commentators think that “Eber” is the root word for “Hebrew.”
Shem had Arpachshad 2 years after the Flood. Arpachshad was 35 when he had Shelah.
- Shelah was 30 when he had Eber. Eber was 34 when he had Peleg. (A total of 101 years after the Flood).
So, the earth was divided at least 101 years after the Flood.
As with Ham and Japheth’s descendants, Shem’s descendants were also separated by language and families into lands and nations.
In the last section of Gen. 11, we see the focus narrow down to one of Shem’s descendants. From Shem, we follow the line to Terah and his life, who is the father of Abram (later known as Abraham).
- Terah and his sons, Abram, Nahor, and Haran lived in Ur of the Chaldeans.
- They left Ur and traveled to Haran; going to the land of Canaan.
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Chapter 12
In chapter 11, we saw the family line from Shem to Terah (Abram’s father). In this chapter (12), we focus on Abram (later know as Abraham).
In a quick review of what we have already learned about this man:
- Abram, Nahor, and Haran were brothers (Terah’s sons).
- Sarai was Abram’s wife and was barren.
- Nahor married his niece, Milcah, who was Haran’s daughter.
- Lot was one of Haran’s sons and Milcah’s brother.
- Abram’s brother Haran died in Ur.
If you’re not careful in comparing Scripture, then it’s easy to assume that God didn’t speak to Abram until after his father died. However, Acts 7:1-5 gives more clarity and tells us that the Lord first appeared to Abram (Abraham) while he was in still in Mesopotamia (Ur), before he lived in Haran.
And now in chapter 12, his father has died, and the Lord has told him to depart from his relatives and come into the land He would show him.
God called Abram (Abraham), and he went out in faith. He obeyed by going out from his home country, not knowing where he was going (see Heb. 11:8). Notice that God led him in stages.
Verses 1-3
Read these verses slowly. Notice how many times God says, “I will.” Make note of all that God said He would do. And what was the only thing Abram had to do?
So, what did the Lord promise Abram in this call? A great nation, blessings, a great name, cursing for those who cursed Abram, and that all families of the earth will be blessed in him.
- Notice something, God promised Abram a great nation… but then God goes on to say ALL families of the earth would be blessed. This is where we (as gentiles) receive our promise! God didn’t say He was going to bless ONLY the great nation of Abram’s, but ALL families.
In Abram’s journey from Haran, his nephew (Lot) went with him. Some people think this was being disobedient because Lot was with him. Others think that he was merely fulfilling a family responsibility of caring for his dead brother’s son. Terah or Abram might have taken Lot to raise when his father Haran died.
Since verse 4 says that he departed from Haran “as the Lord had spoken to him,” this would indicate that God was speaking to him in Haran. Since we know from Acts 7 that God spoke to him in Ur, it would seem that when God spoke to him again (after his father died), He must have reiterated His command to Abram in Haran as well.
Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran, imagine how it must have felt being that old, and being told to go and start a new life. They went to Shechem in Canaan with is modern-day Israel.
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Look back at verse 1-4 and review what God promised. Now that Abram has obeyed, look at what God has now added to the promise. LAND. Notice though, God didn’t say He was giving Abram the land, but to his descendants. In vs. 1, God simply said “the land I will show you.” Now, God has gone from simply showing it to Abram, but adding it to the promise to GIVE it to him (through Abram’s descendants).
Again, verse 7 says, “To your descendants.” However, we already know from chapter 11:30 that Abram’s wife is barren, and they had no children. But, also notice what Abram did. He built an altar! Something must have sparked hope in him with this Word from God.
Why would he build an altar? For two reasons: (1) for prayer and worship, and (2) as a reminder of God's promise to bless him.
My friend, when we “build our altars” (when we make special notes in our journals, when we have that special private place to just go and be with God) it helps us to remember what God has promised, and it helps to build our personal relationship with Him.
- Look up Isaiah 51:1-2, note what it says.
- He was but one, with a barren wife. So, we know that he didn’t have any other children. He stayed barren with her all those years. And we are told God blessed him and multiplied him! All of Israel looked to him as their father. God fulfilled the promise to make a great nation of him, even through his barren wife.
He then moved on from Shechem to the mountain on the east of Bethel, between Bethel and Ai. There he also built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. Thus, becoming a Friend of the Faithful God:
This was the second altar and the first time the text says he called on the Lord’s name.
By Abram calling on the Lord’s name, it showed recognition of Who God is. God was faithful to lead Abram to the land to which He had called him to. Then Abram went south toward the Negev.
>> Question for you:
In following God, how often do we stop and worship Him? It is sad that so many today want God’s blessing on their lives, but they aren’t willing to really follow God, nor do they worship Him. One of the blessed things we can do in our lives is to spend time actually getting to know Who He is. And a life of obedience is a life of worship.
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Verses 10-20
Where does it say Abram went, and why?
Did you happen to see anything missing? God’s command.
God never commanded Abram to go into Egypt. Abram did that all on his own. God told him to go to the land that He would show him…. He never said “now leave and go…”
Why would God allow a famine in the land where He had just called Abram? Possibly to test of Abram's faith. Something interesting to look at. The Lord did speak while Abram was in Egypt. However, when God spoke, it wasn’t to Abram!
When Abram went down to Egypt, he told Sarai (who was very beautiful) to say that she was his sister instead of his wife.
- NOTE: Genesis 17:17 states that Sarai was ten years younger than Abram, which made her 65 years old in Genesis 12, since Abram was 75.
- Also, Genesis 20:12 says that Terah had been Sarai’s father as well as Abram’s, but Abram and Sarai had different mothers.
- Look up Gen. 20:6.
Chapter 12 can be divided into two parts. Verses 1-9, Abram acted totally in faith. However, verses 10-20 Abram had a faith failure. Though he started out walking in obedience, in this second part of the chapter, Abram was not walking by faith as he had been in the beginning. However, God had made promises to him and would keep them.
- Abram's scheme, born out of fear, turned against him, and God's promise to him was thrown into jeopardy. Only God could rescue his wife so that the promise to Abram might be fulfilled.
Certainly, one can see in this story how God delivered this patriarchal family from the Egyptians by means of plagues, and how that mirrored the future Exodus experience. But this first deliverance was made necessary because of Abram's deception.
In spite of the trouble Abram caused for himself, God was faithful to His word and did not let the foolishness of this man throw His plan into jeopardy. Abram probably felt that the easiest way out of danger was to manipulate deceptively. But such scheming put him in danger and jeopardized the promise. He completely forgot that God had made certain promises to him. He willingly left his home to follow God, but he didn’t take into consideration that since God had made him a promise, God would protect him. However, again this was all Abram’s fault, because God never told him to go down to Egypt in the first place.
We as God's servants should trust Him completely and not resort to self-directed schemes which will only cause disaster, not only to us, but to those around us.
What this also shows us is that, Abram had fears just like people do today, but notice something very important; even though Abram messed up, lied, and went where he had no business going, God didn’t say that He would find someone else to bless. Instead, God forgave him.
This account shows that God is long-suffering. He was patient as Abram learned to trust Him more and more—living by faith.
Well, that is all for this assignment. I hope you have enjoyed this study lesson, and have learned much.
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