Genesis 13:5-13

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5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. 6 Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. 8 So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left." 10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord. ~ Genesis 13:5-13

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 13 which is a chapter characterized by the word "new" although it is not used in this chapter. After Abram took his family down to Egypt in search of food since there was a famine in the Promised Land, he has now returned to the Promised Land. Having considered v.1-4 of this chapter where Abram received from God a new beginning, today, we will consider v.5-13 where Abram will receive a new burden. And then in our next study of v.14-18 Abram gets a new blessing. In today's passage we will see the second of three threats to the promise that God had given Abram in Genesis 12.

In v.5-7 of today's passage we read, "5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. 6 Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land."

Abram wasn’t the only one who had flocks, servants, and property, Lot also owned his fair share. After arriving back in the land promised by God to Abram, it had become obvious that there wasn't enough grass to feed all the animals of both Abram and Lot. As a result, the need for the two families to separate had become quite apparent since it was causing strife between Abram's people and Lot's people.

By mentioning the Canaanites and the Perizzites, God gave us a warning that whenever strife looms between believers, the enemies of the Lord are ready to take full advantage of it. These Canaanites and Perizzites, dwelling in the land, are clearly representative of the evils of the flesh that lurk in every believer's heart; things like greed, jealousy, envy, resentment, and bitterness. These expressions of the flesh are always ready to spring into action if there is any division among believers. Abram was very wise to act before these could be awakened, for he knew they were in the land and they were not about the will of God. 

In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 So Abram said to Lot, 'Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.'"

Abram graciously deferred to his nephew, Lot, by giving him the first pick of land that he would dwell upon. Since Lot was probably older than Abram, he offered the choice of resolving the matter to Lot. This was big since Abram was the head of the family. Abram's choice merely revealed Abram's faith in the God of the Bible. When we lift ourselves above others, we are really only showing contempt for the God who created us. This is why we are told in Philippians 2 to act in lowliness of mind and esteem others as better than ourselves. This is not easy, but it is the right thing to do.

Since God had already promised Abram the land and Abram was allowing God to define him, this decision was not all that difficult for him to make. So, Abram didn't worry about the decision Lot made, whatever he decided wouldn’t affect what God had already determined for Abram. And this is true for each of us. Just as Abram knew that the land would be his, those who trust in the Lord Jesus can rest assured in God's promises and faithfulness. This is how to deal with the strife that from time to time comes up between two groups of people. 

In v.10-11 of today's passage we read, "10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other."

Lot probably didn’t take long in making his decision. He looked toward the plain of the Jordan where the land was lush and well-watered. Unlike the other areas of the land which were highly dependent on the rain cycle, the plain of the Jordan received water and nutrients from the Jordan as it flowed south. This would be especially true during the flooding season just like the Nile in Egypt, which Lot would have seen when they were there. Instead of worrying about famines, which sent them to Egypt in the first place, there would be a much better chance of having grass and crops even when there was no rain.

Lot chose the spot where the Garden of the Lord was and then the Lord compared it to the land of Egypt. Adam was created and then was placed in the Garden of Eden. When he disobeyed, he was sent east of Eden and Cain went further east, to the land of Nod. After the flood, the same area that Cain went to was where Nimrod went. But God called Abram back to the place where the Garden of Eden was and this is the same land where God’s presence dwelt in the Temple. It is also the same place which will look very similar to this period again in the millennial reign of Christ according to Ezekiel 47. The Land of Israel is where all things started and it is the place where all things will find their completion. No wonder the whole world has and will continue to covet this land and to come against it.

There were some things that Lot did not see. Although the Jordan valley was there before his eyes, he did not see the significance of its name. The word "Jordan" means "death." The river descended out of the living waters of Galilee, dropping far below sea level into the Dead Sea, from which there is no outlet. Outwardly it was gorgeous to the eyes, spiritually it meant the place of death, and this Lot failed to see.

In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord."

Unfortunately for Lot, he didn’t pay attention to the lessons of the past. Mixing with the ungodly is what brought about the Flood of Noah. Even though Sodom was quite attractive on the surface, underneath its appearances, it was a place of rebellion against God. Not only did Lot choose such a place, he sank deeper and deeper into its web of deceit as he moved from the outskirts of the city into the city itself. In the chapters ahead, we’re going to see where Lot’s wrong choice of moving into the land of Sodom would leave him in very sad straits and which would even cost him the life of his wife. Lot moved to Sodom and dwelt among those defined by wickedness. He may have maintained his own righteousness, but it affected his life and his family very badly. In the end, Lot chose by sight rather than by faith in the God of the Bible. And, sin will always find us out when we allow ourselves to be defined by our flesh.

Genesis 13:1-4

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1 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord. ~ Genesis 13:1-4

Today, we transition in Genesis 13 where everything is new again. This is an echo of the greatest promise God has given sinful man which is found in Jeremiah 31:33 which reads, "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." 

The back and forth nature of our faith is more normal we realize.  All of us struggled with unbelief and doubt; without such a struggle, we have not a substantive faith in God. One of the greatest gifts of God to us in the Bible is its realism. The Bible doesn’t glamorize its main characters. It tells us the truth about each of them. That underscores the fact that it was at our hearts that we were lured away from God, and it is a new heart that we need. Someone once said, "The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings." In fact, in today's passage Abram gets a new beginning. Then in v.5-13 Abram gets a new burden. And then in v.14-18 Abram gets a new blessing.

In Genesis 12 Abram went down to Egypt when life looked bleak. In today's chapter, Abram went up from Egypt. This is an analogy of our walk with the Lord; we have our ups and we have our downs. Involved in the development of our faith in God are the ups and downs of life. In order for our faith to develop we must experience failure in order to be convinced that God's way is really the best for us especially when it does not make sense to us.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South."

In our last study we saw Abram’s journey to Egypt which occurred because of a famine in the land of Canaan. While they were there, Abram had told his wife to tell anyone they met that she was his sister. He did this in order to protect his own life in case someone wanted to kill him so that they could have her because she was an extremely beautiful lady. While in Egypt, Pharaoh’s house eventually took her in so that she could become Pharaoh’s wife. But in the process of this, God afflicted them with plagues to keep her from being taken as Pharoah's wife. 

Abram and all who were with him headed northeast out of Egypt and back to the land of Canaan. Today's passage informs us they went up from Egypt to the South, but that doesn’t mean they headed south. Instead, they travelled to the South of the Land of Canaan which is an area known as the Negev, which means "south." 

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold."

Even before he had gone to Egypt, Abram was already wealthy and had servants and goods, but while he was in Egypt his wealth increased even more. The Hebrew term for "very rich" means heaviness. In other words, he was heavy in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

As people, we generally look at others who have a lot of stuff or expensive things as more important than people who don’t have as much. We want to be associated with rich or important people more than those who are less so. If we ever meet someone famous, we want to tell others about it, even years later. But the Bible doesn’t teach this. If a person is rich or famous, it isn’t always an indication of divine favor. And if a person is poor, it is no indication of divine disfavor. The heaviness of wealth, such as Abram had, is something that requires great care or it becomes a burden too heavy to manage and the blessing can easily become a curse. 

In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, "And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord."

As soon as Abram went back to the Promised Land, there was the tent and the altar again. There was no tent or altar in Egypt. The tent is a reminder that this world is not our home and the altar is a reminder that our allegiance is in heaven. Back in the Promised Land were Bethel and Ai. Bethel is a picture of heaven and Ai is a picture of hell. Abram lived between these two, both physically and spiritually, and for a second time in the narrative, Abram calls on the name of YHWH. While living on earth, between the only two possible destinations of the after-life, Abram set his eyes and his affections on the Lord.

Despite being a man of great wealth, Abram's eyes were right where they should have been, focused on his God, the God of the Bible. When Abram returned to the Promised Land, there was no mention of famine. All the money, fame, and power in this world will never be of more worth than what the Lord offers us. And if honoring the Lord is all that matters at the end of our lives, and we don’t know what moment will be the end of our lives, then honoring Him is all that matters throughout our lives. Any one of us could die at any moment. If, at this moment, our walk with the Lord is the only thing of true value, then it is the only thing of true value at any moment, because any moment could be our last moment here on this earth. When we pass from this realm, we will pass to the realm of eternity. Only that which is everlasting in its nature will perpetuate into eternity.

Genesis 12:17-20

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17 But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” 20 So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had. ~ Genesis 12:17-20

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 12 where we are given the process whereby our faith in the Lord is strengthened. As we have been seeing, our faith in the God of the Bible grows when He speaks His word into our lives. It is His spoken word that gives birth to our faith in. Once our faith in Him is birthed, we discover that our faith ultimately leads to obedience to Him. It is out of our obedience to Him that we get to know Him better which leads us to a greater sense of reassurance from Him. Being strengthened by His reassurances,  we go deeper with Him through the testing of our faith.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife." 

Our lives of faith are full of obstacles, there is no faith without doubt. "Doubt is the shadow cast by faith." Abram had trusted God for over 1,000 miles from Ur to Canaan, yet after arriving in the Promised Land, he encountered a famine and he panicked. In his panicked state he rushed down to Egypt and led his wife to sin. Abram’s sin led Pharaoh to sin. Our sin always affects those around us. There are no sins that only affect us. In fact, often our sin will cause others to sin. There are no sins that only hurt us. 

As a result of Abram's choice to be defined by his fear, he made a choice that was not in concert with the will of God for his life. One bad choice led to another and God inflicted Pharaoh and his house with plagues. The Hebrew word translated "plagues" can refer to sores or wounds. These plagues were not deadly, they were just aggravating. The plagues were to Pharaoh and his house not so much a punishment as a message. Our cursed world is full of examples of innocent suffering caused by the sins of others. Drunk drivers, abusive parents, pregnant women on cocaine, thieves, rapists, and murderers are but a few examples of those who cause the innocent to suffer. At least in this case, the suffering was apparently non-lethal and had a clearly-defined purpose.

Despite Abram's faithlessness, God had promised him that he would have children. Despite his fear and subsequent poor choices, Abram was protected by the God of the promise and the promise of God. In Ephesians 1:11 we read, " In Christ we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, since we were predestined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will." That is the most sweeping statement of all pertaining to the sovereign will of God. Sadly, there are times when we like Abram believe in our sovereignty more than we do God's.

In v.18-19 of today's passage we read, "And Pharaoh called Abram and said, 'What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.'"

When Pharaoh realized that Abram was God's man and God had somehow plagued he and his household, he rebuked Abram and ensured him that he hadn’t yet done anything to Sarai.  

I am struck by the similarities between this story and that of the Exodus which happened 430 years later. Two different Pharaohs were involved in the two different stories separated by the 430 years. And, at the end of both stories, the Pharaoh was forced through plagues to send both of the men of God away with wealth. Oh, the sovereignty of God. 

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had."

Throughout time the promises of God have constantly appeared like they might fail. Yet through God's providence, He remains faithful despite the lack of our faithfulness. I find it quite comforting that God relentlessly uses the chaos of life to deliver His people into His will. Human failure and sin cannot stand in God’s way. He will accomplish what He has decreed. And so, Abram left having journeyed to Egypt, having gained more wealth, and was also delivered from the famine of the land of Canaan. God had protected Abram and blessed him in his pilgrimage and he would continue to do so all the days of his life. And through it all, Abram learned a lot about leadership as his faith in the God of the Bible grew. William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army once said, "The greatness of the man's power is the measure of his surrender."

Abram had pitched his tent between Bethel (a picture of heaven) and Ai (a picture of hell.) After that, he headed south and then into Egypt. Similarly, the Lord Jesus Christ came and dwelt among us as a human being, living on earth between heaven and hell. From there, he journeyed into the land of chaos, pictured by Egypt. Like Sarai who belonged to Abram, but was taken to the house of Pharaoh, we were all created by God, but we strayed into the land of chaos and sin. From that place though, we have been delivered by the Lord Jesus, our rightful husband. By faith in Him and what He has done, we can be rejoined to God and He will safely take us back to the Land of Promise. 

Abram had faith during this entire episode, even though it was overshadowed at times by his lack of faith. This is the way it is and this is the way our faith is strengthened, through our failure. May we never forget the great deeds of our sovereign God who has accomplished on our behalf in the Person and the work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, our secure eternity. We can trust Him with our eternity, let's trust Him with our lives here on earth. This means we will obey Him at every turn because we are being defined by Him.

Genesis 12:10-16

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10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. 12 Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you." 14 So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. ~ Genesis 12:10-16

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 12 where we are given the process whereby our faith in the God of the Bible grows. God intercepted Abram who was a Gentile before he became a Jew in the land that is known as southern Iraq today. That which made Abram a Jew which means "thank you" was the inculcation of the culture of God into his soul. This is why our faith is so important because it is the vehicle whereby the culture of God is delivered into our being. 

Having considered the first few principles involved in the development of our faith: the word of God creates faith in the believer, and authentic faith in the God of the Bible leads to obedience to Him, and obedience to God leads to reassurance from God, we move toward the next principle involved in the development of our faith. 

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land."

God led Abram to the land of promise but there was a famine there. Through this very uncomfortable experience, Abram was about to learn the next principle involved in the development of his faith in the God of the Bible which is: God will always test and stretch our faith so that it will grow even stronger.

The Promised Land was mountainous and it was completely dependent on two seasons of rain in order to grow its crops and provide water. One of several purposes behind famines was to teach Abram that everything comes from the Lord and so he was to be completely dependent on Him. He also discovered that direction and deliverance is found in the Lord alone.

The famine in the promised land was not what Abram expected, so he made the decision to go to Egypt where food could be found. The man of faith didn't have much faith in that moment and so he turned away from the place that God had directed him to go and he looked to Egypt for answers. When we are being defined by anything other than the Lord, we will find that we will come out more unfulfilled than before.

In v.11-13 of today's passage we read, "11 And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, 'Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. 12 Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.'"

Since Abram was born 352 years after the flood, he was about 75 years old at that time and Sarai was about 65. When Abram and his people arrived on the outskirts of Egypt, he began to entertain misguided and delusional fears. Abram's fears reached an all time high when he thought Pharaoh would take Sarai to be one of his wives because of her great beauty. Sarai must have been really pretty since she was sixty-five and Abram was worried that Pharaoh would want her as one of his wives. And, since Sarai was the half sister of Abram according to Genesis 20, Abram was not technically asking Sarai to lie about her identity. This all happened because Abram looked to Egypt rather than to God for his need for food.

For Abram, one bad decision led to another. The minute we move away from the control of God, the old self comes to the surface and we stoop to falsehood, hypocrisy, and deceit. Like our faith in the God of the Bible has failed us down through the years, Abram's failed him here. A husband who is out of the will of God is dangerous to his family and to himself. Since Abram was out of step with God, he placed his wife and family in jeopardy. Interestingly, there is never a mention that Abram prayed while he was either in Haran or in Egypt. Only while he was in the land of Canaan. 

Having said that, I must add that this is the way our faith develops. There are times that we must fail in order to succeed. In most of these instances, our failure is discovered in our lack of ability to hold up our faith. It is in these crucial moments that we are more convinced that it is the Lord who is the secret to our success.

In v.14-16 of today's passage we read, "So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels."

Notice those words: "When the Egyptians saw" and "The princes of Pharaoh also saw her." It is the way of the world to make decisions on the outward. Oh there is nothing wrong with being attracted to one's spouse, but do not let the outward be the primary means by which we decide. God always exhorts us to look deeper. Every time we make a choice we turn the central part of us, the part of that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. In this scenario, we are slowly allowing the devil a foothold or we are allowing God to inculcate His culture in us.

In Titus 2:11-12 we read, "For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age."

The word grace appears 131 in the Bible and 124 of those times, we discover it in the New Testament. And then, 86 from the pen of the Apostle Paul. It is the grace of God that put our unrighteousness in our past. It is also the grace of God that reveals to us the substantiveness of God's truth in our lives. And, when we see that, we will find it impossible to be defined by this world any longer.

One of the biggest pillars of God's grace is His patience. When we are being taught by the grace of God, we will make decisions that are in concert with the will of God. The grace of God teaches us that we are totally accepted by God through the finished work of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. This means we cannot out sin God's grace. That means we should never doubt our salvation in Christ. And, this frees us to be real and authentic. It is the grace of God that frees us to learn from Him His culture which is quite different from all of the cultures of this world.

Genesis 12:7-9

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7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he 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. 9 So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South. ~ Genesis 12:7-9

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 12 which is about the development of the faith of the believer in the God of the Bible. We have already considered the first two principles regarding the growth of our faith in this chapter including: The Word of God creates faith in the believer in v.1-3, and according to v.4-6, authentic faith in the God of the Bible leads to obedience to the God of the Bible. Today, we will consider the third principle involved in the development of our faith in the God of the Bible.

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'To your descendants I will give this land.' And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him."

In the phrase, "Then the Lord appeared to Abram" we discover the next step in the development of our faith in the God of the Bible. It is: Obedience leads to reassurance. This is the first time the phrase, "the Lord appeared to," occurs in the Bible. With this phrase God gave to Abram an unconditional promise, "To your descendants I will give this land."

In Galatians 3:16-18 we read, "16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise."

Paul clearly points out that the promise was to the Lord Jesus who shared it with Abram and the Jewish people. Of course, it is the Lord Jesus who earned all of the blessings that God gives us. In response to this promise from God, Abram built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. In building the altar, Abram made an open profession of his growing reassurance in the God of the Bible. The altar is always a declaration of one's allegiance throughout the Bible.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east."

After leaving the shade of the Terebinth tree, Abram moved to a mountain east of Bethel and west of Ai. Bethel means "House of God" and it was there that Jacob saw the ladder reaching up into heaven. In the Gospel according to John, the Lord Jesus claimed that the ladder was analogous of Him. At every turn God was giving Abram the reassurance he needed to move forward in a trusting relationship with Him. And, as Abram responded in the affirmative, God gave Him further revelation.

Ai, which was east of where Abram pitched his tent, means "heap of ruins." The spot where Abram was in this passage is a picture of everyday life for us on this earth everyday. The house of God, Bethel, is a picture of being defined by God and the heap of ruins, Ai, is a picture of being defined by anything other than God which will always lead us to ruin. When we pitch our tent, we are saying this world is not our home. Like Abram we are passing through this world; our true home is in heaven. We will either be servants of the Lord and step onto the ladder, which is a picture of the Lord Jesus, and go to heaven, or, will we be servants to sin and be destroyed in the heap of ruins.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South."

After meeting with the Lord, Abram traveled toward the South. As we will see this will lead to the further testing of Abram's faith. A faith that cannot be tested is no faith at all. The first nine verses of this chapter provide for us the testimony of Abram and that will be followed up by the testing of his faith. We do not have a testimony without the tests. Though Abram had finally made it to the promised land and he trusted in the promises of God, he had yet to learn of the substance of the Promise Giver. He stood in the same place as any new Christian finds himself, "in the Spirit," having not yet learned to "walk in the Spirit."  This is where we will pick up this most interesting story in our next study.

Genesis 12:4-6

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4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. ~ Genesis 12:4-6

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 12 where are given the beginning of the story of Abram. In our last study we considered from the life of Abraham this principle: The word of God creates faith in the believer. We considered that it was after God had spoken to Abram that faith was born in him. Today, we will consider the next principle found in v.4-6, that authentic faith in the God of the Bible leads to obedience to the God of the Bible.

The Old Testament is like a picture book, illustrating with fascinating real stories spiritual truths that are further explained in the New Testament. Aside from Moses, no Old Testament character is mentioned more in the New Testament than Abraham. Abraham is widely known as the model of faith in the God of the Bible. No wonder Genesis 12 chronicles what faith looks like and how it is developed.

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran."

Abram departed as the Lord had commanded him. In doing so, Abram was being obedient to the Word which he had been given by the Lord. It’s probably good to note that the Word of the Lord to Abram is the same as the Word of the Lord today. The only difference is that instead of it coming in dreams, in visions, or in prophetic utterances, it now comes to us primarily in the pages of the Bible. Yes, there is and has always been that still small voice, but for it to be the Word of the Lord, it must always be in line with the principles that God has given us in His Word.

This verse notes for us that Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram was born in the year 2009 BC and his father died in the year 2084 when Abram was 75 years old. Once his father was dead, Abram left Haran and headed to the Promised Land.

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan."

As the leader of his family, Abram led them in the way the Lord was leading him. In order to lead, we must be led. Our lives should be clearly marked by knowing the Lord for ourselves and making Him known to others. Abram's father, Terah, died before entering the Promised Land. I think of the many who have had this story etched on their tombstones down through the years. It is truly sad to think of these many who started out on their journey of faith in the God of the Bible, only to never have enter into the glories represented by the land of promise. 

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land."

After entering Canaan, Abram went as far as Shechem which means "shoulder" which is to the Hebrew a symbol of strength. Shechem is a key location in both the Old and New Testaments; it is located between Mount Gerizzim and Mount Ebal. Here, God later met with Abram. Shechem was the very spot where Israel’s daughter Dinah was raped and Israel’s sons Simeon and Levi killed all the men of the town for it. Shechem was the very spot where Joseph’s bones were buried after Israel returned from Egypt. And, Shechem was a town which belonged to the Levites. After Israel divided and became two countries, Shechem became the capital of the ten northern tribes of Israel. Shechem is also the same town known in the New Testament as Sychar where the Lord Jesus spoke with the woman at the well in John 4. Needless to say, a lot happened in Shechem.

At the end of today's passage we read, "And the Canaanites were then in the land." The Canaanites were the pagan tribes which afflicted Israel all through their history. When Israel came back into the land after their stay in Egypt, God ordered the extermination of these tribes, but Israel failed to carry through with God's orders. Therefore, these people hounded and bothered and afflicted Israel as a thorn in their side throughout their history. They are thus an accurate picture for us of those manifestations of evil we live with and continually wrestle against today. These afflicters are known by us as lust, envy, jealousy, impatience, intemperance, irritability, and greed; just to name a few. These are our daily enemies, these manifestations of self which make our existence a life of continual conflict.

Although we hate these expressions of the flesh, they are reminders that this world is not our home. This is why the development of our faith in the God of the Bible is so very important. This is what we are being given here in Genesis 12 which gives us understanding of how our faith in God is developed. We have seen that it is the Word of God that creates faith in us, and, this faith is evidenced by our obedience to God's commands. As we have seen today, Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him. Stay tuned, for tomorrow we will see the next step from the life of Abram on how our faith in the God of the Bible is developed.

But before we conclude today's study, let me point you back to a phrase that is in the middle of v.4: "And Lot went with him." The ripple effect of our walk with the Lord must never be forgotten. You and I have salvation today because of ripple effects set in motion by the faithfulness of others. For those who have yet to hear the Gospel, our God-impacted lives speak volumes. By God’s grace, and through our obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, you and I will set those ripples in motion as we continue to be impacted by God's ministry in our lives. The key to it all is that we trust Him.

Genesis 12:1-3

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1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." ~ Genesis 12:1-3

Today, we transition into Genesis 12 where we are introduced to the next section of the book. Having consider Creation in Genesis 1-2, the Fall of Man in Genesis 3-5, the Flood in Genesis 6-9 and the Tower of Babel in Genesis 10-11, today we begin our study of the first of four men in Genesis 12-50. The first of these four men of faith in the God of the Bible is Abram who is covered in Genesis 12-25. One-fourth of the book of Genesis is devoted to the life of Abraham whose name appears 234 times in the Old Testament and 74 times in the New Testament.

Abram was the second son of Terah and he left Haran to go to the Promised Land when he was 75 years old. His father Terah would have been 130 when he had Abram in the year 2009. But Terah was 70 when he had his first child. That means that Haran, the oldest son, was 60 years older than Abram. According to Acts 7, it was after Terah died that God called Abram to move to the Promised Land. The book of Genesis covers more than 2,000 years and more than 20 generations; yet, it spends almost a third of its text on the life of this one man, Abraham.

As we transition into Genesis 12, we go from studying four great events to studying four great people for the next 39 chapters. Those four people will dominate the landscape in the book of Genesis. Interestingly, the first eleven chapters of Genesis cover some 2,000 plus years historically. The next 39 chapters only cover 350 years. Abraham's name was originally Abram, and it was not until years later that it was changed to Abraham. The reason for this change was highly significant, and we shall examine it later in the narrative. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Now the Lord had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.'"

This is the first time God spoke to Abram. With this initial communication, we see the first step involved in the development of faith in the life of the believer. It illustrates that it is the Word of God that creates faith in the believer. In Romans 10:17 we read, "So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the word of God." This means that our faith in the God of the Bible is born in our hearts once God has spoken to us and we have heard Him with our hearts. The Greek word translated "word" in Romans 10:17 means the spoken word of God. Although we do not hear God's voice with our ears, we do hear it with our hearts. And, when we respond to God's spoken word, we experience the birth and/or the continued growth of our faith in Him.

In this call, Abram was asked to cut three specific ties; the first was to his country, the second was to cut his ties with his family, and the third was that he was to leave his father’s house. Abram was being called to cut all these ties and to move to a place that he had never seen before and it was a call that was without even an explanation as to why. But, as we will see, as Abram learned to obey the voice of God, he was given the life that he truly wanted.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing."

Abram was told by God to leave his country and in place of it he would be made into a great nation. Abram was told to leave his family and in place of this he was promised to be blessed. And he was told to leave his father’s house and in place of it he was promised that his name would be made great. When we look at what Abram gave up and what he received, the difference was immense. He gave up a land of idolatry to inherit the covenant land from God. He left his family and he would become the father of many nations. He left his father’s house and he became the man of faith, renown throughout history.

This is the way God works in the life of those who are wise enough to allow Him to define them. What we give up for the sake of Christ is to be counted as trash in comparison to the incredible blessings that God grants. Nothing which is left behind can compare to the beauty of what lies ahead. And, as always, when God defines someone, that person will know his best life while here on this earth.

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Although the Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant from God to Abraham, Abraham had to hear the instructions from God and then obey the call of God on his life in order to realize the many blessings that were included in the covenant. As this verse suggests, we have all been created with two basic yet profound needs: to be blessed by God and to be a blessing to others. 

The first fruit of the Spirit listed is love. The one crucial link between our being loved by Christ and our loving others is the Holy Spirit. Love for others is a fruit that grows in our lives by His doing. Our ability to love others comes from being loved ourselves. And, to the degree that we are love ourselves will be the degree which we can love others. This does not happen without the ministry of the Holy Spirit to us. The Christian life of love is a supernatural life. It is not produced by merely human forces. It takes resources that we do not have. Left to ourselves we cannot love. 

Genesis 11:27-32

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27 This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot. 28 And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. 32 So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran. ~ Genesis 11:27-32

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 11. In this set of verses, Moses finishes the genealogy of Terah. This genealogy is the sixth that the Bible has given us – the generations of the heavens and the earth; the generations of Adam; the generations of Noah; the generations of the sons of Noah; the generations of Shem, and now those of Terah.

Terah was not a believer in the God of the Bible. According to Joshua 24:2 Terah worshipped other gods. So, these three boys, Abram, Nahor, and Haran were born into an unbelieving family. Their family was influenced strongly by the astrology of Babel, they worshiped the moon god. Since the name Terah comes from the Hebrew the word for moon, he was named after the moon god by his father Nahor.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot."

Here we have Terah and his sons listed. And then, right after that, it says, “Haran begot Lot.” Although Lot is not Terah's son, he is his brother's son, he is mentioned because he will show up again later in the narrative, in a significant way. This is why the Lord chose to mention his name here. And, as we have seen before, when God in a seemingly random way, mentions someone out of their place, it means their involvement is the narrative will be somewhat significant.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans."

Haran, the older brother of Abram, died in Ur of the Chaldeans before the family left town. The death of Abram's older brother  was big for the development of Abram's faith in the God of the Bible, as we will see. I have learned that when something awful happens in our lives, God is always there to use that awful experience to draw us closer to Himself. For me, it was through the death of my dad that I first trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. As we will see, God undoubtedly used the death of Abram's brother and his dad to introduce Himself to Abram.

In v.29 of today's passage we read, "Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah."

The two remaining sons of Terah both married: Abram married his half sister Sarai. We learn later in Genesis that she was the daughter of his father Terah, but they had a different mother, meaning Terah had more than one wife. Nahor, on the other hand, married the daughter of his oldest brother Haran. And then we have another daughter of Haran mentioned, Iscah. And, as we have seen many times before, when a person is mentioned like this in the Bible, even if it’s only once, their name will be important to something else that will yet be born out in the future.

In v.30 of today's passage we read, "But Sarai was barren; she had no child."

Sarai's barrenness impacted the course of human history in enormous ways and it continues to do so to this day. Sarai is the first person mentioned in the Bible who is barren, but there will be many more in the pages of the Bible. When a statement like this is made in the Bible, an incredible story awaits to unfold that blows the minds of it readers. 

In v.31 of today's passage we read, "And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there."

On their trek to Canaan, they stopped in a place called Haran. Terah their father knew he couldn’t go on, maybe because he was just too old. Instead of going any further, it seems they established a home in the land and called it Haran after their dead son and brother. Abram didn’t leave Haran until Terah died.

In v.32 of today's passage we read, "So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran."

Terah was born in the year 1879 and he had his son Abram in the year 2009. Terah died and Abram was called to move to the land of Canaan in the year 2084. Terah was 205 years old at his death and he is the last person to live over 200 years of age and believe it or not Shem is still alive at this point. All of these dates and times underscore the veracity of this unfolding story. And, it is yet another reminder that God works in the lives of real, fallible people so that His purposes might come to a sure and purposeful fruition. 

Learning to trust Him and subsequently follow Him is our responsibility as we go through what God has planned for us. The beauty of it all is that God will always meet us where we are and He will always work out a tapestry that we could have never imagined. Through it all, He takes us to places that we never would have intended to go in order to produce in us what we could not achieve on our own. When we go through the trials of this life, we must see them as sure signs of the goodness of God shown in and through our yielded lives. Even though these trials are most often unwanted, through them we gain the ability to see Him with our hearts and to see life through His eyes. Even the trials that we face are mile markers along the road that are leading us to the greatest life that we could have ever imagined. 

Genesis 11:10-26

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10 This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood. 11 After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 12 Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah. 13 After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters. 14 Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber. 15 After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters. 16 Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg. 17 After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters. 18 Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu. 19 After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters. 20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug. 21 After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters. 22 Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor. 23 After he begot Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah. 25 After he begot Terah, Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters. 26 Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. ~ Genesis 11:10-26

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 11 where we find ourselves only 100 years after the Flood and sinful man has forgotten the lessons learned from the Flood. It is not fear, not even fear of God that changes the human heart. It is only the grace of God that changes the heart of a sinner. In Ezekiel 36:26 the Lord said, "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart."

Not long after the Flood, sinful man traveled to Babylon which means confusion. Such is the destination of the life not guided by the God of the Bible. With man's move to Babylon, the world moved ever increasingly away from God. Man's continuing move away from God galvanized his resolve against God to the point that he defied Him openly by building the Tower of Babel. In response, God did what was necessary to halt man's destructive move away from Him; He limited man's ability to bring together his efforts to destroy himself.

In today's passage, God takes us back before the Tower of Babel to list the line of Shem. Although God had given us a more detailed listing of Shem's lineage in Genesis 10, here in Genesis 11, God hones in on a sliver of Shem's lineage in order to show us how Shem's line led us to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In v.10-11 of today's passage we read, "10 This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood. 11 After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters."

This is now the fifth genealogy that the Bible has given us thus far. The Flood ended in the year 1657 BC and so Shem was 100 years old in the year 1659 when his son Arphaxad was born. After Arphaxad was born, Shem lived 500 years and so he died in the year 2159.

In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah. 13 After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters."

Arphaxad was born in the year 1659 and he had Salah in the year 1694. Arphaxad died in the year 2097 at 438 years of age.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber. 15 After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters."

Salah was born in the year 1694 and he had Eber in the year 1724. Salah died in the year 2127 at 463 years of age.

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg. 17 After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters."

Eber was born in the year 1724 and he had his son Peleg in the year 1758. Eber died in the year 2188 at 464 years of age. He is the last person who would live to be more than 450 years of age and in fact, he is the last one who would even live beyond 300 years. Man’s years drop quickly after the flood.

Interestingly, Eber means "One from beyond" or "He who crossed over." It is from Eber  that we get the term "Hebrew." Eber was alive at the time of the divisions of languages and he certainly was the father of the family line that maintained the original language of the earth which we call Hebrew today. Since his name means, "He who crossed over" and it’s recorded that his descendants lived in Ur which is on the opposite side of the Euphrates from Babylon, it’s probable that he and several generations of his descendants moved away from Babylon to Ur some time after the time of the Tower of Babel. In Genesis 14, we will see the word Hebrew used for the first time in the Bible when speaking of Abraham who was the man who "crossed over" the Euphrates and away from the area of Babel. In Joshua 24:2 we read of Abraham’s father who lived on the other side of the Euphrates and worshipped other gods.

In v.18-19 of today's passage we read, "18 Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu. 19 After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters."

Peleg was born in the year 1758 and he had Reu in the year 1788. Peleg died in the year 1997 at 239 years of age. He died 191 years before his father Eber and 9 years before his great, great, great grandfather Noah. Peleg is the last person in this line of Shem who was mentioned in the generations of the sons of Noah in Genesis 10. He was listed with his brother Joktan, and Joktan’s sons were mentioned, but not Peleg’s. Joktan is no longer relevant to the story and so this line in Genesis 11 focuses on Peleg and those who come after him. It is he, not Joktan, who is an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.20-21 of today's passage we read, "20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug. 21 After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters."

Reu was born in the year 1788 and he had his son Serug in the year 1820. Reu died in the year 2027 at 239 years of age.

In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, "22 Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor. 23 After he begot Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters."

Serug was born in the year 1820 and he had his son Nahor in the year 1850. Serug died in the year 2050 at 230 years of age.

In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah. 25 After he begot Terah, Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters."

Nahor was born in the year 1850 and he had his son Terah in the year 1879.  Nahor died in the year 1998 at the age of 148. This was 22 years before his father Serug and 8 years before his great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather Noah. Noah was still alive in the 9th generation when Abraham’s father Terah was born and even when Nahor died. The environment of the post flood world was obviously much harsher on humans than it was before the flood. And this harshness has a cumulative effect, transferring down the line. We know this because Noah lived 350 years after the flood and each generation lived less than the one before. 

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran."

Terah was born in the year 1879. Abram, one of Terah's sons is listed first in this verse, but he was not the oldest. We know this because the oldest son, Haran, died back in their hometown of Ur. Abram was actually the second son of Terah. With this verse so ends the generations of Shem and leads us into a new section of the biblical account which will focus on Abram and his sons.

And, so, we complete the genealogy that has led us to Abram. Whereas the focus on the line of Shem in Genesis 10 showed all the various people groups that came, in Genesis 11, it narrows down to focus on one line, the line of those who believed in the God of the Bible. As we see throughout the Genesis, this story is an ongoing juxtaposition between those who believed in the God of the Bible and those who did not. Most in today's world believe the value of a person is measured by their achievements in this world or their status in it. This is not the emphasis discovered in the Scriptures. In fact, in the Scriptures we discover that our value is truly measured best by the object of our faith, and, the God of the Bible has the best definitions for things.

Genesis 11:6-9

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6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. ~ Genesis 11:6-9

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 11. In our last study we considered the first five verses of this chapter wherein we discovered the building of the Tower of Babel and the reason behind its build. The Tower of Babel is a case of a self-fulfilled prophecy. As you know, Babel means confusion. And, of course that is what the people who thought they were making a name for themselves ended up, in a serious state of confusion.

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "And the Lord said, 'Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.'"

God’s response to man’s arrogance and presumption was to make it harder for them to communicate and thus harder to unite in their rebellion against God. Since God knew the immense potential in the people whom He had created in his image, He had to step in and do something. What God did in confusing and disrupting the goals of man at the Tower of Babel was tantamount to what He did in the Garden of Eden when He placed the angels with the sword at the Tree of Life. So, God multiplied their languages in order to limit their ability to exalt themselves and find security apart from Him.

This is the road that Lucifer has always led mankind down, away from God. But, the key to overcoming the activity and influence of evil in our lives and in our world is to recognize it and then expose it. We best expose evil for what it truly is by exposing it to the light of God's Word. And, when we expose evil to the light of Christ, evil loses its power in our lives and in the lives around us. Since the Bible is no mere human writing, but is authored by God Himself, it has a unique power to transform the human heart, to "make us wise unto salvation." God's Word enlightens our minds, unveils His plan of salvation through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, teaches us His ways, and shows us how to live as His people on this earth. In order to meet with confidence and wisdom the many challenges of our time, we must be renewed in our zeal to meet the Lord daily through the study of His Word. This is how we fend off the onslaughts of the evil one.

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech."

Here again, God refers to Himself in the plural. He said, "let us go down." Even though the word "Trinity" is not used in the Bible, the concept is all throughout. All three Persons of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, comprise the one, perfectly unified God. They share the same nature and essence, and they are all the same God, but each individual Person of the Trinity is distinct and unique.

It was at this point in time that God confused the language of the people by their lip, their speech, not by their words. And this explains why all the way back in v.1 of the chapter the idea of the language of man was divided into two parts. As the people were working, their speech became confusing to one another to the point where one person would ask for a brick and the other person would bring a stick. In no time at all, fights broke out, people killed each other, and decided to pick up their families and bail out of the God-sized task they had set out on.

In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth."

As the people moved out into the world with their increasingly distinct languages, they developed written languages to assist them in their lives and to keep their cultures tied together. Here then is a miracle of God which disperses the people of the world and which caused devolution from one culture and monotheism to a cacophony of cultures and a world rife with religious beliefs which encompass the earth even to this day. But by another miracle of God, the world’s people are reunited in the family of God and all speak in one voice, not as individuals, but through God’s manifestation of Himself in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true Universal Translator for everyone who has been reunited into God’s family through His shed blood.

The credit for the dispersion of the people is given solely to the Lord. It is He who directs the winds which blow across the nations and through time and it is He who fashions the changes in everything, from the transformation of the caterpillar into a butterfly, to the number and size of the nations on the earth. He is in complete control of everything that happens around us.

The city the people left behind was called Babel, which means confusion in the Hebrew language. Spiritual Babylon is the city of confusion even to this day. In the place where religion is developed by man, there is confusion. In the place where people attempt to please God through their works, there is confusion. And in the place where God’s word is disregarded or distorted, there is confusion.

This is why God has given us His word because His word reveals His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who reveals to us the unseen Father. There is nothing confusing in that scenario. Apart from this revelation, there is only confusion and disorder, but when we open our eyes and our hearts to the truth of God’s word, confusion is replaced with right thinking. Anger is replaced with peace. And discontentment is replaced with the hope of a better life at the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The tower of Babel teaches us one major lesson: we were never meant to center our lives on who we are and what we can do, but on God who created us. The tower of Babel illustrates for us the fatal delusion of all man-made religion that says that through superior effort man can reach God. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely more beautiful than any other religion because it says that, although man is sinful and God is holy, man can be forgiven and gain access to the presence of God if he’ll only repent of his sins and look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation.

Genesis 11:1-5

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1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.  2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." 5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. ~ Genesis 11:1-5

Today, we transition into Genesis 11. Within just a short 100 year period of time after the Flood, the world had walked away from the knowledge of what happened and had not only rejected the God of the Bible and the lessons learned from their recent history. They had actually come together to work against God and establish their own society and religion apart from Him.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Now the whole earth had one language and one speech."

There are two key words used here that are used to describe the communicate the people of the world had at that time. The first word is "language" which is the Hebrew word that literally means "lip." They had the same lip. The second word is "speech" which means "words." The whole earth had one language and one speech that enabled them to be unified apart from God. They did not understand that communal living is not doable apart from God.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there."

The people moved east. That is a way of saying that they went away from God and His presence. Just as man was cast out east of Eden, just as Cain moved further east of Eden to the Land of Nod, they all wandered away from God. The land of Shinar was the same area that Cain dwelt before the Flood and it is the same area which has been in complete spiritual opposition to God to this day. It was in Shinar that false religion got its foothold through Cain. 

In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, "3 Then they said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.'"

The Tower of Babel was a religious building, intended to expose man to the mystery of the heavens and to God. That, perhaps, is what is meant here by the statement that they intended to build a tower with its top in the heavens. They were impressed by its greatness architecturally, that is, it was a large undertaking for the men of that day to build and they thought of it as reaching into heaven. But they also unquestionably were thinking of it as a means of communication with God, of maintaining contact with Him. 

These two verses point to us every false religion that has ever existed. The first six words of v.3, "Then they said to one another," reveals the guts of false religion, the worship of self. These people had rejected God’s way of approaching Him and decided that they could make up their own way to get to Godlike status. 

From the day they decided to build the tower onward, the motto of humanity has been, "let us make a name for ourselves." This motto reveals one of the basic philosophies of humanism which says, "Glory to man in the highest, for man is the master of all things." That is the central thought of humanism, glory to mankind.

The saying, "All paths lead to God," finds its origin here at the Tower of Babel. But God has and always will reject this notion. The biblical model reveals man doesn’t work his way back to God; the biblical model reveals that God must come to man otherwise man is doomed in his sin. In the land of Shinar which was away from God, the people had determined that their way to God was the right way, so they built their tower to heaven. This is exactly what every false religion on earth has in common; works-based salvation.

Not only were they defying God by attempting to work their way to Him, but they were also attempting to defy Him should He ever presume to go back on His word about flooding the earth again. The problem with religion is that the people of the world are really motivated by their own glory, not God's glory. They thought that if they built this tower, they would somehow be able to be like God. And, they succeeded through uniting their efforts.  The only problem was that it didn't work.

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built."

When the Lord came down before the flood, a different type of terminology was used. Before the flood there was still a place where the Garden of Eden was located. Before the flood, the Lord talked with Adam and Eve, and with Cain. Before the flood there were cherubim who guarded the Garden of Eden. Before the flood, God spoke with Noah in several different ways and He established a covenant with him. And before the flood, the Lord was the one who shut the door to the ark. 

After the flood, Noah built an altar at the top of the mountain of Ararat and the smoke of the offering soared even higher to reach the Lord. His presence since the time of the flood has been symbolically on high. So now, with the building of the tower, the Lord descended to bring about judgment and to deliver unwanted discipline on those who had so quickly and so shamefully had been disobedient to the commands they were given from God through Noah.

God told them to fill the earth, to populate the earth. Sinful man's response was one of defiance. They congregated together to build a city that was supposed to reach all the way up to God. It wasn't that building a city was wrong, it was that they built a city for themselves exclusive of God. There have been many archaeological discoveries that revealed these seven level towers made out of mud bricks called ziggurats. These towers were used to worship the zodiac and they used them to look to the stars for direction. Instead of looking to the God of creation, instead of trusting Him for their future, they looked to creation for direction. "But the Lord came down to see the city." And, in so doing, man was held accountable.

Genesis 10:21-32

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21 And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder. 22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 30 And their dwelling place was from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east. 31 These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations. 32 These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood. ~ Genesis 10:21-32

Today, we close out our study of Genesis 10 where we are given the genealogies of Japheth, Ham and Shem. Having considered the first two genealogies, we now come to the genealogy of Shem. When Noah pronounced his curse and blessings, it was Shem who received the spiritual blessing and the first place over the rest of Noah’s seed. Since before time began God has had a plan to reconcile sinful and rebellious man to Himself and He decided to do it through real people who really lived. And, along the way He has given us insights into the human condition and what does and doesn’t please Him. Down through time, all who have fostered in their hearts a response of faith to God have experienced His grace. And it is this grace that leads us to salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder."

Eber was the great, great grandson of Shem. And yet despite this, he is brought into the picture at the same time that Shem’s son’s are to be mentioned one of 70 names mentioned here. Eber will be mentioned again and again denoting the  importance he had in the story of delivering the Lord Jesus Christ to this world. It is from Eber that we get the word "Hebrew." It has the same consonants that form the word for "Passover."  The Hebrew people are literally "the people of the Passover." This tucked away message merely illustrates that God is always at work in the context of the chaos that man's rebellion from God has created.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram."

Shem means "fame." He is the father of all of the Semitic peoples of the world which includes Jews and Arabs. Shem had five sons. The first was Elam which means "eternity." His line has lead to the Elamites and Persians of the world today. Asshur which means "strong" is the descendent of the Assyrians and Northern Iraqis. Arphaxad which means "I shall fail as the breast," has as his descendants the people of the Southern Iraq, the Hebrews, the Moabites, and the Jordanians. The fourth son of Shem was Lud, which means "strife." His descendants are those people groups in Asia Minor (today's Turkey) and North Africa. And the last son of Shem mentioned here is Aram, which means "exalted." Aram's people are the Syrians, and the Lebanese.

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash."

Little is known of these sons of Aram. Evidently the children of Aram had more contact with Shem than his other grandsons (except through Arphaxad) since none of the others are listed here. As we know, Job came from the city of Uz which is what we know as Jordan today.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber."

We have gone from Shem to his son Arphaxad and then down the line. First the sons of Shem were mentioned and after that came the side branch which were the sons of Shem’s son Aram. They were specifically listed because the sons of Aram play such a large part in the later pages of the Bible as they interact with the chosen line of Israel.

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan."

Peleg interestingly means "divided." He was named for the judgment of God at the tower of Babel. As we will see in Genesis 11, when the world was one big empire under Nimrod, God came down and judged and divided it. He divided them into separate locations and separate languages. Nimrod was a contemporary of Eber. So, Babel was built with its tower in Eber’s lifetime. And Eber named his son Peleg when he saw what God did to Babel. So, Eber, whose name means "Hebrew," named his son, in those days when the Earth was divided.

In addition, what is known as the "continental divide" or the separation of the continents, happened at this point in history. Peleg in Greek it means "sea." The word archipelago comes from this word. The Greeks called the Aegean Sea "Archipelago," or the first sea, drawing the name from this man, Peleg. Peleg's brother "Joktan" name means "small." The people who came from Joktan are all located in Arabia. 

In v.26-30 of today's passage we read, "26 Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 30 And their dwelling place was from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east."

This whole chapter presents to us a story about how far man fell away from God and how fast he fell away from God. All of mankind, down throughout our history, has known the true God of the Bible to varying degrees. The varying of the degrees was not created by God but by man who either chose to respond to the evidence that God has given everyone including our conscious and creation or not. It is not God's fault that different people groups abandoned their knowledge of God. Many believe it is unfair that some have more access to the gospel than others but the history shows who is to be held responsible for this difference. As a result of the unsaved man's rebellion away from God, he became mired in idolatry started which was on full display at the Tower of Babel. It’s still going on. It will, ultimately, be judged by God at the end of time. Interestingly, in the middle of all of these names, there was one who sought the God of the Bible, the famed Queen of Sheba who came to visit Solomon in search of the truth. Sheba was located in Ethiopia. 

In v.31-32 of today's passage we read, "31 These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations. 32 These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood."

The lineage of Abraham, the father of all who place their faith in the God of the Bible, came from Shem. Abraham is the biblical example of justification by faith according to Paul’s writings. All of these names reveal that God has always worked through time and history and slowly unfolding His beautiful plan of salvation for all willing and humble enough to believe in Him. In the end, the lesson of Noah is one that we all need to take to heart. God loves all of the people of the world and He extends to all who call on and trust in Him forgiveness of and deliverance from sin. And in place of that He promises eternal life.