Battle For The Truth (Part 49)
Notes
Transcript
Genesis 11:10-32, “These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: (11) And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. (12) And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah: (13) And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. (14) And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber: (15) And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. (16) And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: (17) And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. (18) And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: (19) And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. (20) And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug: (21) And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. (22) And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: (23) And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. (24) And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah: (25) And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. (26) And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
(27) ¶ Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. (28) And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. (29) And Abram and Nahor took them 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 Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. (32) And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran."
Introduction
As we continue our study in Genesis this morning, we will be covering Chapter 11:10-32. I entitled this message “Checking the Record” because I believe it is important to try and focus in on the point of this portion of the Genesis narrative. I understand that these genealogies may not be exciting, and perhaps difficult to follow. Nonetheless, I want to encourage you to hang in there while we attempt to unravel and expose what God is telling us. First, we should understand that this is biblical History, which means that it is true and accurate. In fact, the Bible is the only true accounting for our world—past, present, and future. Secular history does not confirm the Scriptures, but rather, Scripture confirms or corrects secular history as well as science. Amen somebody.
The goal we are trying to accomplish is to develop a biblical worldview. Meaning, to see the world from a biblical perspective, which is God’s perspective. To properly understand the world we live in, we must be able to answer the obvious questions of who, how, when why, and what. Who is responsible for our universe? God. How did it come into being? God spoke it into being. When did God do it? In the beginning. The beginning of what? The beginning of time. What is the reason that life exists—plant, animal, and human? God spoke plant and animal life into being and created man in His own image and after His own likeness and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. Why is there evil, death, hatred, violence, and crime in the world? Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command in the Garden of Eden by eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God cursed Satan, who provoked them to sin. God then judges their sin, and promises to redeem fallen man back to Himself through one man identified as the Seed of the woman. All that follows is a record and trail of how and through whom God fulfills His promise. Amen somebody.
From this point forward the Bible focuses on the next significant person after Noah among men who comes through the blessed line of Shem. That person is Abram, who will later be renamed Abraham (Genesis 17:5).
V.10, “These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:”
As previously mentioned, the focus of the narrative now shifts to the line of Shem. Although Shem is the blessed line through whom the Messiah will eventually come, this does not mean that all Shemites were believers. In fact, other than Shem himself, there is only one in his line that is distinguished as a true believer in the God of Noah—Abram. The timeline given may be used to calculate how much time has passed between certain events and births. Shem was 100-years old when he fathered Arphaxad two years after the flood, which means that Shem was about 97-years old when he boarded the ark. He stayed on the ark for a little more than a year and was about 98-years old when he departed the ark. So, we are not talking about a lot of time.
Vv. 11-26, informs us of the remaining lineage of Shem that takes us to Terah, Abram’s father. For reasons unknown (perhaps the death of his son, Haran), Terah decided to relocate his family “from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.”
Biblically, the city or area known as Haran is first mentioned in the time of Abram (Genesis 11:31). Haran was located near the Balikh River, at the crossroads of trade routes between the Mediterranean region and prominent Mesopotamian cities such as Nineveh, Babylon, and Ur. Ancient historical records mention Haran as an important crossroads. The main temple at Haran was a center for the worship of Sin, the Mesopotamian moon-god. Although Terah’s motives for settling in Haran remain a mystery, both the location at a trading crossroads and the presence of the Temple of the moon god Sin are possible motives. Terah was apparently dedicated to staying at Haran, and Abram remained there with his father for 50 years until Terah’s death (Genesis 11:31–12:4). One thing we know is that Terah worshipped false gods. We learn this in Joshua 24:2, “And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.” So, this proves that even the blessed line of Shem became corrupted. Nevertheless, God always has Himself a small remnant. He called Abram as His faithful witness.
Conclusion
Therefore, what may be learned from this narrative is that despite the evidence and eyewitness testimony to the contrary, humanity continues to drift further away from the true and living God and become victims of our own foolishness. The history of the world is replete with a thirst for violence, conquests through wars, and false religion. Thus, it matters not, what your family lineage is, its roots are embedded in false religion. You can claim kings and queens, great warriors, craftsmen, artists, adventurers, and scholars. But at the end of the day, God called only one man, Abram, through whom He would fulfill His promise of a Redeemer for mankind. The Bible is God’s Historical record that is given to us as a divine revelation in order that we might believe and receive the gift of salvation, who is the promised Seed of the woman, Jesus Christ. Amen somebody.
Thus, as the church of Jesus Christ, it is imperative that we see our world through the lens of Scripture and not through the lens of the world. That means that the issues of our day are to be viewed from the what the Bible has to say about them and not from what the world has to say about them and see if it fits the Bible. Amen somebody. As Paul exhorts us in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” So, keep Checking the Record, and until next time, may the Lord God bless and keep you is my earnest prayer.