This week’s reading: Genesis 10:1-32
Hi Friends,
This week, once again, we encounter more genealogies. The Bible is filled with them, so obviously, God deems them very important, so we will talk about some more things we can learn from all these lineages. We will also see how, just because we might all come from the same family, this does not guarantee that we will all live at peace with one another. Humans are a divided people because this is exactly what sin’s mission is all about. We are in Genesis, chapter 10 and will read the whole chapter, that is, verses 1 through 32. Since there is no way I am going to even attempt to pronounce all these exotic names, listen to that last verse:
“These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.” Gen 10:32 NIV
Know Whose you are. As I mentioned in my article titled “From Adam to Noah,” genealogies were important to help this nation of God distinguish their God given inheritance of property, but also their claims to the throne or priesthood and clan leadership. They also helped this nation organize themselves when traveling or going into battle, which is especially seen during their 40 years of wandering through the Wilderness, and later when the inheritance in the Promised Land was divided by tribe. Yet genealogies also served to remind them what God had done for their ancestors. Out of all the nations in the world, God had chosen these descendants of Abraham, as people who were to be ambassadors for God and show the rest of the world Who He is. In other words, the Israelites were supposed to stand out among the nations because God was their King and Lord. They were not better than the rest because, sadly, we are all wicked inside, since we are all sinners by birth. Paul says we are dead in our transgressions. (Eph 2:1) That is, apart from Christ, we have the sinful nature that turns us away from God, Who is Life, and towards MMI. Apart from God, we are all the same, doomed to an existence of futility, frustration and failure. But these peoples, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, these were set apart by the Grace of God to be different then the rest and to, hopefully, draw others into a relationship with their God. This was the Plan, anyway. If we are familiar with the Old Testament, then we know that humans are so very fallible. We are never to judge this nation, however, because we all fall into the same temptations and weaknesses. Instead we are to learn from them. The Church is now supposed to bring forth that original Plan, where those who are called by His Name are to show the rest of the world Who our King and Lord is. And, sadly, like the Israelites, we too seem to be failing, my Friends. I say again, we are not better than the rest of the world, probably worse to be honest, because we HAVE Jesus and are still acting no different than the world! This is why Paul claims to be “the worst of sinners,” and I often also claim this title. I know better, or I should, and I still act like that sinful Jezebel WAY too often! In Christ, we are NOT who we used to be. Again not better than the world, but certainly we are supposed to be different! Knowing our new genealogy should help us to live this different New Life in Christ. We NOW belong to the Forever Family of God, which includes the giants of Saints, like Moses, King David and Elijah from the Old, and Peter, Paul and John the Apostle from the New. Most importantly, we now belong to the line of Jesus. Knowing our rebirth line should change the way we live. It determined much for the nation of Israel, we must allow it to determine everything for the believer of Christ.
Enemies within our family. It is interesting to me, since we already know the history of the Israelites, to see how many of their enemies came from their own brother! We read from the lineage of Ham come Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan. We should immediately note their major adversaries Egypt and Canaan. Spoiler alert: Egypt ends up enslaving the families of Jacob’s twelve sons, who come the the lineage of Shem, for 400 years before God sets them free through Moses. In addition, from the line of Egypt, later comes the nation of the Philistines… think Goliath here! Then, of course, from the line of Canaan comes the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and many more “-ites” that rage war against Israel for centuries, even before their entry into the Promised Land. While we never hear anything else about Put, we do read that Cush became the father of Nimrod who the Bible says, “was the first to be a mighty man on earth.” (Gen 10:8 AMPC) Nimrod goes on to build a kingdom for himself starting with Babel, in Babylonia, then in Assyria, he builds the city of Nineveh. All of these cities, regions and peoples should ring a bell with us in that they were problematic, to say the least, for the Israelites for much of their history. From these genealogies we can also see the curse and blessing Noah pronounced over his three sons begin to manifest. The descendants of Shem, where the name Semites comes from, remain allies with those who descend from Japheth, while those from the lineage of Ham become their enemies. In fulfillment of the curse from Noah, the heirs of Ham do become the slaves of Shem, when in God’s judgment, Israel enters the Promised Land and conquers it, which was the land of the Canaanites. Sadly, the descendants of Ham become powerful yet godless nations who opposed the children of Shem, even to this day, since the Arabs also come from this son of Noah. Yet God’s Plan is to save His people by moving their hearts to desire to live the righteous life He designed for them to live. As I mentioned last week, those from Shem represent the Jewish nation, and those from Japheth are symbolic for us Gentiles. Yet there remains a type of people who live and act like those of Ham, who neither acknowledge God for themselves, nor do they want anyone else to live by His Holiness either. While our biological families are to be important and respected in our lives, it is sad to see that, sometimes, our greatest opposition can come from our own genealogy. There will always be some who will oppose God, and what He stands for, in many families. Believers must understand two things: 1- only God knows the heart, so we are never to judge who is who in regard to whether they are saved or not and 2- we are to love everyone and let God sort it all out. This, of course, does not mean exposing ourselves to danger…but it can. There are hundreds of thousands of full-time missionaries serving in other countries who are extremely hostile and violent against the Gospel of Christ. These are our brothers and sisters and we are to pray and provide for them as much as God leads. This animosity began with Cain and Abel and will not end until the End of Time. Yet Jesus encourages us to love our enemies because, we never know when we might be able to help bring a Saul to God, Who will transform him into a Paul. (see Ac 9:1-9) We choose to love, and trust God with the rest.
Love all. Shem becomes the father of several sons, one of which is Arphaxad, who becomes the father of several sons, one of which is Eber through which we get the name Hebrew. Then the Bible goes on to say, “Two sons were born to Eber: One named Peleg, because in his time the earth divided…” (Gen 10:25) Division. We will talk more next week about this dividing of the earth and the good and bad that came from it. Yet division is, sadly, nothing new. It has been a consequence of sin from the beginning of humanity, and until Jesus comes to unite those who are His, it will continue to be the reality for us here in this world. There are many well meaning people out there who just want us to “coexist,” but as I said last week, this is just not a possibility, nor is it wise. Human nature is human nature and some will always be our adversaries, no matter how much we attempt to follow the command of Jesus to “love our enemies.” Jesus says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” and we certainly should do our part by acting towards all people with grace, mercy and respect. (Mt 5:44) We should also be praying for everyone, not just those we think are living in line with our own ideas. For many, you and I just might be the only ones lifting them up to God. It is not that God cannot work in their lives if someone is not praying for them. God is our Father, and a Loving Father does not need the permission of His child to bless them if He so desires. Yet when those of us who are called by His Name seek to be more like Him, we will pray for our enemies. This reveals the level of our maturity, the state of our heart. If we can sincerely pray for those who are persecuting us, then we are imitating our Lord and Savior Who even prayed for His persecutors as He hung on the Cross. “Love all” is not a blanket to condone what everyone is choosing to do. “Love all” is not a means to getting out of being responsible for telling others about Jesus. “Love all” is not a call to seek peace at all costs. If we truly desire to “love all,” then we must follow in the footsteps of Jesus, Who told the truth no matter how much that went against the current culture. The Truth Himself causes divisions. Hear the words of our Lord, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Mt 10:34) “So why is Jesus called the Prince of Peace then?,” you might wonder. Because Jesus came to unite those who belong to the Father. Those like Shem whose heart was set on following God, even if we still follow Him imperfectly. But unlike Ham, who lived for his own fame, believers, then and now, live to glorify God, which is exactly what we were created to do. To glorify God simply means to be like Him. To live a life that reflects God’s Immaculate Character, more and more. We are to grow in Christ to reveal the Salvation He has given us. This Salvation has given us Eternal Life and all the gifts that come with it. Amazing gifts, like peace that surpasses understanding. (Php 4:6) Joy that strengthens us to continue to endure all that this world may present. (Neh 8:10) And a sweet contentment because we are forever in right standing with God, secure in His Everlasting Love and Grace. (Jn 10:28-29; Ro 8:37-39; Php 4:12-13) In Christ, we can and should “love all,” yet we can, and should, love them right into the open and waiting arms of Christ, no matter what that looks like. Some will desire to dismiss you. Some will want to shut you up. Some will even want to cancel you, whichever way they can. Yet there is One Who will always be there to lift you up, and He is the only One Who should be at the center of our heart and life. This is the challenge of the Christian Life: to love all, without condoning all things. And only in Christ can we walk this walk with wisdom and victory. Lord knows I have not always done so, yet I pray over those who, like I said last week, are still lost, like Ham, or indecisive, like Japheth. I never really know how God will use my prayers to soften and move someone’s heart to Himself, but I trust Him! Every time I pray then let that person go, my life becomes more peaceful and fulfilling. Want that? Then won’t you join me?
Until we meet again, keep lifting your eyes to God, He’s closer than you think.
<>< Peace, Diane
