Genesis Chapter 12

  

In this chapter we are going to learn what happens when you follow the Lord. Abram would become Abraham - the Father of Faith and the beginning of the Jewish nation. 

Verses 1-9

Abraham heard God’s voice saying, follow me.

Verse 2 God says, I will bless you. 

God promised to make his descendants a great nation and bless all the people of the earth through him.

He took his household and his nephew Lot and departed out of Haran around 1921 BC

Abram built an altar in Bethel before continuing their journey.

Verses 10-20

The famine was the first sign of trouble. Abram made a decision to go down to Egypt over what God said. Egypt in the Bible always represents the world. 

Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help;…But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!

Abram knew his wife was beautiful and asked her to lie and say she was his sister because he was afraid they would kill him. The Pharoah of Egypt took her to his house and God sent plagues. When Pharaoh realized what was going on he gave Sarai back to Abram and sent them out of Egypt.

Abram showed little faith in God with his family and in front of Pharaoh and his household. He didn’t trust that God was working on his behalf. 

Psalm 37:23 says The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in His way.

Let’s learn from Abrams mistakes to trust God is working on our behalf. 

God never gives up on us!

Genesis Chapter 11

  

In this chapter is recorded Shem’s genealogy or family tree. We also learn that the lifespan of humans decreases substantially after the flood. 

Verses 1-9

Everyone in the world spoke the same language. 

The people decided to build a tower which would be a gate to their god in the land of Shiner.

Verse 3  the word slime means tar - used for waterproofing. Nimrod teaches his people to mistrust God. To build this tower to keep God from destroying them ever again.

God divided their languages so they could no longer understand each other and they scattered all over the earth abandoning this project.

The city and tower became known as Babel (Babylon) which means confusion.

Verses 10-26

These verses begin with Shem dying at 600  down to Nahor who died at 148 years old.  (Remember the ages of the families before the flood lived over 900 years old)

This family tree begins with Noah’s son Shem and ends with his descendant Terah.

Verses 27-32

Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran which is important to know going forward as we read the Bible.

According to this chapter’s genealogy of Shem we can set the date of Abram’s birth at approximately 1996 BC. Abram (Abraham) is known as the father of the Jewish nation. He is part of God’s plan to save mankind from their sin.

Abram’s brother Haran had a son named Lot. 

Abram’s wife was barren which means she could not have children.

Terah took his son Abram, Sarai and his grandson Lot and moved to the land of Canaan.

The land of Canaan is now known as the land of Israel.

own man made religion. But Instead of destroying another society God gave them all other languages and they all took off and stopped the building of this tower. 

When we get worried or stress over the wickedness around us and it seems daunting and out of control. Pray instead because we serve a God who is still in control. 

John 14:27 says, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Genesis Chapter 10

 

 In this chapter we don’t know the lifespan of all the individuals like in the previous chapters.

Now the flood has been estimated to have happened approximately 2350 BC. which stands for two thousand three hundred and fifty years before Christ.

This date comes from the genealogies written in previous chapters where the years they lived all the way back to Adam have been recorded. 

Verse 1

Genesis 10 is a record of the families of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Many of the men mentioned in this chapter is important because they were leaders of great nations and significant cities historically.

Verses 2-5

Japheth had 7 sons and their families made their homes in the coastlands.

 Verses 6-20

Ham had 4 sons: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan. Cush fathered Nimrod who is described as a mighty man on the earth. He was king of several cities listed in this chapter including Babel which is Babylon and today modern day Iraq.

Nimrod means rebellion or against and he was a tyrannical leader. Cruel and wicked. 

The Philistines were descendants of Ham’s son Egypt.

Canaan’s descendants were the nations that are mentioned in other books of the Bible like Joshua and Judges.

Verses 21-32

Shem had 5 sons and details about his family will be in the next chapter. 

These genealogies are important details that help us acquire a Biblical timeline. It doesn’t just give us the dates in history of civilizations mentioned in these scriptures but the names of the individuals who founded those nations and cities.

After the flood Noah’s sons and descendants dispersed throughout many regions and lands and created new societies. This chapter would seem insignificant except it sets up the backdrop of the upcoming chapters and books of the Bible. 

God orchestrates the details just like he orchestrates our steps. Nothing is random. 

Psalm 37:23 & 24 says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.