E-pistle for November 3, 2006
Posted by: info <info@...>
E-pistle
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation November 2, 2006
Noah's Sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth
(Genesis 10:1-32)
I. Concentration: on Noah's three sons
1. Noah was around 500 years old when these sons were born . . . about
the same time when God told Noah to start building the ark, Genesis 5:32.
2. The three sons were 100 years old and married (but without children)
when the flood came, Genesis 7:6-7.
3. Ham sinned against his father, Noah, and his descendants were cursed,
but the descendants of Shem and Japheth were blessed, Genesis 9:25-27.
4. All nations and peoples on the earth today are descended from one of these
three brothers, Genesis 10:32.
II. Meditation: on where the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth settled
1. Japheth and his descendants formed the northern nations . . . becoming the
Caucasians of Europe and western Asia, vv. 2-5.
2. Ham and his descendants formed the southern nations . . . becoming the
Negroes of Africa, vv. 6-20.
3. Shem and his descendants formed the central nations . . . becoming the Jews,
Arabs, and other Oriental peoples of the middle east, vv. 21-32.
4. "He (God) has made from one blood every nation of men who dwell on all the
face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the
boundaries of their dwelling," Acts 17:26.
III. Revelation; on the chronological listing in Genesis 5, 10, and 11
1. >From Adam to the Flood 1,656 years (Genesis 5)
>From the flood to Abraham's call 427 years (Genesis 11)
Total from Adam to Abraham 2,083 years
2. Adam's life overlapped Methuselah's by 243 years; Methuselah's life
overlapped Noah's by 600 years and Shem's by 98 years.
3. Between Adam's death and Noah's birth were 126 years; Shem lived
from 98 years before the flood until 75 years after Abraham's call.
4. If Abraham's date was approximately 2000 B.C., them Adam's date was
approximately 4000 B.C.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Accept by faith that the first eleven chapters of Genesis as historically
true and correct, not merely mythical poetry.
2. Understand that men lived longer before the flood (1) because sin had
only begun its malignant influence on the human race, which had
descended from a nature originally intended to be immortal, and
(2) because many environmental changes occurred during the flood
which shortened mankind's life span.
3. Realize that God keeps a detailed record of all our families . . . including
births, important events, and deaths.
4. Reject all racial prejudices because on this earth there are not three races
(Caucasian, Negro, and Oriental); there is only one: the human race.
The Tower of Babel
(Genesis 11:1-19)
I. Concentration: on the location and identification of Babel
1. It was in the vicinity of the mountain range of Arafat, where Noah's
ark landed (Turkey, southern Russia, or northwest Iran), Genesis 8:6.
2. It probably was in the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers,
possibly identified with Abraham's birthplace, Ur, Genesis 11:28, 31.
3. "Babel" means "mixed up" or "confused," vv. 7, 9 . . . later the site
became known as "the gate of the god."
4. Babel later became Babylon, the capital of the Babylonian empire,
located about 50 miles south of modern Baghdad, Iraq. It was from
this area that Noah's sons "divided" the earth, settling generally in the
northern, central, and southern continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
II. Meditation: on some other interesting details about this passage
1. The separation (dividing) of nations caused by the confusion of languages
occurred about the time of Peleg's birth, Genesis 10:25.
2. This was 101 years after the flood and 326 years before the call of
Abraham, Genesis 11:10-32.
3. "Shinar," v. 2, probably is Mesopotamia, Genesis 10:10.
4. "Eber," v. 4, is the man from whom the Hebrews got their name.
III. Revelation: on the events of the tower of Babel account
1. The people decided to build a tower for these reasons: (v. 4)
(1) To establish themselves as a people within the safety of a city,
(2) To approach God's presence (heaven) through their own works,
(3) To enhance their prideful reputation . . . "make a name," and
(4) To keep from being scattered and separated over the earth.
2. The Lord came down to see, spoke His will, and confused their language so
that they were scattered throughout the earth, vv. 5-9.
3. This tower of Babel incident was God's method of defeating false worship.
4. This incident also was God's method for dispersing the human race to
subdue the earth, Genesis 1:28. (Compare with Acts 8:1)
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Recognize the power of people with a unified tongue . . . "nothing that they
propose to do will be withheld from them," v. 6.
2. Avoid sinning against God by self-preservation, fleshly "good works,"
pride, and disobedience.
3. Realize that the Lord sees and knows what is happening on earth . . . and
that He is actively involved in our lives today.
4. Know that whether or not we cooperate, God certainly shall accomplish
His will and purpose on the earth.
God's Call to Abram
(Genesis 12:1-9)
I. Concentration: on God's commands and promises
1. Commands: (1) Get our of your country, (2) from you family, (3) from
your father's house, (4) to a land that I will show you, v. 1.
2. Promises: (1) I will make you a great nation, (2) I will bless you . . . and I
will bless those who bless you, (3) I will make your name great, and
(4) you shall be a blessing to all families of the earth, vv. 2-3.
II. Meditation: on Abram's responses to God's call
1. At age 75, Abram departed, taking his wife, Sarai, and his brother's son,
Lot, along with their possessions, vv. 4-5.
2. Abram traveled into the Promised Land (Canaan) to Shechem, where the
Lord appeared and reaffirmed His original promises, vv. 6-7.
3. Abram build an altar there to the Lord, v. 7.
4. Abram moved his tent to a site between Bethel and Ai, where he built another
altar and called on the name of the Lord before going south . . . outside of
the land which God had promised him, vv. 8-9.
III. Revelation: on the relationship between God and Abram's family
1. Abraham could have known Noah's son (Shem) . . . according to the
genealogy in Genesis 11. (Could Shem be Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18?)
2. Noah's father (Lamech) knew Adam, Genesis 11.
3. Both these genealogical lists (Adam to Noah, and Shem to Abraham)
include ten generations, but Adam lived 930 years while Abraham
lived a relatively short life span of 175 years, Genesis 25:7.
4. In these early chapters of the Bible, God spoke with Adam and Noah and
Abraham (not including Enoch, who was translated); God's intimate
communication with men did not overlap . . . a generation passed
after Adam and before Noah, and after Noah and before Abraham.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to know that . . .
1. Whenever I obey God's commands, His conditional promises become
unconditional promises. (God told Abram to go . . . and I will bless;
Abram obeyed by faith and God affirmed by saying: "I will!" vv. 2, 7.)
2. Just as Noah heard the Garden of Eden story from his father (Lamech)
who got it directly from Adam; and just as Abraham heard the story
of the flood from Noah's sons (Shem) who was on the ark . . . even so, I
stand in a long line of spiritual family members who received God's
words and acts, and pass them along from generation to generation.
3. God's plan is to reveal Himself to individuals who are available to hear His
voice, and His purpose is to use their influence for good all the days of
their lives and into future generations.
4. In my personal life's journey, I 'camp" between Bethel ("House of God")
And Ai ("ruin") . . . and my personal choice determines my destiny.
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