Day 4 Chronological Bible Study Timeline. Map. Go to today's Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Genesis 9:18–11:26; 1Chronicles 1:5-27
Family Trees
Many people find it interesting to trace their family trees. Through library genealogical societies and internet searches, it is easier than ever to trace ancestry.
Where are you from? Are there any interesting characters in your family line? Do your relations give you joy or grief? There are some bramble and wild limbs in every family tree. There are no guarantees, but how can we better ensure that our branch in the tree will be godly?
In today’s Bible reading, Noah is the father of three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth. From these sons and their wives, all the peoples and nations of the earth are formed.
Ham
Ham’s descendants form the eastern and southeastern Mesopotamian nations (Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Israel, Syria, and northern Iraq). One of his sons, Cush, and his descendants build the first Babylon and Nineveh in Assyria.
Canaan is a prominent son of Ham. For some unknown reason, Noah curses Canaan when his father, Ham, shames his father, Noah. Why? It is not explicitly stated, but it appears Ham seriously violated cultural laws by not giving his father, Noah, privacy and proper respect. He sees his drunken father sleeping naked and then boasts about it to his brothers! This makes Noah lose respect in the eyes of his sons. For this, Noah curses Canaan, one of Ham’s four sons.
Why is Ham not cursed? Why put the curse on his son? Bible scholars aren’t sure. Some speculate that Canaan might have been a lot like his father, Ham. The curse is, therefore, prophetic.
Indeed, Canaan’s descendants would become proud and sexually immoral. The Canaanites settled in the area later conquered by Israel. They will be servants to her people.
Lest we become judgmental of Ham and his son Canaan, we should remember we are all under the curse of sin. We all do wrong things or fail to do the right things (Romans 3:23). We become enslaved to our evil ways without God’s Spirit in us, just like the Canaanites. They became enslaved to immorality, idol worship, and all kinds of evil.
But, here is the good news— thousands of years later, Jesus would bear our sins in his body on the cross and become a curse for us. He would do this so we could be set free from the curse of sin and death (Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:23). Have we accepted his sacrifice for our sins? Have we called on him to forgive us and set us free? Romans 10:9-13 tells us how to do that (more...).
Japheth and Shem
The genealogies given in Genesis 10 are not all-inclusive but are representative of family groups of people. From the records of Noah’s other sons, we know Japheth was the father of the European nations, and Shem was the father of the Elamites that settled in eastern Babylon. Later, Abraham’s family would move from Ur of the Chaldees (Babylon) to Israel’s future inheritance, where the Canaanites lived. Other sons of Shem live in the Mesopotamian region.
The Tower of Babel
What happened at this tower, and why is it called Babel?
Noah’s descendants were not obeying the command to fill the earth (Genesis 9:1). Instead, they are filled with pride, seeking to make a name for themselves. God hates pride. All glory belongs to him, so he confuses their languages and scatters them all over the earth. They then form their own nations with their own languages and dialects. The unfinished tower becomes known as the “Tower of Babel” since they cannot understand each other.
Do we give glory to God? If we do, he will provide us with peace and direction. If we don’t, our lives could become chaotic with no sense of purpose.
God chooses a family line
A significant part of Genesis supplies the historical basis for God’s covenant with his people. With the tracing of each genealogical line, there is a narrowing with the chosen line continuing. Here are some examples:
- In Shem, Ham, and Japheth’s family, the line of Shem is carried forth.
- In the line of Terah, Abraham’s line is continued.
- In the line of Abraham’s sons, Ishmael and Isaac, Isaac’s line is emphasized.
- In the line of Isaac’s sons, Esau and Jacob, Jacob’s line is favored.
Scholars say each chosen line has an element (a motif) of blessing, cursing, and deterioration because of sin.To us, this is a continual reminder of humanity’s need for forgiveness and restoration. We all need to own a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ to be saved.
Our Family Line
How can we ensure our branch of the family tree will be godly? The truth is that we can’t. We each must struggle and make our own choices to believe Jesus died in our place and rose again to receive forgiveness.
However, we can draw others to the Savior by living a good Christian life, a life of love, service, godliness, humility, integrity, and forgiveness. And, when God gives us the opportunities, we can share with our family, friends, and neighbors what God has done for us. We can and should pray fervently and consistently for him to work in their hearts. God doesn’t wish anyone to perish. Perhaps, this is the year they will be saved. It happened in my family, and it can happen in yours.
Write a private prayer response to today’s Bible study:
My prayer response: Dear Father, you are a most gracious and awesome God. Though we didn’t deserve it in the least, you called us to be saved and to serve you and others. May your kingdom come, and your will be done, both in heaven and on earth. Thank you for blessing us with family, friends, and acquaintances so we won’t be lonely and can share our lives together. As our daily bread, we need you to give us the courage to set the example, confess our failures, and witness your saving grace. Please forgive us of any sins and help us forgive others. Lead us away from the temptation to show revenge. May we do all things for your kingdom and glory. In Jesus name, Amen
Please send your comments to me, Rod
Looking Ahead: In our Next Lesson, we will visit a character called Job (pronounced with a long vowel). The book bears his name. Chronologically, Job’s life lines up with the time of the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A lot of bad things happen to Job. The theme for our following Bible study is, Why do the Innocent or Righteous Suffer.
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