About the Reading:
We first learn of Noah and his sons, and his grandson. As a result of the actions of Ham, Noah curses his grandson (Canaan) to a life of slavery in service to his brothers all while praising God and lifting his other sons to Him.
We again learn more ancestry of these historical people. Through these lists of families, we first learn that there are different languages, clans, and nations.
We also learn the story of Babel in which God came down and, upon seeing the town and the tower to Heaven, made everyone speak different languages so they would no longer be a single people but be scattered across the world.
Here we are introduced to Abram. We learn of God’s promise to him to bless him and make him famous. We learn of his travels with his wife and nephew, Lot, across the land. We learn of God’s great promise to give Abram descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky! We also learn of the land that He gives to Abram as well.
My Thoughts and Notes:
I found today’s reading a bit interesting, a bit not so interesting, and a bit intriguing.
I still can’t seem to get into the who list of ancestry. I think because I am a very visual person and, as I read it, my mind just keeps wanting to turn to look at a family tree type chart as I read it. There are so many descendants, and brothers and sisters and this and that and him and hers that my mind just can’t wrap itself around it all.
I also always struggle with time frames while reading these passages. It is difficult for me to imagine all of these things that happened so long ago as well as to imagine how long some of these time frames are.
I love the story of Abram. It has always been one that interests me. I’m not sure why, but I do find myself very interested every time I read or hear it.
Let’s go back, however, to the story of Babel first. This has always been a story that really wasn’t of much interest to me until I was reading it today. The reason it suddenly became of interest to me was because of the version I went to read.
I am reading from The New Jerusalem Bible as my daily reading; however I keep a copy of the Student Bible New international Version next to me as well. I do this because it is better at clarifying some things for me as I need. I kind of look at the Student Bible a bit as my “dictionary” to the New Jerusalem Bible. Does that make sense?
Anyway, while reading the story of Babel, I began thinking, “Huh, so God didn’t like us working all together so He split us up? That can’t be all, can it?”
I turned to the Student Bible and found this:
11:6 Human Ambition
People are ambitious-they want to succeed. Genesis portrays humans as so ambitious that they try to compete with, rather than serve, God. This was Adam and Eve’s sin (3:5,22), and at Babel people were at it again, in a citywide effort. God frustrated their plans by confusing their language
Now I get it! It wasn’t the fact that the people were working together. It was the fact that people were working together and forgetting to praise God and serve Him in their work.
That really makes me think. I have talked, in the past, about my job feeling more like a vocation than really a job or career. I feel like I have been called to do what I do, to make the lives of children better, to influence those who work with children. I do bring a bit of God with me to work…okay, I bring a LOT of God with me to work.
The struggle, however, comes when others don’t do the same. I guess it would be so much easier to serve God if I were working in a Christian preschool; however, I am not. Therefore, I know that the work I do is to serve God, but it is not in a unifying front.
Now let’s look at the verse that really intrigued me the most today (Genesis 14:21-24):
The king of Sodom said to Abram, ‘give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.’ But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, ‘I swear by God most High, Creator of heaven and earth; not one thread, not one sandal strap, will I take of what is yours, for you to be able to say, “I made Abram rich.” For myself, nothing-except what the troops have used up, and the share due to the men who came with me, Eshcol, Aner and Mamre; let them take their share.’
I read this and I think, “Yes, isn’t that what really should be?” Abram says he will serve God not for the monetary reasons. He will only take what he needs to survive. He will not do his work in order to live a life of luxury. I think this is what we should all strive for, isn’t it?
That’s all I got thoughts-wise on this reading. What do you have? What are your thoughts? What was your most thought-provoking verse today?
My comments today will be chapter by chapter, sort of. Genesis 9:18 We see that mankind didn't change because of the flood. We still have free choice and we still make stupid/wrong decisions. Here we see that Noah got drunk and was laying in his tent naked when his son, Ham, saw him and went and told his brothers about it. Now, I'm not real sure what exactly went on, but, however it went down, it was WRONG. So wrong that Noah cursed his grandson (children paying for the sins of the father?) because of it. Point is, sin was still in the world.
ReplyDeleteChapter 10, the genealogies are often hard to read, no, make that ALWAYS hard to read. But it shows us how the world was repopulated. It is sort of amazing how God worked that out. Remember there were only 8 people around after the flood, and everyone who lives today comes from those 8. Make us ALL cousins, really.
Chapter 11. In the story of the Tower of Babel we see how people are working together to build this tower to heaven, again an attempt to become God-like. So God scattered everyone and mixed up their languages. Think on this the next time someone starts talking about having a world language. (or have you not hear of this?)
We also see,in the generations of Seth that man's days are shorter. We are introduced to Abram in this chapter. We learn that his brother, Terah has died and left a son, Lot. Abram and his wife, Sarai, seem to be helping raise the boy.
Chapter 12: God appeared to Abram and told him to pack up and move to a place where He would show him. And Abram did. How many of us would just pack up all our worldly possessions and move to an unknown place? He didn't argue with God, or ask where?, why? or anything. Abram just did as God said. Here we get the first look at the amazing faith of Abram. But we also get a look at Abram's humanness. He lies to the prince of Egypt, telling him that Sarai is his sister. So the Prince brought Sarai into his harem (she must have been one beautiful lady. She was in her 70's at the time). God sent a plague on the Pharaoh's house because of this lie.
Chapter 13: We see more of Abrams faith and wisdom in his dealing with Lot. Because of the largeness of their families, flocks, servants, etc., Abram decided that he and Lot must separate. He let Lot choose where he would settle. And didn't argue when Lot chose the best land. No wonder God continued to bless Abram!
Chapter 14: More of Abrams love for Lot, and his wisdom in dealing with the king of Sodom. We are also introduced to the tithe. We know very little about Melchizedek, except that he was "the priest of God Most High."
chapter 15: God makes a covenant with Abram. His descendants will be as numerous as the stars. Yet, at this point in time Abram and Sarai are childless. Which shows us that God can bless us, even when it seems impossible to us.
Ida, great recap and thoughts! Much better than I did in writing this post. I loved your comments.
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