Damariscotta Baptist Church

 

 

Genesis 11:10 – 12:5

We left off last week with this, Genesis 11:9b

From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Humans united and decided they could reach the heavens on their own. God’s response was to scatter them. Just as the flood was both a judgment and a mercy, so in the same way, the scattering of Babylon is a judgment of humans not trusting God. Yet at the same time, notice what God says, Genesis 11:6

“One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they’ll come up with next—they’ll stop at nothing!” 

If humans keep going down that road, there would be no limit to their destruction. In His mercy, God saved them from themselves. 

Following the scattering we are given yet another genealogy of Shem, again. The previous one we read in Genesis 10. But do you recall that it peleged when we got to Eber, where he had two sons Joktan and Peleg? In the previous genealogy we followed Joktan which led us to Babylon. In this genealogy there isn’t even a mention of Peleg even having a brother. This genealogy goes through only Peleg. In doing so, today’s genealogy gives us 10 generations from Noah to Abram. Which mirrors the 10 generations given from Adam to Noah from chapter 5. There was another genealogy in the middle, found in Genesis 10 which we labeled the Table of Nations, from the sons of Noah. 

This traces the lineage of Noah’s three sons Japheth, Ham and Shem, and there lines up to the division between Joktan and Peleg. On either side of the non-chosen lines we were told of the rebellious disasters: that of the flood (Genesis 6-9) and then Babylon (Genesis 11:1-9). God frames these low moments in the story with His preservation and gracious selection of one human line that will bear the promised seed, from Genesis 3.

Today we begin the journey from Babylon to Canaan is a two part journey which begins with Abraham’s father Terah

Part 1: Abraham’s father Terah, verse 27. 

Terah had three sons, Abram, Nahor and Haran. Initially we are told that Haran had a son named Lot and while Terah was still alive his son, Haran, died. 

Lot was left without a dad. Haran’s other brothers, Abram and Nahor, both marry. Abram marries Sarai, and we were told she was not able to have children. Nahor married Haran’s daughter, his niece, Milkah. 

For whatever reason, Terah decided to take his son Abram, his daughter-in-law, Sarai, and his grandson Lot, away from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. We weren’t told why he left his other son Nahor and his wife behind, maybe to manage whatever was left. Within this part of the journey we have two tragic items, Haran’s death, and Sarai’s infertility. Terah’s journey begins with his son’s death and ends with his own death in another Haran. He never actually made it to Canaan. His son Abram continues the journey.

Part 2: Abram’s Journey

Abram’s journey begins with God telling him to leave his family and father’s house, which was marked by death, and go to a land He would direct him to. God tells him that by doing so He will make him into a great nation, thus reversing Sarai’s infertility. God also informed Abram that should people bless him, God will bless them and should people curse him, God will curse them. In addition, should families connect themselves with Abram they would also receive blessings. 

Abrams’ response was to do just as Yahweh had said, almost. God told Abram to leave his family, and those of his father’s house. Which should have meant he and Sarai would venture out on their own. But, fatherless Lot, tags along. This will prove to be significant later. 

Abram completes the journey that his father began, making two stops along the way, where Abram builds altars and worships Yahweh, and he finally arrives in Canaan. 

Abram’s journey begins with disaster and ends in blessing. This is in direct contrast to the previous journey we just read in Genesis 11 which began with a blessing, being saved from the flood and ending in disaster. 

Tim Mackie, a Hebrew scholar, compares the stories like this:

The first story begins with “all the land journeying from the east” and concludes with “all the land” being “scattered.”

Abram’s story begins with one family leaving the place of scattering and concludes with Abram, “journeying into Canaan, in places “from the east.” 

Both narratives find a place and “settle there.” 

The first finds “a plain in Shinar.”

Abram’s family came to Haran and “they settled there.”

The first story finds the sons of Adam building a city and tower for themselves. Abram’s story has Yahweh saying things that will provide a reversal of circumstances – from barrenness to father of nations. 

The first story quotes humans as saying, “Let us make a name for ourselves.” Abram’s story has Yahweh saying, “I will make great your name.” 

The first story has a reversal of circumstances – from building to scattering. Abram does some building, he builds an altar for Yahwey, not once, but twice. 

The first story – a westward sojourn that ends with humans creating their own city and trying to use their own potential for their own name. Yahweh becomes the antagonist and reverses their circumstances. 

Abram’s story – a westward sojourn that ends with humans who have no potential to make a name for themselves, so that Yahweh becomes the protagonist and reverses their circumstances.

Which story sounds more like the Sermon on the Mount?

Not only does God promise to bless Abram and his family, God tells Abram he will also be a blessing to others. It’s a two way street. 

We are back to Genesis 1 again, but with a new twist. This new Adam and Eve will not only be fruitful and multiply, they will also be a blessing that unifies the families of the Earth. 

Has anyone seen a snag in all of this? 

How are Abram and Sarai gonna make kids? 

Remember, Sarai is barren. 

Here we go. We are back to where we began. Humans having to put their trust in God to succeed.

But now you know what to expect. You know to expect to read about humans making some stupid decisions, along with stories about siblings and family members separating from each other. Oh, and of course there will be violence that can only be fixed by covenants. 

Here is your mission……

should you choose to accept it…..

As we continue to read through Scripture, and specifically through the Abraham stories, you should be looking for the snake, the faithful, the proud, the humble, matching them with their lineage, noticing if they follow suit or not. 

In fact we will see this pattern throughout, 

there is a rebellion, 

then an exile, 

followed by a remnant, 

that brings us back to the new Eden, 

repeat, 

repeat, 

until it culminates in Jesus, 

where there is an absolute inversion of the pattern. 

Jesus is obedient, 

sacrificing Himself, 

to the point of death, 

which then leads to reconciliation and the gathering of the family, 

and then leads, not to a remnant but 

to an ascension to a new Eden, 

in fact, the heavens themself come down, 

making everything new. 

The entire Bible is full of stories where people try to seize power, from Ham using sex to gain authority, to where people are trying to build cities and establish political alliances, and using prestige to gain a name, these should sound familiar, we continue to do these same things today.

The first 11 chapters of Genesis are often perceived as stories of anger and judgment and harshness. But hopefully our study has demonstrated the opposite. Throughout each story, humans fail and God comes back with justice and mercy. Each mess up results in God revealing His patience and care, along with a level of commitment to humanity that we often don’t even give ourselves. 

Check in time. 

Each of the stories we have read thus far involve real people. People who make mistakes and people who make good choices. What they do isn’t as important as where their heart is. 

When we take a posture of the fear of the Lord, 

a posture of worship, 

a posture of steps to righteousness, 

that is what God blesses, 

whether through mistakes or through good choices. 

Yet, when we take steps away from that, God’s heart grieves.

Where is your heart? 

How do we make sure our heart is in the right place? 

It starts with the simplest of details. God cares about even the smallest of things. In Luke we are told God actually knows the number of hairs on our head. 

How many times do we go through the day and forget to involve Him? 

He actually cares, 

bring Him in. 

We don’t know the story that God is crafting in and through us. 

Whatever it is, it consists of the nitty gritty of what exists in our day. 

May we remember to involve Him in the details of our lives. 

It’s not like He doesn’t already know, 

but He won’t barge in, 

He seeks to be invited.  

Let’s pray.