So far Genesis 11 is my favorite story of the bible.
When I was younger I remember watching a short cartoon about
this story. The men and women decided to build city and within this city they
began to build a tower to reach the heavens. God came down to see the tower
that they had built. He actually says that with all men speaking the same
language nothing is impossible.
I always take a moment to think about this. Alone, we cannot
do much, but together we can do great things. Divided we fall, united we stand.
I am sure some famous person said that, I just don’t feel like looking up who
said it first.
God decides He cannot let man reach the heavens so He
scatters them and gives them different languages, which is where we are today.
Language is such a huge barrier. So many people are learning different
languages now too. That’s awesome to learn a new language, but couldn’t it also
be dangerous? I mean, God has already struck us down once for having one
language. Granted, they were trying to reach heaven, but couldn’t that happen
again? And are we not already trying to reach heaven with all the scientist trying
to prove or disprove the existence of God?
The city that these men were building became Babel because God
“Confused the language of the whole world.” (Genesis 11:9) The tower of Babel
always puts me in the mind of humpty dumpty. I wonder if the nursery rhyme was
modeled after the tower of Babel. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall (the men building
the wall), humpty dumpty had a great fall (God confusing the language), all the
kings men and all the kings horses couldn’t put humpty together again (our
attempt to change the languages now and create one universal language, but
everyone wants their language to be the universal one.) I would say that is
something to think about.
Genesis 11 then goes on to talk about the line of Shem. Shem
was 100 years old two years after the flood and he had his first child. What I
find fascinating is now the child bearing years seems to come much sooner. If
you look back to the first few chapters of Genesis, men were not having their
first child until they were over 100 years old. Now, Shem’s son has his first
child when he is only 30. They also start living shorter lives. Let me just
give you a list of sons. Because here is where we finally meet Abram and from
what I have read, he does a lot of awesome stuff.
Shem’s son is Arphaxad
Arphaxad -> Shelah
Shelah-> Eber
Eber -> Peleg
Peleg ->Reu
Reu -> Serug
Serug -> Nahor
Nahor ->Terah
Terah -> Abram
Tada! Just a side note, my spell check went crazy with red
lines with all those names! Interesting fact, that you would notice if you read
the chapter yourself, Terah was 70 when he became the father of Abram. God has
a special connection with the number 7. If you remember, look back if you don’t,
Noah’s father, Lamech lived 777 years. 7’s seem to pop up when someone
important is about to come into the picture.
Terah also became the father of Nahor and Haran. Haran
became the father of Lot. Lot becomes important later on.
Haran dies where he was born. Nahor married Milcah who was a
daughter of Haran. She married her uncle? I know today we think of it as odd
and wrong, but you have to remember, the time we read of in the bible was so
very much different than the life we live now. Abram marries Sarai. It is
important that you know that Sarai could not have children. I know now, for a
woman to not be able to have a child is horrible but she can always adopt. I
can’t imagine how devastating that was for women back then when having children
was almost your only purpose.
At the end of Genesis 11 Terah takes Abram, Sarai and Lot
and they all head to Canaan. On the way they come to the city Haran and they
settle there. There are so many cities named after people of the bible. So who
was Terah’s son Haran named after if there is already a city named Haran? I ask
the question but I also know that if it was important it would be in the bible,
so I think it would be in my best interest to let it go. J
And that’s it folks! I’m sorry that tonight’s post is so
long. It’s the longest so far, but there was a lot going on in Genesis 11. I
really suggest you go read it because it helps if you read it for yourself.
Develop your own opinion of it. Go read it! And Genesis 12 while you are at it.
I’m about to go read it myself.
Much Love
Heather
