Wednesday 03/29/17
Message – My Three Sons
Series: Thru the Bible – Genesis 9-11
Podcast: Download (146.4MB)
Worksheet – HERE.
Genesis 9
For purposes of dating from this point forward we are going to assume that the date of creation was approximately 4390 B.C.. The flood came 1,656 years after God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden. The date of the flood was therefore approximately 2734 B.C.
Another widely accepted calculation has it at about 386 years younger!
One important note is that even science is becoming increasingly certain that all of mankind descended from a single ancestral mother and father, though until 2015 they were convinced that they were only contributors to the general gene pool and were not immediate mates. However, it has become all but certain that both of these “parents” were immediate mates. Of course this is viewed through an evolutionary lens, but it is a HUGE affirmation with clear biblical implications.
This is SO true that the m & y chromosomal parents of mankind have been ‘nicknamed’ yDNA Adam & mDNA Eve!
Also, we need to own the fact that people’s bias’ blind them to evidence that leads them away from their preconceptions.
This is just as much true for us as Christians as it is for atheists and evolutionists! For all we know, given the evidence of the development of human beings, 200,000-300,000 years would BE necessary IF Adam and Eve had not been created fully formed and mature.
Evolution’s bias is that it is approaching the problem from the perspective that the ball is rolling uphill rather than down. If you believe that things started off simple and over time become more advanced then you will “perceive” the need for A LOT of TIME where there really is no need for it.
If, on the other hand, you are approaching this from the perspective that we are getting further and further away from perfection then this changes the estimates.
The Sin of Ham
Noah was uncovered in his tent – Lev. 18:6
- Uncovered could be something that happened TO Noah, or something Noah did himself.
- Saw – To see with the eyes or to experience; to look after or to visit
It is NOT certain, but it is at very least implied that of the sons of Noah – Ham may have gotten his father drunk in order to uncover him and take some form of sexual advantage of him in his drunken state.
The words “knew what his younger son has done TO him” implies more than simply seeing him naked. The specific word used here for “done” is used elsewhere in the Bible for fondling in a sexual way, so this may be the case here.
Note on drunkenness
According to Guzik, 75% of men and 55% of women who are involved in date-rape were either drinking or taking drugs. The FBI says a full 50% of all rapes involve alcohol.
Furthermore incriminating evidence against Ham is that he bragged about it to his brothers. In the Hebrew the notion of telling his brothers includes the idea of “telling with delight”.
Both the actions of Ham’s brothers in going backwards into the tent to cover their father and the following severity of the curse placed upon Ham’s descendants seem to indicate this was not a simple case of seeing something you shouldn’t and making fun of it.
Canaan was cursed
The curse was placed not upon Ham or his immediate sons but upon his grandson Canaan. We are not told the particulars of why, but we do know from history (some of which is outlined in the next chapter) that Canaan and the land of Canaan with all the “-ites” were the very ones God drove out of their land for the sake of Israel to inhabit.
More on this when we get to the tower of Babel and the dispersement.
Noah’s curse & blessings upon his sons
The curse and the blessings of Noah’s sons went like this:
- Canaan was cursed to be a servant of servants. He was to serve Shem & Japheth.
- God was declared to be Shem’s God.
- Japheth was to dwell in the tents of Shem.
We will see how this played out over time in the next chapter.
Noah sets the pace for the future
Noah’s pronouncement over his sons enables us to track and anticipate certain actions and outcomes from the descendants of his three sons.
Also, during the 350 years following the flood before Noah’s death, his sons, had sons and their sons had sons.
The average age for having a child following the flood was about 35, so Noah could have conceivably witnessed the birth of as many as 100 generations before his death in 2374 B.C..
Chapter 10 – the lineages of Shem, Ham & Japheth
Chapter 11
The Tower of Babel and the Dispersement of man
After the flood the “family” of man migrated south towards what is now known as Iraq and from their they moved eastward into the plains of Shinar (see image below). It was HERE that Nimrod (one of Ham’s grandson’s) established the city of Babel. The people did not want to be dispersed over all the earth like God had commanded Noah, so they decided to join forces and make a name for the family of man apart from God.
It was at this time that God, in His sovereignty, selectively rewired mankind’s brain to make them speak different languages. This caused division and dispersement over the face of the earth.
The family of man divided into smaller family units and traveled over the earth to establish a home of their own.
Now this is VERY IMPORTANT!!!! Paul tells us why God did this in Acts 17…
Acts 17:26-27,
“(26) And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, (27) so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; (28) for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’”
The apostle here opposes the popular beliefs of both Stoical Fate and Epicurean Chance, these people were so familiar with. Paul clearly ascribes the periods and localities in which men and nations flourish to the sovereign will and prearrangement of a living God – effectively removing the interference of chance and will.
So we can see here that whether Noah’s words were prophetic (inspired by God) or not, He is the One Who arranged the circumstances so that it was the descendants of Ham who occupied and developed the land of Canaan so that His people could later come in and take over the land.
Let’s be clear…God is OWNER OF ALL and does NOT require permission to DO anything He wants!
Someone read Psalm 24:1,
“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;”
Pro 13:18-22,
“(18) Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honored. (19) A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. (20) He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. (21) Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid. (22) A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”
God set them up! He led Canaan into this land to seek after God and find Him, but also to provide for His Own.
God knows the heart and counsel of man BEFORE they are ever even born and so He can set their inevitable failure to accomplish His purposes while simultaneously honestly pouring every effort into their deliverance at the same time! This happened in Egypt as well!
Exod 9:15-17,
“(15) Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. (16) But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. (17) As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go.”
Immediate explosion of civilization
The events at the Tower of Babel took place about 2634B.C. which is the general time period in which you see an explosion of civilizations just appearing out of nowhere in the ancient world all around the plains of Shinar in the Fertile Crescent.
One thing MANY of these cultures had in common were tremendous skills in city building and development. Also, it was about this time period when in various places around the world we see a great number of ziggurats being built by various cultures separated by large land masses.
Question: How did ALL these cultures arrive at the same architectural wonder at the same time all over the world?
Answer: They all came from ONE family and ONE place where they were ALL building a tower to heaven in the fashion of a ziggurats.
The Slow Decline into the Modern Age
As we mentioned earlier, mankind was created in the image and likeness of God. They were immediately brilliant and functionally mature from the moment they were created. Much of the marvels in architectural brilliance of the ancient world still baffles modern man.
The Egyptian empire was established by a grandson of Ham, namely Mizraim.
Not far from Shinar, the some of the descendants of Shem established the city of Ur, the city in which Abram was born!
Here are some links to some of the architecture, art and craftsmanship of that early city!
Ur on Wikipedia – YouTube Video of Ur – A Ziggurat of Ur
There is much more information in the audio/video of the actual message. I hope you listen, learn and enjoy!
…Blessings!
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Blessings!
