Genesis 11:1-9
Genesis 9:1-2 states, “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.” They were commanded to fill the earth, and were to be responsible for the animals. While modern ecologists have recognized this responsibility, most have not taken the trouble to learn what is entailed. Noah’s descendants were no different.
“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.” (Genesis 11:1-3)
The Ark had grounded on Mount Ararat, at the edge of the fertile crescent. As people moved down the mountain into the Mesopotamian valley they found a fertile area with ample rainfall and moderate weather. The plains around present day Babylon offered easily farmed land, and people quickly settled the area. While there was not a lot of stone for building, fired bricks made an acceptable substitute, and were easily produced and clay mud made a satisfactory mortar. Modern archaeologists indicate that civilization originally developed in the this general area because of the conditions of the fertile crescent, lending further credence to the story. Since there was only one family, only one language was spoken, and there was no communication problem.
“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4)
It wasn’t very long after the flood that Ham’s grandson, Nimrod took control of the city known as Babel and started building prestige for himself. Genesis 10:8-10 describes the basis of his empire. “And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”
Nimrod’s existence and Babylonian connection is attested by many ancient cultures, leaving little room for doubt. Later he was worshipped a s a God by many groups. It would appear that the construction of the tower of Babel was an attempt to consolidate the empire and retain control of the entire population. Their intent was “…and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” It was a deliberate effort to prevent people from fulfilling God’s command to “…Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth,” in Genesis 9:1. The idea of becoming a god led to Satan’s sin, and to Eve’s eating the fruit, and had serious consequences. It is obvious again in Nimrod and the people at Babel.
“And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.” (Genesis 11:5-7)
There is a saying that what man can conceive, man can achieve. While that is not completely true, we are able to figure out amazing things when we share our ideas. Unfortunately, we will try almost everything we dream up and some are really bad ideas. Perhaps a more accurate statement would be, “What man can conceive, man will attempt.” God recognized this about man, and he knew something else about us as we see in Genesis 6:5. “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
If allowed to freely share their ideas and knowledge man would attempt to implement every evil idea they could imagine as well as the good. God had been forced to destroy the world once already because of man’s propensity for evil. By preventing the free interchange of ideas, God could slow the spread of evil, although it would slow some positive developments as well.
As a result of the inability to communicate freely, people began to separate into smaller groups and isolate themselves. Language and close family ties determined how the people banded together, resulting in the divisions we saw in Genesis 10. God used it to force them to fulfill the command in Genesis 9:1, to fill the earth.
“So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 11:8-9)
Interestingly, every effort to reunite the entire world has failed to date, more than four thousand years later. The Bible portrays the Antichrist being successful in forming a single world government and conditions being much like they were before the flood. Wickedness will abound during his reign, culminating in the destruction of the world.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
The Descendants of Shem
Genesis 10:21-32
“Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.” (Genesis 10:21-22)
Shem is the progenitor of the Semetic peoples. The Bible especially focuses on the descendants of Eber, the Hebrews, as the main group to serve God. Japheth was Shem’s older brother, by a couple of years.
Elam His descendants are mentioned as Babylonian subjects in Ezra 4:9
Asshur is the one who left Babel to build Nineveh and the Assyrian culture, according to Genesis 10:11.
Aram Father of the Aramaens, his descendants spread over a wide area. The Aramaic language still spoken is from his descendants.
“And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.” (Genesis 10:23)
Uz unsure of their exact area, but all the Aramaic peoples moved fairly regularly
Hul his descendants settled north of the Sea of Galilee in the valley of present day lake Hula.
Gether settled in the area south of Damascus,
Mash occupied part of Lebanon
Lud the Ludim or Ludu settled in Asia Minor in the area later known as Lydia.
Arphaxad was the progenitor of the Chaldeans. They initially settled just east of Nineveh.
“And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber. And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.” (Genesis 10:24-25)
Salah is not identified except as the father of Eber.
Eber is the source of the Hebrew name and all his descendants are technically Hebrews. There were two main branches of his family.
Peleg A progenitor of the Jews, Syrians, Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites and Middianites. Peleg means division, usually in the sense of physical divisions such as rivers, or canals. His descendants will be examined more closely in a later chapter, as the father of the Jewish people..
Joktan is father of many of the Arab tribes. He is remembered as Yaqtan today, and some of the Arab people can trace their family tree all the way back to him..
“And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east. These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.” (Genesis 10:26-31)
Almodad Arab tribe known to Arab historians as the Almorad.
Sheleph Yemeni tribe known as the Salif in pre Islamic times.
Hazarmaveth populated the valley now known as the Hadramaut in southern Arabia.
Jerah settled close to the Hadramaut in a city known as Jerakon Kome.
Hadoram Southern Arab tribe with few records found.
Uzal or Azal is the ancient name of the modern capital of Yemen.
Diklath was later known as the Tigris to the Greeks
Obal southern Arabian tribe also known to historians as Ebal or Abil.
Abimiel southern Arabian tribe mentioned in Sabean writings
Sheba Unable to identify his descendants.
Ophir Seems to have settled in southwest Arabia around the town of Ma’afir.
Havilah settled on the western side of the Arab peninsula and maintained a separate identity from the Hamitic tribe of Havilah on the Eastern side of the peninsula.
Jobab settled close to modern Mecca.
“These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.” (Genesis 10:32)
Some question the accuracy of the biblical records of the origins of the different races, but records by various groups ranging from the Celts of the British Isles, to the Arab culture support them. Ancient writings have been discovered to corroborate most of it’s claims. Clearly the people who were there and passed the stories on knew more than the archaeologists and anthropologists who came later. It seems unscientific to ignore the ancient records as false because they don’t support modern theories, yet is often done in modern archaeology and anthropology.
The Indians in the Southwest told the Spaniards that most of the ruins scattered across the region had originally been built by the Tewa Indians. For over a hundred years, archeologists insisted that that was just myth and they were built by some other group, but just in the last few years, incontrovertible evidence has surfaced that the old claims were valid. Even myths usually are based on some truth, although it may be hard to discover.
“Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.” (Genesis 10:21-22)
Shem is the progenitor of the Semetic peoples. The Bible especially focuses on the descendants of Eber, the Hebrews, as the main group to serve God. Japheth was Shem’s older brother, by a couple of years.
Elam His descendants are mentioned as Babylonian subjects in Ezra 4:9
Asshur is the one who left Babel to build Nineveh and the Assyrian culture, according to Genesis 10:11.
Aram Father of the Aramaens, his descendants spread over a wide area. The Aramaic language still spoken is from his descendants.
“And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.” (Genesis 10:23)
Uz unsure of their exact area, but all the Aramaic peoples moved fairly regularly
Hul his descendants settled north of the Sea of Galilee in the valley of present day lake Hula.
Gether settled in the area south of Damascus,
Mash occupied part of Lebanon
Lud the Ludim or Ludu settled in Asia Minor in the area later known as Lydia.
Arphaxad was the progenitor of the Chaldeans. They initially settled just east of Nineveh.
“And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber. And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.” (Genesis 10:24-25)
Salah is not identified except as the father of Eber.
Eber is the source of the Hebrew name and all his descendants are technically Hebrews. There were two main branches of his family.
Peleg A progenitor of the Jews, Syrians, Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites and Middianites. Peleg means division, usually in the sense of physical divisions such as rivers, or canals. His descendants will be examined more closely in a later chapter, as the father of the Jewish people..
Joktan is father of many of the Arab tribes. He is remembered as Yaqtan today, and some of the Arab people can trace their family tree all the way back to him..
“And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east. These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.” (Genesis 10:26-31)
Almodad Arab tribe known to Arab historians as the Almorad.
Sheleph Yemeni tribe known as the Salif in pre Islamic times.
Hazarmaveth populated the valley now known as the Hadramaut in southern Arabia.
Jerah settled close to the Hadramaut in a city known as Jerakon Kome.
Hadoram Southern Arab tribe with few records found.
Uzal or Azal is the ancient name of the modern capital of Yemen.
Diklath was later known as the Tigris to the Greeks
Obal southern Arabian tribe also known to historians as Ebal or Abil.
Abimiel southern Arabian tribe mentioned in Sabean writings
Sheba Unable to identify his descendants.
Ophir Seems to have settled in southwest Arabia around the town of Ma’afir.
Havilah settled on the western side of the Arab peninsula and maintained a separate identity from the Hamitic tribe of Havilah on the Eastern side of the peninsula.
Jobab settled close to modern Mecca.
“These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.” (Genesis 10:32)
Some question the accuracy of the biblical records of the origins of the different races, but records by various groups ranging from the Celts of the British Isles, to the Arab culture support them. Ancient writings have been discovered to corroborate most of it’s claims. Clearly the people who were there and passed the stories on knew more than the archaeologists and anthropologists who came later. It seems unscientific to ignore the ancient records as false because they don’t support modern theories, yet is often done in modern archaeology and anthropology.
The Indians in the Southwest told the Spaniards that most of the ruins scattered across the region had originally been built by the Tewa Indians. For over a hundred years, archeologists insisted that that was just myth and they were built by some other group, but just in the last few years, incontrovertible evidence has surfaced that the old claims were valid. Even myths usually are based on some truth, although it may be hard to discover.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Descendants of Ham
Genesis 10:6-20
“And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.” (Genesis 10:6)
Ham’s descendants occupied parts of Asia minor, the Arab Peninsula, and most of Africa.
Contrary to what many have taught, they are not all black races.
Cush
Part of Egypt was once called Kush, and the Babylonian city of Kish is believed to carry on his name.
“And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.” (Genesis 10:7)
Seba father of the Sabeans on the west coast of the Arab Peninsula.
Havilah settled in the east coast of Africa along the Persian Gulf.
Sabtah fathered a people known as the Sabateni, on the east side of the Arab Peninsula.
Raamah Settled near Havilah on the East coast of Africa
Sheba founded a kingdom near present day Eritrea
Dedan founded a city known as Al-ula
Sabtecha Settled in modern Yemen
Nimrod
“And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.” (Genesis 10:8-12)
Nimrod established the city of Babel, and the major cities that would centuries later become the Babylonian capital, in what is modern Iraq. He was himself worshipped from a very early period as the Assyrian god of war and as the Babylonian king of the gods. His name was carried on in the name of a mountain and an Assyrian city. The Assyrian nation was started as copy of Nimrod’s kingdom.
Mizraim
Settling in Egypt, it is still the name assigned to Egypt in Hebrew, and is recorded in various ancient manuscripts. His sons founded several nations, some of which were wiped during the Ethiopic war, a conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia, according to Josephus.
“And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.” (Genesis 10:13-14)
Ludim, later known as Lubim, settled what is now known as Libya.
Anamim is one of the groups believed to have been wiped out in the Ethiopic War.
Lehabim is recorded in Egyptian records, but little is known.
Naphtuhim Settled in the Nile Delta and western Egypt
Pathrusim founded the district of Pathros.
Casluhim settled in Northern Egypt.and took part in the Ethiopic war.
Philistim was the father of the Philistines. Later they were known as the Palaistine, and it is from them we get the name Palestine. They appear to have migrated to Canaan from Egypt.
Caphtorim is sometimes claimed to have settled Crete, but both secular and biblical records indicate they were in fact in or near Egypt and were involved in the Ethiopic War.
Canaan
Canaan was the only one of Ham’s sons that was cursed. It was his land that was promised to Abraham’s descendants because of their wickedness, about four hundred twenty five years after the flood, and only about eighty years after Noah’s death.
“And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.” (Genesis 10:15-19)
Sidon settled on the Mediterranean coast and the city of Sidon still carries his name. Also known as the Zidonians, his descendents were later known as the Phoenicians.
Heth founded the Hittite peoples. Their Empire at one time stretched into modern Turkey, and their ruins are still found there.
Jebusites were the original occupants of modern Jerusalem
Amorites also set up an empire that at one point conquered Babylon. They seem to have been nomadic people.
Girgashites settled the land east of the Jordan river between Galilee and the Red Sea.
Hivites were driven into Lebanon when Israel conquered Canaan.
Arkites were recorded in various Egyptian records and established the city known to the Romans as Caesarea Libani.
Shinites were recorded in Phonecian and Assyrian writings located near the modern city of Arqa
Arvadites settled the island known today as Ruad, in the Bay of Tripoli. They were known for their seamanship.
Zemarite were later known to the Egyptians as the Sumerians
Hammathites founded the city of Hamath.
“These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.” (Genesis 10:20)
“And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.” (Genesis 10:6)
Ham’s descendants occupied parts of Asia minor, the Arab Peninsula, and most of Africa.
Contrary to what many have taught, they are not all black races.
Cush
Part of Egypt was once called Kush, and the Babylonian city of Kish is believed to carry on his name.
“And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.” (Genesis 10:7)
Seba father of the Sabeans on the west coast of the Arab Peninsula.
Havilah settled in the east coast of Africa along the Persian Gulf.
Sabtah fathered a people known as the Sabateni, on the east side of the Arab Peninsula.
Raamah Settled near Havilah on the East coast of Africa
Sheba founded a kingdom near present day Eritrea
Dedan founded a city known as Al-ula
Sabtecha Settled in modern Yemen
Nimrod
“And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.” (Genesis 10:8-12)
Nimrod established the city of Babel, and the major cities that would centuries later become the Babylonian capital, in what is modern Iraq. He was himself worshipped from a very early period as the Assyrian god of war and as the Babylonian king of the gods. His name was carried on in the name of a mountain and an Assyrian city. The Assyrian nation was started as copy of Nimrod’s kingdom.
Mizraim
Settling in Egypt, it is still the name assigned to Egypt in Hebrew, and is recorded in various ancient manuscripts. His sons founded several nations, some of which were wiped during the Ethiopic war, a conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia, according to Josephus.
“And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.” (Genesis 10:13-14)
Ludim, later known as Lubim, settled what is now known as Libya.
Anamim is one of the groups believed to have been wiped out in the Ethiopic War.
Lehabim is recorded in Egyptian records, but little is known.
Naphtuhim Settled in the Nile Delta and western Egypt
Pathrusim founded the district of Pathros.
Casluhim settled in Northern Egypt.and took part in the Ethiopic war.
Philistim was the father of the Philistines. Later they were known as the Palaistine, and it is from them we get the name Palestine. They appear to have migrated to Canaan from Egypt.
Caphtorim is sometimes claimed to have settled Crete, but both secular and biblical records indicate they were in fact in or near Egypt and were involved in the Ethiopic War.
Canaan
Canaan was the only one of Ham’s sons that was cursed. It was his land that was promised to Abraham’s descendants because of their wickedness, about four hundred twenty five years after the flood, and only about eighty years after Noah’s death.
“And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.” (Genesis 10:15-19)
Sidon settled on the Mediterranean coast and the city of Sidon still carries his name. Also known as the Zidonians, his descendents were later known as the Phoenicians.
Heth founded the Hittite peoples. Their Empire at one time stretched into modern Turkey, and their ruins are still found there.
Jebusites were the original occupants of modern Jerusalem
Amorites also set up an empire that at one point conquered Babylon. They seem to have been nomadic people.
Girgashites settled the land east of the Jordan river between Galilee and the Red Sea.
Hivites were driven into Lebanon when Israel conquered Canaan.
Arkites were recorded in various Egyptian records and established the city known to the Romans as Caesarea Libani.
Shinites were recorded in Phonecian and Assyrian writings located near the modern city of Arqa
Arvadites settled the island known today as Ruad, in the Bay of Tripoli. They were known for their seamanship.
Zemarite were later known to the Egyptians as the Sumerians
Hammathites founded the city of Hamath.
“These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.” (Genesis 10:20)
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Different Races
Genesis 10:1-4
“Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.” (Genesis 10:1)
Throughout history there has been a tendency to separate people by skin color. It seems instinctive to assume black, brown, and whites are different, and some have used that concept to imply that some groups are inferior to others. In Acts 17:26, Paul is very specific that God “…hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth…” Every human being is descended from Noah, through one of his three sons, making us all related to one another on both sides of our family. Even dividing according to skin color is a flawed method as we will see in examining the different families. Genetically, every living being can be traced back to one or more of these three. Thanks to interracial marriages, it is some times difficult to narrow it down to just one.
Until God confused the languages at Babel, they stayed largely in one area. After Babel, they began to spread and become identified as individual races and ethnic groups. This chapter gives a brief look at the origins of the different groups. I will attempt to identify some of the their descendants but they have subdivided until it is difficult to be sure of many of them. I have relied heavily on The Early History of Man, by Bill Cooper as found on www. biblebelievers.org. Only some of their descendants are listed. Think how fast the population must have grown with people often living more than three hundred years. Despite wars, disease and old age, Afghanistan’s population is doubling every 14.8 years. Just using that rate of growth, the world population by the time of Peleg’s death, three hundred thirty nine years after the flood would have been over thirty million.
Descendants of Japeth
“The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.” (Genesis 10:2-4)
Gomer is believed to be the father of the Cimmerians, who originally settled on the shores of the Caspian sea.
Ashkenaz We know these people as the Scythians. The Celts of the British Isles trace their lineage through the Scythians, and back to Schaif(Japeth), the son of Noah. Various other groups were absorbed by them.
Ripath Settled along the Black sea in northern Asia Minor. Their name is still used for a range of mountains.
Togarmah is believed to have been the original name for what is now called Turkey.
Magog settled in Russia, and some of his descendants are believed to have become the Magyars, a major ethnic group in Hungary. They are very closely related to some of the groups in India. Others of his descendants were absorbed by the Scythians.
Madai is associated with the group later known as the Medes, later a major part of the Medo-Persian Empire in middle East.
Javan appears to be the father of the Ionian people, a Greek tribe, according to Homer’s Illiad.
Elishah father of the Aeolian people, another Greek group. The Elysian fields were named for him.
Tarshish believed to have originally settled in Spain
Kittim original settlers of the area now known as Cyprus
Dodanim father of the Dardanians from the Dardanelle region of Asia Minor
Tubal appears to be the origin of the name of the Tobol river and the city of Tobolsk in modern Siberia. They originally settled in the Russian area known as Georgia.
Meshech seems to be father of the Muscovites and his name is perpetuated in the name Moscow.
Tiras fathered the group known as the Thracians. The city of Troas or Troy was named for him.
“By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.” (Genesis 10:5)
The Jewish word translated ‘Gentile’ referred in particular to the descendants of Japheth, the group many refer to as the white races. The black skinned people of India, darker than most black races are genetically from this group, as are many of the brown races. A dark skin was not indicated by the curse on Canaan.
It is believed that the name Jupiter was a corruption of Japheth, and he was worshipped as a god by the Greeks and various other groups. Tiras was originally worshipped under his own name but later was changed to Mars. As Romans 1:25 says, they “… changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator…”
“Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.” (Genesis 10:1)
Throughout history there has been a tendency to separate people by skin color. It seems instinctive to assume black, brown, and whites are different, and some have used that concept to imply that some groups are inferior to others. In Acts 17:26, Paul is very specific that God “…hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth…” Every human being is descended from Noah, through one of his three sons, making us all related to one another on both sides of our family. Even dividing according to skin color is a flawed method as we will see in examining the different families. Genetically, every living being can be traced back to one or more of these three. Thanks to interracial marriages, it is some times difficult to narrow it down to just one.
Until God confused the languages at Babel, they stayed largely in one area. After Babel, they began to spread and become identified as individual races and ethnic groups. This chapter gives a brief look at the origins of the different groups. I will attempt to identify some of the their descendants but they have subdivided until it is difficult to be sure of many of them. I have relied heavily on The Early History of Man, by Bill Cooper as found on www. biblebelievers.org. Only some of their descendants are listed. Think how fast the population must have grown with people often living more than three hundred years. Despite wars, disease and old age, Afghanistan’s population is doubling every 14.8 years. Just using that rate of growth, the world population by the time of Peleg’s death, three hundred thirty nine years after the flood would have been over thirty million.
Descendants of Japeth
“The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.” (Genesis 10:2-4)
Gomer is believed to be the father of the Cimmerians, who originally settled on the shores of the Caspian sea.
Ashkenaz We know these people as the Scythians. The Celts of the British Isles trace their lineage through the Scythians, and back to Schaif(Japeth), the son of Noah. Various other groups were absorbed by them.
Ripath Settled along the Black sea in northern Asia Minor. Their name is still used for a range of mountains.
Togarmah is believed to have been the original name for what is now called Turkey.
Magog settled in Russia, and some of his descendants are believed to have become the Magyars, a major ethnic group in Hungary. They are very closely related to some of the groups in India. Others of his descendants were absorbed by the Scythians.
Madai is associated with the group later known as the Medes, later a major part of the Medo-Persian Empire in middle East.
Javan appears to be the father of the Ionian people, a Greek tribe, according to Homer’s Illiad.
Elishah father of the Aeolian people, another Greek group. The Elysian fields were named for him.
Tarshish believed to have originally settled in Spain
Kittim original settlers of the area now known as Cyprus
Dodanim father of the Dardanians from the Dardanelle region of Asia Minor
Tubal appears to be the origin of the name of the Tobol river and the city of Tobolsk in modern Siberia. They originally settled in the Russian area known as Georgia.
Meshech seems to be father of the Muscovites and his name is perpetuated in the name Moscow.
Tiras fathered the group known as the Thracians. The city of Troas or Troy was named for him.
“By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.” (Genesis 10:5)
The Jewish word translated ‘Gentile’ referred in particular to the descendants of Japheth, the group many refer to as the white races. The black skinned people of India, darker than most black races are genetically from this group, as are many of the brown races. A dark skin was not indicated by the curse on Canaan.
It is believed that the name Jupiter was a corruption of Japheth, and he was worshipped as a god by the Greeks and various other groups. Tiras was originally worshipped under his own name but later was changed to Mars. As Romans 1:25 says, they “… changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator…”
Friday, September 9, 2011
Man Retained the Sinful Nature
Genesis 9:18-29
God had just destroyed all life off the earth except for Noah’s family and the animals who were with him because of man’s wickedness. Noah and his family were spared because they pleased God. All of the genetic pool except that of Noah’s sons and their wives had been wiped out as a result of sin. Noah and his three sons, along with the animals they had protected would have to repopulate the earth.
“And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.” (Genesis 9:18-19)
DNA analysis has enabled researchers to state that all modern species of dogs originated with a single pair, probably in northern Africa. While almost no other species has been so thoroughly researched, most seem to generally indicate the same thing. Humans are less clear. Noah brough t only one pair of dogs, but there were eight humans. While all his sons shared Noah and his wife’s genetic heritage, His son’s wives did not. While all their descendants would share a majority of genetic traits. There would be some differences. Many of the similarities and differences in modern humans are explained by The fact that unlike dogs, our genetic history goes back farther that at of dogs, with Noah’s sons wives bringing genetic material dating back to Adam and Eve. It is exactly what the laws of genetics would lead us to expect from the biblical description.
“And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.” (Genesis 9:20-21)
Genesis 6:8-9 states, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” Undoubtedly, the making of wine had been discovered before the flood. While scripture never forbids the use of fermented wine, it warns that fermented wine leads to sin. Proverbs 23:31-33 warns, “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things."
Noah was a man who pleased God, yet he himself was just a susceptible to it’s effects as anyone else. Alcohol affects one’s perceptions and mental functions, even in small quantities. As a result, Noah was less conscious of what he was doing and he exposed himself when he drank. In doing so, he exposed others to temptation.
“And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.” (Genesis 9:22)
Ham saw what hids father had done. He could have just covered his father and kept his mouth shut. Noah would have known he’d been seen and might have stopped. Instead, Ham couldn’t wait to tell on his Dad. Noah had done wrong, and Ham was excited about it, much as people today are thrilled by dirty talk or sexual activity even though they don’t do it themselves. Ephesians 5:11-12 instructs, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” Instead drunkenness or sexual sin is treated as a joke. Proverbs 14:9 warns, “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.” Many times even those who know it is wrong sit and enjoy movies about such wickedness, or even emulate them, as Romans 1:32 describes. “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
“And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.” (Genesis 9:23)
Shem and Ham recognized Noah’s behavior as shameful and tried to prevent others being tempted, including themselves. A psychology professor told his students they would never be able to effectively deal with drug addicts unless they tried it themselves. Almost the entire class tried them with the idea of helping others and became addicted themselves. Shem and Japheth fled temptation themselves.
“And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.” (Genesis 9:24)
We are constantly told that drunks do not know what is going on, yet unless they completely pass out they can nearly always remember at least some of the details. Noah knew the mockery and disrespect Ham had shown when he woke up.
“And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.” (Genesis 9:25)
As a result of Ham’s disrespect for his father, his son Canaan was cursed. It would result in his being a slave to the others. For many years various groups held this curse as justification for enslaving the blacks. Canaan was the father of the groups who settled Canaan, the land that was later given to Israel. They do not appear to have been black. None of Ham’s other children were cursed, although some of them are black. The language of the Ethiopians is Semetic or of the family of Shem, and the blacks of India, are genetically linked to Japheth rather than Ham. The dark skin does not appear to have anything to do with the curse. It does appear that most of Ham’s descendants moved to the south.
“And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” (Genesis 9:26)
The Semetic peoples would follow the path of Seths family more than the other people, with the Jews being chosen as God’s special people because of their progenitor’s faith in God. The Canaanites would be forced to serve the Semetic peoples. Semetic groups frequently ruled over Canaan. They filled parts of Asia and the area of Northern Africa. Many of the great empires originated with Shem’s descendants.
“God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” (Genesis 9:27)
Japhath’s descendants tended to move predominantly to the north, It was somewhat later that the Canaanites were subjected to their power under Roman domination. They filled most of the European continent and India and are known as Indo-Europeans.
“And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.” (Genesis 9:28-29)
The human race was firmly re-established by the time of Noah’s death, and he had had time to make sure all his descendants knew the story of the flood. All the ancient races originated with one of his sons, and it is not surprising that the stories of the flood have been passed down in almost every culture. They were not just adopting a story from another culture, but passing down part of their own heritage.
Noah was still alive until about seventeen years before God called Abram to leave Haran to go to Canaan.
God had just destroyed all life off the earth except for Noah’s family and the animals who were with him because of man’s wickedness. Noah and his family were spared because they pleased God. All of the genetic pool except that of Noah’s sons and their wives had been wiped out as a result of sin. Noah and his three sons, along with the animals they had protected would have to repopulate the earth.
“And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.” (Genesis 9:18-19)
DNA analysis has enabled researchers to state that all modern species of dogs originated with a single pair, probably in northern Africa. While almost no other species has been so thoroughly researched, most seem to generally indicate the same thing. Humans are less clear. Noah brough t only one pair of dogs, but there were eight humans. While all his sons shared Noah and his wife’s genetic heritage, His son’s wives did not. While all their descendants would share a majority of genetic traits. There would be some differences. Many of the similarities and differences in modern humans are explained by The fact that unlike dogs, our genetic history goes back farther that at of dogs, with Noah’s sons wives bringing genetic material dating back to Adam and Eve. It is exactly what the laws of genetics would lead us to expect from the biblical description.
“And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.” (Genesis 9:20-21)
Genesis 6:8-9 states, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” Undoubtedly, the making of wine had been discovered before the flood. While scripture never forbids the use of fermented wine, it warns that fermented wine leads to sin. Proverbs 23:31-33 warns, “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things."
Noah was a man who pleased God, yet he himself was just a susceptible to it’s effects as anyone else. Alcohol affects one’s perceptions and mental functions, even in small quantities. As a result, Noah was less conscious of what he was doing and he exposed himself when he drank. In doing so, he exposed others to temptation.
“And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.” (Genesis 9:22)
Ham saw what hids father had done. He could have just covered his father and kept his mouth shut. Noah would have known he’d been seen and might have stopped. Instead, Ham couldn’t wait to tell on his Dad. Noah had done wrong, and Ham was excited about it, much as people today are thrilled by dirty talk or sexual activity even though they don’t do it themselves. Ephesians 5:11-12 instructs, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” Instead drunkenness or sexual sin is treated as a joke. Proverbs 14:9 warns, “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.” Many times even those who know it is wrong sit and enjoy movies about such wickedness, or even emulate them, as Romans 1:32 describes. “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
“And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.” (Genesis 9:23)
Shem and Ham recognized Noah’s behavior as shameful and tried to prevent others being tempted, including themselves. A psychology professor told his students they would never be able to effectively deal with drug addicts unless they tried it themselves. Almost the entire class tried them with the idea of helping others and became addicted themselves. Shem and Japheth fled temptation themselves.
“And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.” (Genesis 9:24)
We are constantly told that drunks do not know what is going on, yet unless they completely pass out they can nearly always remember at least some of the details. Noah knew the mockery and disrespect Ham had shown when he woke up.
“And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.” (Genesis 9:25)
As a result of Ham’s disrespect for his father, his son Canaan was cursed. It would result in his being a slave to the others. For many years various groups held this curse as justification for enslaving the blacks. Canaan was the father of the groups who settled Canaan, the land that was later given to Israel. They do not appear to have been black. None of Ham’s other children were cursed, although some of them are black. The language of the Ethiopians is Semetic or of the family of Shem, and the blacks of India, are genetically linked to Japheth rather than Ham. The dark skin does not appear to have anything to do with the curse. It does appear that most of Ham’s descendants moved to the south.
“And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” (Genesis 9:26)
The Semetic peoples would follow the path of Seths family more than the other people, with the Jews being chosen as God’s special people because of their progenitor’s faith in God. The Canaanites would be forced to serve the Semetic peoples. Semetic groups frequently ruled over Canaan. They filled parts of Asia and the area of Northern Africa. Many of the great empires originated with Shem’s descendants.
“God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” (Genesis 9:27)
Japhath’s descendants tended to move predominantly to the north, It was somewhat later that the Canaanites were subjected to their power under Roman domination. They filled most of the European continent and India and are known as Indo-Europeans.
“And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.” (Genesis 9:28-29)
The human race was firmly re-established by the time of Noah’s death, and he had had time to make sure all his descendants knew the story of the flood. All the ancient races originated with one of his sons, and it is not surprising that the stories of the flood have been passed down in almost every culture. They were not just adopting a story from another culture, but passing down part of their own heritage.
Noah was still alive until about seventeen years before God called Abram to leave Haran to go to Canaan.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The Covenant With All Living Things
Genesis 9:8-17
Frustrated with the corruption of everything he had made by sin God had decided to start over with just the basics of what he had made. Having built a great many things over the years, I know how frustrating it can be when they don’t turn out just as I desired. Unfortunately, when things I make malfunction, it is a result of a mistake on my part. In the case of the world, it was a deliberate choice by man not to do what he was designed to do. The problem was not God’s fault, but man’s choice. When Noah tried to do what he should, it pleased God immensely. He made a commitment to himself not
Completely start over the same way again.
“And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:21-22)
When he was instructing Noah as to what he was to do, God declared that commitment as a covenant with all living things. There were no conditions on the covenant, it was something God committed himself to. He had too much emotionally invested in what he had made to simply throw it all away. He would not again destroy it as long as there was any possibility of salvaging it.
“And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9:8-11)
God’s covenant was with every living creature, that as long as the world remained, that never again would all life be destroyed from the earth by a flood. As long as the earth remained things would remain close enough to the original condition to sustain life. The seasons would not change and crops would still be capable of being grown.
“And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Genesis 9:12-17)
It is common to see a rainbow in the spray from a lawn sprinkler when the sun shines on it. It results from diffraction of light by the water droplets. The diffraction of light by a prism requires that it be projected onto another surface for the eye to see it. Since clouds are composed of small water droplets they always diffract the light, but frequently it doesn‘t strike another surface strongly enough for us to see it. God promised that any time there was a cloud in the sky a rainbow would form to remind him of his promise or covenant to us.
When we see the rainbow it should serve as a reminder that not only will there never be another flood that covers the entire earth, but that as long as the earth remains, we don’t have to worry about an the sun fading or climate change destroying our ability to produce food. While we will always have problems on the earth, they will not be insurmountable.
Frustrated with the corruption of everything he had made by sin God had decided to start over with just the basics of what he had made. Having built a great many things over the years, I know how frustrating it can be when they don’t turn out just as I desired. Unfortunately, when things I make malfunction, it is a result of a mistake on my part. In the case of the world, it was a deliberate choice by man not to do what he was designed to do. The problem was not God’s fault, but man’s choice. When Noah tried to do what he should, it pleased God immensely. He made a commitment to himself not
Completely start over the same way again.
“And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:21-22)
When he was instructing Noah as to what he was to do, God declared that commitment as a covenant with all living things. There were no conditions on the covenant, it was something God committed himself to. He had too much emotionally invested in what he had made to simply throw it all away. He would not again destroy it as long as there was any possibility of salvaging it.
“And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9:8-11)
God’s covenant was with every living creature, that as long as the world remained, that never again would all life be destroyed from the earth by a flood. As long as the earth remained things would remain close enough to the original condition to sustain life. The seasons would not change and crops would still be capable of being grown.
“And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Genesis 9:12-17)
It is common to see a rainbow in the spray from a lawn sprinkler when the sun shines on it. It results from diffraction of light by the water droplets. The diffraction of light by a prism requires that it be projected onto another surface for the eye to see it. Since clouds are composed of small water droplets they always diffract the light, but frequently it doesn‘t strike another surface strongly enough for us to see it. God promised that any time there was a cloud in the sky a rainbow would form to remind him of his promise or covenant to us.
When we see the rainbow it should serve as a reminder that not only will there never be another flood that covers the entire earth, but that as long as the earth remains, we don’t have to worry about an the sun fading or climate change destroying our ability to produce food. While we will always have problems on the earth, they will not be insurmountable.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Starting Over
Genesis 8:20-9:7
Though the ark was a very large structure, It still had definite limits. After more than a year on board, surrounded with all the animals, just getting off must have been like taking a trip to the mountains for Noah and his family. It was probably almost as much a blessing, as knowing that they’d survived the flood.
“And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.” (Genesis 8:20)
The first thing Noah did was to give thanks to the Lord for their deliverance. Though he had done a lot of work preparing the ark and caring for the animals, he recognized that their survival was the result of God’s working, God had given the warning. Had told what was needed, had enabled him to do his part, and had kept the storm from exceeding the ark’s capabilities. Too often humans count only their part and ignore what God had to do for their efforts to succeed. Noah took time to recognize and express his appreciation.
“And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:21-22)
Pleased with Noah’s sacrifice, God made some specific commitments. He would never again curse the earth for man’s sin like he had at this time, totally destroying every living thing. Man is inherently wicked, deliberately dreaming up evil. The wickedness portrayed in our literary and artistic endeavors just demonstrates our preoccupation with evil. Not only would God never again totally destroy life like he had done, but he made another promise. As long as this earth continues, there will be seasons for planting and harvesting, variations in weather, winter and summer and day and night. We do not need to concern ourselves with the burning out of the sun, or global warming causing dramatic changes, or a lot of the other things people concern themselves with because God has promised to see to it that they continue in normal fashion until the world ends. This does not imply that we have no responsibility for the environment. The command in Genesis 1:28 has never been repealed. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.” (Genesis 9:1-2)
Part of the instructions to Noah were the same as the instructions to Adam. They were to have children and fill the earth. They were still to have responsibility over the animals and land. There was a major difference, however. The animals would live in fear of man from that time forward as a result of a major change in man’s diet. In Genesis 1:29 we learn, “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”
God originally intended for all the animals and man to be vegetarian. As a result of man’s sin, they began eating animals, with Able, and later Jabal beginning to raise animals for food. God made the eating of meat official after the flood. Notice the instruction.
“Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” (Genesis 9:3-4)
One result of this change was that the animals would develop and instinctive fear of man they hadn’t had previously. Another was that while man could survive on a vegetarian diet, he would have a hard time attaining maximum health. Today, despite claims of vegetarian diets being more healthy, studies have found that in general, vegetarians live shorter lives than those who eat both meat and vegetables. They have higher rates of Alzheimer’s and dementia, and their children miss more school due to sickness than those who eat a diet containing some meat. Human bodies are unable to produce certain essential compounds that other animals produce. Healthy vegetarians have to use supplements either derived from animals or artificially synthesized.
One specific guideline about the eating of meat was that they were not to eat the blood with the meat. The reason given was that the blood was the life thereof. Literally, life, even that of the other animals, was not to be taken lightly. Practically, the blood carries any harmful viruses or bacteria or poisons the animal may have ingested or produced, as well as hastening decomposition, and to eat the blood increases the likelihood of ingesting harmful material.
Another major change was a specific guideline about what was to be done when a person was killed. Before Adam’s sin, there was no death. After Cain killed Abel, killing grew to be a problem until, just before the flood, violence filled the earth. God gave the next command to prevent killing reaching the same level again. All life came from God, and especially human life was to be considered sacred.
“And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” (Genesis 9:5-6)
Even animals such as lions and tigers and bears normally avoid attacking man. However, it has been found that once that natural hesitation is overcome, they are much more likely to attack again. Almost two thirds of all people who are killed are killed by someone who has killed before. Once the initial aversion is destroyed, it is easier to kill again.
Recognizing this, God specified that the killer, whether man or animal, was to be killed to prevent doing it again. It had nothing to do with punishment, which is God’s business. It was strictly about preventing more. Following God’s command on this would eliminate any discussion over competence to stand trial, since even animals were to be killed if they killed a man. Even if executing murders did not deter anyone from committing murder, in the United States, simply executing them after their first muder would reduce the murder level by more than half. It would also drastically reduce the number of prisons we currently have.
Furthermore the system would be far more just than the present system in that the person who took a person’s life would have his own life taken. He would just experience what he had done to another. The crime would be related to the punishment. A corollary to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is that it is okay for people to treat you the same way you treat others. Modern society tries to accomplish the same thing with the temporary expedient of imprisonment. It doesn’t work very well.
“And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.” (Genesis 9:7)
God then repeated his initial command. That he repeated himself makes it clear he considers this very important. I am amazed how much effort is devoted to trying to stop population growth in our day. While we experience famines and food shortages, they are not primarily the result of overpopulation, but of man’s efforts to control others for his own advantage. If instead of trying to control it, we focused doing things the way God specified, with one man and one woman marrying and then supporting their own children, population growth would probably slow dramatically. There would no longer be an incentive to see how many different people they could procreate with.
Though the ark was a very large structure, It still had definite limits. After more than a year on board, surrounded with all the animals, just getting off must have been like taking a trip to the mountains for Noah and his family. It was probably almost as much a blessing, as knowing that they’d survived the flood.
“And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.” (Genesis 8:20)
The first thing Noah did was to give thanks to the Lord for their deliverance. Though he had done a lot of work preparing the ark and caring for the animals, he recognized that their survival was the result of God’s working, God had given the warning. Had told what was needed, had enabled him to do his part, and had kept the storm from exceeding the ark’s capabilities. Too often humans count only their part and ignore what God had to do for their efforts to succeed. Noah took time to recognize and express his appreciation.
“And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:21-22)
Pleased with Noah’s sacrifice, God made some specific commitments. He would never again curse the earth for man’s sin like he had at this time, totally destroying every living thing. Man is inherently wicked, deliberately dreaming up evil. The wickedness portrayed in our literary and artistic endeavors just demonstrates our preoccupation with evil. Not only would God never again totally destroy life like he had done, but he made another promise. As long as this earth continues, there will be seasons for planting and harvesting, variations in weather, winter and summer and day and night. We do not need to concern ourselves with the burning out of the sun, or global warming causing dramatic changes, or a lot of the other things people concern themselves with because God has promised to see to it that they continue in normal fashion until the world ends. This does not imply that we have no responsibility for the environment. The command in Genesis 1:28 has never been repealed. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.” (Genesis 9:1-2)
Part of the instructions to Noah were the same as the instructions to Adam. They were to have children and fill the earth. They were still to have responsibility over the animals and land. There was a major difference, however. The animals would live in fear of man from that time forward as a result of a major change in man’s diet. In Genesis 1:29 we learn, “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”
God originally intended for all the animals and man to be vegetarian. As a result of man’s sin, they began eating animals, with Able, and later Jabal beginning to raise animals for food. God made the eating of meat official after the flood. Notice the instruction.
“Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” (Genesis 9:3-4)
One result of this change was that the animals would develop and instinctive fear of man they hadn’t had previously. Another was that while man could survive on a vegetarian diet, he would have a hard time attaining maximum health. Today, despite claims of vegetarian diets being more healthy, studies have found that in general, vegetarians live shorter lives than those who eat both meat and vegetables. They have higher rates of Alzheimer’s and dementia, and their children miss more school due to sickness than those who eat a diet containing some meat. Human bodies are unable to produce certain essential compounds that other animals produce. Healthy vegetarians have to use supplements either derived from animals or artificially synthesized.
One specific guideline about the eating of meat was that they were not to eat the blood with the meat. The reason given was that the blood was the life thereof. Literally, life, even that of the other animals, was not to be taken lightly. Practically, the blood carries any harmful viruses or bacteria or poisons the animal may have ingested or produced, as well as hastening decomposition, and to eat the blood increases the likelihood of ingesting harmful material.
Another major change was a specific guideline about what was to be done when a person was killed. Before Adam’s sin, there was no death. After Cain killed Abel, killing grew to be a problem until, just before the flood, violence filled the earth. God gave the next command to prevent killing reaching the same level again. All life came from God, and especially human life was to be considered sacred.
“And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” (Genesis 9:5-6)
Even animals such as lions and tigers and bears normally avoid attacking man. However, it has been found that once that natural hesitation is overcome, they are much more likely to attack again. Almost two thirds of all people who are killed are killed by someone who has killed before. Once the initial aversion is destroyed, it is easier to kill again.
Recognizing this, God specified that the killer, whether man or animal, was to be killed to prevent doing it again. It had nothing to do with punishment, which is God’s business. It was strictly about preventing more. Following God’s command on this would eliminate any discussion over competence to stand trial, since even animals were to be killed if they killed a man. Even if executing murders did not deter anyone from committing murder, in the United States, simply executing them after their first muder would reduce the murder level by more than half. It would also drastically reduce the number of prisons we currently have.
Furthermore the system would be far more just than the present system in that the person who took a person’s life would have his own life taken. He would just experience what he had done to another. The crime would be related to the punishment. A corollary to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is that it is okay for people to treat you the same way you treat others. Modern society tries to accomplish the same thing with the temporary expedient of imprisonment. It doesn’t work very well.
“And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.” (Genesis 9:7)
God then repeated his initial command. That he repeated himself makes it clear he considers this very important. I am amazed how much effort is devoted to trying to stop population growth in our day. While we experience famines and food shortages, they are not primarily the result of overpopulation, but of man’s efforts to control others for his own advantage. If instead of trying to control it, we focused doing things the way God specified, with one man and one woman marrying and then supporting their own children, population growth would probably slow dramatically. There would no longer be an incentive to see how many different people they could procreate with.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)