Origin of Our Conflicts

1 2 A MAN WHO LOVED OLD BOOKS • RAN INTO AN ACQUAINTANCE WHO HAD JUST THROWN AWAY A BIBLE • WHICH HAD BEEN STORED IN THE ATTIC OF HIS ANCESTRAL HOME FOR GENERATIONS. • "I COULDN'T READ IT," THE FRIEND EXPLAINED. 3 • "SOMEBODY NAMED GUTENSOMETHING HAD PRINTED IT." • "NOT GUTENBERG!" THE BOOK LOVER EXCLAIMED IN HORROR. • "THAT BIBLE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST BOOKS EVER PRINTED. • WHY, A COPY JUST SOLD FOR OVER TWO MILLION DOLLARS!" 4 • HIS FRIEND WAS UNIMPRESSED. "MINE WOULDN'T HAVE BROUGHT A DOLLAR. • SOME FELLOW NAMED MARTIN LUTHER HAD SCRIBBLED ALL OVER IT IN GERMAN." • SOMETIMES PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THE BIBLE 2 TIMOTHY 3:16 5 ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD AND PROFITABLE FOR TEACHING, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, FOR TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS; 6 • YES ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED AND PROFITABLE • WITH SOME SCRIPTURES THE USE FOR TRAINING, CORRECTION, AND REPROOF • ARE OBVIOUS, OTHER TIMES WE HAVE LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER 7 • TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT A GENEALOGY • PRIOR TO THE FLOOD WE SEE THE GENEALOGY FROM ADAM TO NOAH • FOLLOWING THE FLOOD WE SEE THE GENEALOGY OF THOSE WHO COME AFTER NOAH 8 • THIS 2ND GENEALOGY IS FAR MORE RELEVANT TO OUR WORLD • FAR MORE VALUABLE THAN IT APPEARS • AT FIRST GLANCE IT IS JUST A LIST OF NAMES FROM THE ANCIENT WORLD 9 • SURELY NONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE FACE IN THE MODERN WORLD • WERE AFFECTED IN ANY WAY BY SOME LIST OF NAMES FROM 1000s OF YEARS AGO. • BUT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WHAT CHANGES IN THE WORLD 10 • FROM THE MOMENT THE LIST STARTS UNTIL THE LIST IS COMPLETED (PAUSE) • THIS CHAPTER IS SOMETIMES CALLED THE TABLE OF NATIONS • THE PURPOSE OF THIS GENEALOGY IS TO SHOW THE CONNECTIONS 11 • BETWEEN THE PEOPLE WE FIND DISCUSSED IN THE REST OF THE BIBLE • ALL THESE PEOPLE’S CAME FROM NOAH THEY ARE ALL RELATED • BUT SOME ARE MORE CLOSELY RELATED THAN OTHERS 12 • TURN TO GENESIS 10:1 • MOSES HAD JUST TOLD OF HOW NOAH HAD GOTTEN DRUNK • AND PASSED OUT IN HIS TENT • HAM HAD SEEN HIM THERE AND TOLD HIS BROTHERS SHEM AND JAPHETH • AND THEY HAD SHOW KINDNESS TO THEIR FATHER AND COVERED HIM UP • NOAH WOKE UP AND FOUND OUT WHAT HIS SON’S HAD DONE 13 14 • HE PROPHESIED THAT THE DESCENDENTS OF HAM’S SON CANAAN WOULD BE • SERVANTS TO THE DECEDENTS OF SHEM GENESIS 10:1–5 15 NOW THESE ARE THE RECORDS OF THE GENERATIONS OF SHEM, HAM, AND JAPHETH, THE SONS OF NOAH; AND SONS WERE BORN TO THEM AFTER THE FLOOD. THE SONS OF JAPHETH WERE GOMER AND MAGOG AND MADAI AND JAVAN AND TUBAL AND MESHECH AND TIRAS. 16 THE SONS OF GOMER WERE ASHKENAZ AND RIPHATH AND TOGARMAH. THE SONS OF JAVAN WERE ELISHAH AND TARSHISH, KITTIM AND DODANIM. 17 FROM THESE THE COASTLANDS OF THE NATIONS WERE SEPARATED INTO THEIR LANDS, EVERY ONE ACCORDING TO HIS LANGUAGE, ACCORDING TO THEIR FAMILIES, INTO THEIR NATIONS. • THERE IS A PHRASE THAT WE WILL SEE REPEATED OVER AND OVER IN THIS CHAPTER • EVERY ONE ACCORDING TO HIS LANGUAGE, ACCORDING TO THEIR FAMILIES, INTO THEIR NATIONS. • THIS IS REALLY THE POINT OF THIS WHOLE CHAPTER 18 19 • THEY HAD ALL BEEN ONE FAMILY • THEY ALL CAME FROM THREE BROTHERS • BUT AS TIME PASSES THEY SEPARATE INTO THEIR OWN LANDS • INTO THEIR OWN NATIONS 20 • THE LINE OF JAPHETH IS PRIMARILY ASSOCIATED • WITH NORTHERN AND WESTERN AREAS TURKEY, GREECE, AND EUROPE • SOME OF THE NAMES MENTIONED HERE COME UP AGAIN IN THE BIBLE IN PROPHECIES EZEKIEL 38:2 21 “SON OF MAN, SET YOUR FACE TOWARD GOG OF THE LAND OF MAGOG, THE PRINCE OF ROSH, MESHECH AND TUBAL, AND PROPHESY AGAINST HIM REVELATION 20:7–8 22 WHEN THE THOUSAND YEARS ARE COMPLETED, SATAN WILL BE RELEASED FROM HIS PRISON, AND WILL COME OUT TO DECEIVE THE NATIONS WHICH ARE IN THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH, 23 GOG AND MAGOG, TO GATHER THEM TOGETHER FOR THE WAR; THE NUMBER OF THEM IS LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEASHORE. 24 • IT IS ALSO INTERESTING TO SEE THE MENTION OF TARSHISH IN THIS LIST • THIS IS WHERE JONAH TRIES FLEE TO WHEN HE FLEES FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD JONAH 1:3 25 BUT JONAH ROSE UP TO FLEE TO TARSHISH FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. SO HE WENT DOWN TO JOPPA, FOUND A SHIP WHICH WAS GOING TO TARSHISH, PAID THE FARE AND WENT DOWN INTO IT TO GO WITH THEM TO TARSHISH FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. 26 • IT IS LIKELY THAT MOSES RECORDS JAPHETH’S LINE FIRST • BECAUSE IT IS NOT AS CLOSELY LINKED TO ISRAEL’S CURRENT SITUATION • HE MENTIONS THIS LINE VERY BRIEFLY • AND GOES INTO MUCH MORE DETAIL WITH OTHER LINES 27 • IT IS NOT THAT THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE IS NOT IMPORTANT • MOST OF US COME FROM THIS LINE • THE DESCENDENTS OF THIS LINE WILL BE THE EARLY CHURCH • THIS LINE IS PART OF GOD’S PLAN, A PLAN WHICH INCLUDES SALVATION • FOR ALL THE TRIBES OF THE WORLD 28 • THIS LINE IS IMPORTANT • BUT MOSES IS GOING TO PROVIDE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE NEXT LINE • BECAUSE A HIS AUDIENCE IS WILL BE SPENDING THE NEXT 700 OR SO YEARS DEALING WITH THEM. GENESIS 10:6–7 29 THE SONS OF HAM WERE CUSH AND MIZRAIM AND PUT AND CANAAN. THE SONS OF CUSH WERE SEBA AND HAVILAH AND SABTAH AND RAAMAH AND SABTECA; AND THE SONS OF RAAMAH WERE SHEBA AND DEDAN. • THE DESCENDANTS OF HAM LIVED IN THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN PART • OF WHAT WE NOW CALL THE MIDDLE EAST • CUSH SETTLED IN PRESENT DAY EGYPT, SUDAN, AND NORTHERN ETHIOPIA 30 • HAVILAH LITERALLY MEANS SANDLAND, • AND LIKELY REFERS TO THE ARABIAN PENINSULA, OR PERSIAN GULF • OTHER NAMES IN THIS LIST REFER TO LOCATIONS AND PEOPLE GROUPS 31 32 • IN THIS SAME REGION. • MOSES IS GOING TO PICK TWO GROUPS FROM THIS LINE TO FOCUS ON • FIRST HE FOCUSES ON AN ONE MAN GENESIS 10:8–12 33 NOW CUSH BECAME THE FATHER OF NIMROD; HE BECAME A MIGHTY ONE ON THE EARTH. HE WAS A MIGHTY HUNTER BEFORE THE LORD; THEREFORE IT IS SAID, “LIKE NIMROD A MIGHTY HUNTER BEFORE THE LORD.” THE BEGINNING OF HIS KINGDOM WAS BABEL AND ERECH AND ACCAD AND CALNEH, IN THE LAND OF SHINAR. 34 35 FROM THAT LAND HE WENT FORTH INTO ASSYRIA, AND BUILT NINEVEH AND REHOBOTH-IR AND CALAH, AND RESEN BETWEEN NINEVEH AND CALAH; THAT IS THE GREAT CITY. 36 • MOSES TELLS US A LOT ABOUT NIMROD • NIMROD BECAME A MIGHTY ONE ON THE EARTH • HE WAS A MIGHTY HUNTER • NIMROD IS THE FIRST AFTER THE FLOOD TO BUILD A KINGDOM THE FIRST TO RULE OVER OTHER MEN AS A KING (PAUSE) 37 • THE TEXT SAYS HIS KINGDOM BEGAN AT BABEL • IN THE NEXT CHAPTER WE WILL SEE HOW THAT TURNS OUT • I THINK IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MOSES FEATURES NIMROD • AS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NEXT CHAPTER • NIMROD STARTS HIS KINGDOM AT BABEL BUT HE DOES NOT STOP THERE • WE CAN SEE THAT HE GOES ON FROM BABEL TO BUILD CITIES IN ASSYRIA • NINEVEH WAS ONE OF THOSE CITIES 38 39 • IN THE BOOK OF JONAH IT IS DESCRIBED AS • AN EXCEEDINGLY GREAT CITY, A THREE DAYS’ WALK. • THAT EITHER MEANS IT TOOK THREE DAYS TO WALK ACROSS THE CITY OR 3 DAYS TO WALK AROUND THE CITY 40 • EITHER WAY THAT IS A REALLY BIG CITY • NIMROD WAS VERY SUCESSFUL. • MOSES CONTINUES IN THE LINE OF HAM • MOVING NEXT TO THE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT • WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF HIS AUDIENCE GENESIS 10:13–20 41 MIZRAIM BECAME THE FATHER OF LUDIM AND ANAMIM AND LEHABIM AND NAPHTUHIM AND PATHRUSIM AND CASLUHIM (FROM WHICH CAME THE PHILISTINES) AND CAPHTORIM. 42 CANAAN BECAME THE FATHER OF SIDON, HIS FIRSTBORN, AND HETH AND THE JEBUSITE AND THE AMORITE AND THE GIRGASHITE AND THE HIVITE AND THE ARKITE AND THE SINITE AND THE ARVADITE AND THE ZEMARITE AND THE HAMATHITE; 43 AND AFTERWARD THE FAMILIES OF THE CANAANITE WERE SPREAD ABROAD. THE TERRITORY OF THE CANAANITE EXTENDED FROM SIDON AS YOU GO TOWARD GERAR, AS FAR AS GAZA; AS YOU GO TOWARD SODOM AND GOMORRAH AND ADMAH AND ZEBOIIM, AS FAR AS LASHA. 44 THESE ARE THE SONS OF HAM, ACCORDING TO THEIR FAMILIES, ACCORDING TO THEIR LANGUAGES, BY THEIR LANDS, BY THEIR NATIONS. 45 • FIRST MOSES LISTS THE LINE OF MIZRIAM • IN THIS LIST WE SEE THE PHILISTINES MENTIONED • THE ISRAELITES WILL HAVE ALL KINDA PROBLEMS • WITH THESE PHILISTINES AS THEY INHABIT THE PROMISED LAND (PAUSE) • THEN MOSES LISTS THE LINE OF CANAAN • ALL OF THESE LISTED ARE CONSIDERED CANAANITES • THE NAMES LISTED ARE THE DIFFERENT TRIBES WITH IN THE CANAANITES 46 47 • THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE ISRAELITES WILL FACE • AS THEY COME INTO THE PROMISED LAND • MANY OF THE NAMES IN THIS LINE APPEAR AGAIN IN DEUTERONOMY 7:1–2 48 “WHEN THE LORD YOUR GOD BRINGS YOU INTO THE LAND WHERE YOU ARE ENTERING TO POSSESS IT, AND CLEARS AWAY MANY NATIONS BEFORE YOU, THE HITTITES AND THE GIRGASHITES AND THE AMORITES AND THE CANAANITES AND THE PERIZZITES AND THE HIVITES AND THE JEBUSITES, 49 SEVEN NATIONS GREATER AND STRONGER THAN YOU, AND WHEN THE LORD YOUR GOD DELIVERS THEM BEFORE YOU AND YOU DEFEAT THEM, THEN YOU SHALL UTTERLY DESTROY THEM. YOU SHALL MAKE NO COVENANT WITH THEM AND SHOW NO FAVOR TO THEM. 50 • THE JEBUSITES LIVED IN THE CITY OF SALEM • WHICH WILL LATER BECOME JERUSALEM • THE FIVE KINGS OF THE AMORITES WERE DEFEATED BY JOSHUA • MOSES NOT ONLY LISTS THE NAMES OF THE TRIBES THEY WILL FACE 51 • HE EVEN DESCRIBES THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PROMISED LAND • “THE TERRITORY OF THE CANAANITE EXTENDED FROM SIDON AS YOU GO TOWARD GERAR, AS FAR AS GAZA; AS YOU GO TOWARD SODOM AND GOMORRAH AND ADMAH AND ZEBOIIM, AS FAR AS LASHA.” 52 • IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT AT THE TIME MOSES WRITES THIS • THE CANAANITES ACTUALLY HAS BETTER LAND • THAN SHEM BUT THE CANAANITES DO NOT HAVE THE BLESSING OF GOD (PAUSE) • THE ACCOUNT OF THE LINE OF CANAAN 53 • OF THE FAMILIES AND NATIONS THAT DESCENDED FROM HIM, • AND OF THE LAND THEY POSSESSED, • IS MORE PARTICULAR THAN OF ANY OTHER IN THIS CHAPTER, • BECAUSE THESE WERE THE NATIONS 54 • THAT WERE TO BE SUBDUED BEFORE ISRAEL, • AND THEIR LAND, WAS IN PROCESS OF TIME TO BECOME THE HOLY LAND, • BUT IT IS THE LINE OF SHEM THAT WILL COME AND TAKE THE HOLY LAND • FROM THE CANAANITES GENESIS 10:21–22 55 ALSO TO SHEM, THE FATHER OF ALL THE CHILDREN OF EBER, AND THE OLDER BROTHER OF JAPHETH, CHILDREN WERE BORN. THE SONS OF SHEM WERE ELAM AND ASSHUR AND ARPACHSHAD AND LUD AND ARAM. 56 • IT IS INTERESTING THAT SHEM IS DESCRIBED AS • “THE FATHER OF ALL THE CHILDREN OF EBER” • EBER WAS HIS GREAT GRANDSON; • BUT WHY SHOULD HE BE CALLED THE FATHER OF ALL HIS CHILDREN, 57 • RATHER THAN OF ALL ARPACHSHAD’S, OR SALAH’S, • THIS IS PROBABLY BECAUSE ABRAHAM AND HIS SEED, • GOD’S COVENANT-PEOPLE, NOT ONLY DESCENDED FROM EBER, • BUT ARE CALLED HEBREWS BECAUSE OF EBBER 58 • THIS IS MORE CLEAR IN THE HEBREW LANGUAGE • BASICALLY THE WORD HEBREW IS A WAY OF SAYING • THE DESCENDANTS OF EBER • MOSES GOES ON TO CONNECT SHEM TO EBER GENESIS 10:23–24 59 THE SONS OF ARAM WERE UZ AND HUL AND GETHER AND MASH. ARPACHSHAD BECAME THE FATHER OF SHELAH; AND SHELAH BECAME THE FATHER OF EBER. 60 • WE DON’T REALLY FIND THE MEN IN THIS LIST MENTIONED AGAIN THE BIBLE • BUT WE DO FIND MENTION OF THE LAND OF UZ JOB IS SAID TO LIVE THERE • AND LABAN, JACOB’S FATHER INLAW IS CALLED AN ARAMEAN • A DESCENDANT OF ARAM • MOSES CONTINUES THE GENEALOGY 61 GENESIS 10:25–31 62 TWO SONS WERE BORN TO EBER; THE NAME OF THE ONE WAS PELEG, FOR IN HIS DAYS THE EARTH WAS DIVIDED; AND HIS BROTHER’S NAME WAS JOKTAN. 63 JOK-TAN BECAME THE FATHER OF AL-MO-DAD AND SHE-LEPH AND HAZ-ARMA-VETH AND JE-RAH AND HAD-O-RAM AND UZAL AND DIKLAH AND OBAL AND A-BIMA-EL AND SHE-BA AND OPHIR AND HAV-ILAH AND JO-BAB; 64 ALL THESE WERE THE SONS OF JOKTAN. NOW THEIR SETTLEMENT EXTENDED FROM MESHA AS YOU GO TOWARD SEPHAR, THE HILL COUNTRY OF THE EAST. 65 THESE ARE THE SONS OF SHEM, ACCORDING TO THEIR FAMILIES, ACCORDING TO THEIR LANGUAGES, BY THEIR LANDS, ACCORDING TO THEIR NATIONS. • THIS SECTION CONTAINS THE MOST DETAILED ACCOUNT • FOUND IN THIS GENEALOGY • MOSES IS PROVIDING THIS DETAIL BECAUSE • IT IS A LINK BETWEEN NOAH AND ABRAM (PAUSE) 66 • THE NOTE ON EBER’S SON PELEG • THAT IN HIS TIME THE EARTH WAS DIVIDED • MAY PINPOINT THE BABEL EVENT • THE HEBREW WORD PELEG 67 68 • IS USED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT TO DESCRIBE DIVISION INTO LANGUAGES. • SO THE BABEL EVENT OCCURRED FIVE GENERATIONS AFTER THE FLOOD. • MOSES CONCLUDES THE GENEALOGY BY SAYING GENESIS 10:32 69 THESE ARE THE FAMILIES OF THE SONS OF NOAH, ACCORDING TO THEIR GENEALOGIES, BY THEIR NATIONS; AND OUT OF THESE THE NATIONS WERE SEPARATED ON THE EARTH AFTER THE FLOOD. 70 • IN THIS CONCLUSION MOSES REPEATS THE MAIN POINT • THAT ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE WORLD COME FROM THE SONS OF NOAH • THAT THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT NATIONS NOW BUT THEY COME FROM ONE FAMILY 71 • AND HE POINTS OUT THAT THEY WERE ALL SEPARATED • THE DETAILS OF THIS SEPARATION WILL BE EXPLAINED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER • GOD THROUGH MOSES HAS PROVIDED INFORMATION ABOUT • HOW THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD CAME FROM ONE FAMILY • AND THAT THEY WERE SEPARATED ON THE EARTH • AND BECAME DIFFERENT NATIONS 72 73 • DID YOU NOTICE HOW IT WENT FROM THREE BROTHERS • WHO HAD WORKED TOGETHER TO HELP THEIR FATHER BUILD A BOAT • AND SURVIVE A GLOBAL FLOOD. • TO A LIST OF NATIONS SCATTERED ACROSS THE GLOBE • DIVIDED BY THEIR LANGUAGE, DEFINED AS SEPARATE NATIONS. • NATIONS THAT WILL GO TO WAR WITH EACH OTHER. • NATIONS THAT ARE STILL AT WAR WITH EACH OTHER. • THE WARS WE FACE TODAY AND HAVE FACED FOR 1000S OF YEARS 74 75 • FIND THEIR START IN THIS GENEALOGY. • ISSUES OF RACE AND NATIONALISM FIND THEIR START IN THIS GENEALOGY. • TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENTS FIND THEIR START IN THIS GENEALOGY. 76 • MANY OF THE TROUBLES WE FACE IN OUR WORLD TODAY • FIND THEIR START RIGHT HERE IN THIS LIST OF ANCIENT NAMES. • PAUL TELLS TIMOTHY THAT ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD 77 • AND PROFITABLE FOR TEACHING, • FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, • FOR TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS; • THAT CERTAINLY INCLUDES THIS LIST OF ANCIENT NAMES 78 • WHICH PROVIDES AN INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD WE FACE TODAY • A WORLD OF CONFLICT AND ANGER AND VIOLENCE • A WORLD OF PEOPLE ALL DESCENDED FROM THE SAME FAMILY • A WORLD FULL OF PEOPLE AT WAR WITH EACH OTHER • A WORLD WRACKED BY DIVISION AND DIFFERENCE • FROM THIS ANCIENT LIST OF NAMES 79 80 • WE CAN SEE HOW THE WORLD WAS SEPARATED OUT ACCORDING TO THEIR FAMILIES, ACCORDING TO THEIR LANGUAGES, BY THEIR LANDS, BY THEIR NATIONS. 81 • PERHAPS WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS LIST • HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO RESOLVE OUR FAMILY PROBLEMS • TO LEARN TO GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER AS A FAMILY 82 • SO THAT OUR FAMILIES DON’T GET SEPARATED OUT • INTO MORE AND MORE DIVISION • THE WORLD WE LIVE IN HAS ENOUGH DIVISION AND CONFLICT 83 • THE LAST THING WE NEED IT MORE DIVISION MORE SEPARATION • GOD HAS CALLED US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS HE LOVES US • AND HE LOVES US SO MUCH • THAT HE CAME IN THE FORM OF A MAN • JESUS CHRIST, WHO LIVED A SINLESS LIFE • AND DIED ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR OUR SINS 84 85