Israel as a person and a nation begins through a family. This family actually began with Noah through his only ‘good’ son, Shem. We must remember that theses three sons were the fathers of the entire world, divided into three parts. We will review the lineage Jehovah provides us as they will play an important part in the end of this study.
The world and the ‘church’ has had conflicting and confusing ideas of both the people of Israel and the nation of Israel. Hopefully, we can eventually clear up some of this historical confusion. I grew up in churches that had widely differing views on Israel. Therefore, I have undertaken a two-year study on this issue to provide answers to my many questions.
What is your understanding of who or what is Israel?
What does your ‘church’ teach on this subject?
Has the ‘church’ replaced Israel and therefore will receive all the promises to Israel?
Let us review the genealogy of Noah’s sons. Some names are more familiar and important to our study than others.
Genesis 10:1 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.
10:2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras.
10:3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah.
10:4 The sons of Javan were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim.
10:5 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.
The names and sons that will prove to be important are Gomer, Magog,and Ashkenaz,
10:6 The sons of Ham were Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan.
10:7 The sons of Cush were Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
10:8 Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth.
10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD."
10:10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
10:11 From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah,
10:12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. Gen 10:13 Mizraim became the father of Ludim and Anamim and Lehabim and Naphtuhim
0:14 and Pathrusim and Casluhim (from which came the Philistines) and Caphtorim.
10:15 Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth
10:16 and the Jebusite and the Amorite and the Girgashite Gen 10:17 and the Hivite and the Arkite and the Sinite
10:18 and the Arvadite and the Zemarite and the Hamathite; and afterward the families of the Canaanite were spread abroad.
10:19 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.
10:20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, by their nations.
In this list from Ham, we find many of the very nations Jehovah instructed Joshua to drive out of the land, which were never really accomplished. Therefore, we find these nations continually attacking Israel. Names to remember include:
Canaan, Nimrod, Babel, Nineveh, Jebusite, Amarite, Sodom, and Gomorrah. These are some of the most evil names in the lineage and they all came through Ham, whom Noah cursed.
0:21 Also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, and the older brother of Japheth, children were born. 10:22 The sons of Shem were Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram.
10:23 The sons of Aram were Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash.
10:24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber.
10:25 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.
10:26 Joktan became the father of Almodad and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and
Gen 10:27 and Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah Gen 10:28 and Obal and Abimael and Sheba Gen 10:29 and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.
10:30 Now their settlement extended from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the hill country of the east.
10:31 These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, according to their nations.
10:32 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.
From Shem Jehovah clearly shows us His plan for Abram and even Jacob. As was mentioned last week, Shem lived for 50 years after the birth of Abram. If Ham and Japeth lived as long, their flood stories would have continued for over 500 years to their descendants.
Eye witnesses to the flood would account for the worldwide histories of a worldwide flood. All the major areas and cultures of the world contain a flood history. Now we may have a more biblical understanding of this historical fact.
More next Saturday.