Shem's Descendants (Gen. 10:21-32)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 04/26/2006

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Shem’s Descendents

Bible Reading & Meditation                                    Reference:  Genesis 10:21-32

            Message of the verses:  “21 Also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, and the older brother of Japheth, children were born.  22  The sons of Shem were Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram.  23  The sons of Aram were Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash.  24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber.  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.  26  Joktan became the father of Almodad and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and Jerah 27  and Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah 28  and Obal and Abimael and Sheba 29  and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.  30 Now their settlement extended from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, according to their nations.

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.”

           

            These verses conclude chapter ten of Genesis and thus this chapter has given to its readers the table of the nations.  One can look at this chapter and get some idea as to which son of Noah they came from.  I believe that I am a descendent of Shem, at least on my father’s side, as McKenzie is a Scottish name and the descendents of Scotland came from Shem.

           

            The Bible does say in it many times that God is the God of all of the nations, and even though some seem more significant than others God still loves all of the nations and His Son died for all of the people of all of the nations. 

           

            Another thing that is seen here is the assisters of the nation of Israel, which is the people and nation in which God would bring the Messiah into the world, thus fulfilling the prophecy in Genesis 3:15.  It can be seen in verse twenty-one the name Eber as one of the offspring of Shem, and his story is also told in verses twenty-four and five.  Abraham came from the line of Eber, and his story begins in chapter twelve of Genesis.

           

            There is a little story that begins in the last part of verse twenty-five where the name Peleg is mentioned, who is a descendent of Eber and this verse tells that the earth began to divide during his day.  The word translated as earth in this verse is mostly translated as land in the KJV over 1500 times, and it is translated as nations only one time.  I have heard two different ways to understand this verse, one way is that the earth began to separate during Peleg’s life time that is the continents began to separate.  If one looks at the map of the world the continents do seem to fit together.  The other view of this verse is that it is the nations that begin to separate, however in the next chapter the story of the tower of Babel is written and after that God separated the nations by changing the languages of different people so that they would leave that area and be with their own people so I would tend to think that it was the physical earth that began to separate.  One more thing that I want to mention and that is that in the book of Genesis when there are genealogy's the ones that are in the godly line are always given last.  

          Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This earth seems so large and there are many people on it, and there has been many people on this earth who have already died, yet I know that God knows me better than anyone else knows me and that somehow I am a part of God’s overall plan, and this is very humbling to me and I am so very thankful for this truth.

God’s Word was challenging to my heart as I read and studied it this morning.

My Steps of Faith Today:  By reading these verses and listing to God’s Spirit I know that God has a plan for my life and God also has work for me to do for the cause of Christ, (Eph. 2:10) so this comforts me and gives me hope that God is on His throne and in control.