Genesis 10-14

Chapter 10 gives us the beginning of the outworking of the blessing and cursing given to the three sons of Noach. From these three came seventy nations, who all spoke the same language. The descendants of Yafet settled in the areas around the Black and Caspian Seas, and migrated north and west toward Turkey and Europe. The descendants of Cham settled in the Middle East, Israel and Africa. The descendants of Shem settled in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula.

A descendant of Cham – Nimrod, whose name means “rebel,” is the first to accrue power. He uses his strength to begin a kingdom in ancient Babylon. Nimrod may have been the person in charge of the building of the tower of Babel.

Chapter 11 starts of telling us that after the Flood, humanity was united. Everyone spoke a common language. Everyone was journeying together toward the East. But, their concern was that as the human race was being repopulated after the Flood, and as humanity grew and expanded outward, they would be fragmented. So, when they came to a plain in Babylon, they decided to build a city with a tower whose top would reach up into Heaven. The purpose of the city of Babylon and its tower is to serve as a unifying political and religious center for mankind, so that humanity won’t be scattered. From this point on, an important and powerful central place, along with a powerful religious idea, will continually be used throughout human history to unify a nation or empire.

But sadly, this unity was based on pride and arrogance (let us make a name for ourselves. Let’s show how great we are) and religious error. This tower that was to reach into Heaven was not used to worship the one true living God, who created us, and made us in His own image, endowing us with so many gifts, and who in His mercy enabled humanity to survive the Flood, but other gods – the sun, moon and stars, and the gods that were believed to be connected to them. For example, Jupiter is the largest planet, and was also a Roman God. The same was true of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn and others.

Although this is only the forth generation after the Flood (if the scattering referred to in the days of Peleg refers to the scattering of Babel: Shem to Arpachshad to Shelach to Ever to Peleg), the majority of humanity had again become corrupt. Within just a few generations after the Flood, even though humanity knew God, they stopped honoring Him as God. They stopped thanking Him. They became religiously confused, and starting worshiping forces within nature – sun, moon and starts, trees, rivers, dead human leaders, even animals. They believed that there were spirit beings connected with these forces, and that was the reason for the power these forces had. They forgot that the powers higher and greater than man were made by the Creator.

Babel becomes the center of a united mankind’s rebellion against God. It becomes the center of false religion, idolatry, and human arrogance.

In some way, the Lord came down and saw Babylon being built, and its tower, and was rightfully displeased. His judgment came. Instead of being the center of unity, mankind is scattered. Instead of having one language in which to communicate our thoughts, and be able to work easily together, mankind is given a confusing number of languages (some 3000 languages and dialects today), which makes it much more communicate and work together. Instead of completing the city, it is left unfinished. Instead of unification, mankind is scattered.

And, that is a good thing, because when all of humanity is united, we tend to get into even more trouble than when nations are separate. Nationalism has its flaws, but internationalism, when humanity becomes united, is even worse.

History will once again repeat itself. The history of the Tower of Babel will be repeated throughout the world in the Achareet HaYameen – the Last Days. The tower of Babel was the expression of a deep-seated apostasy, a type of the God-defying unfaithfulness which will rise against the Lord and His Anointed Messiah in the Last Days. The Tower of Babel is a prophecy of a New World Order, that one world government that will exist right before Messiah Yeshua returns to planet Earth. When all of mankind does become united, it will unite against God and against His Anointed.

There are two cities that are mentioned early in the Divine Revelation, that symbolize one of two ways of living, and one of two final conditions for humanity. There is Babylon and there is Jerusalem. Babel is the city of confusion. Jerusalem is the city of peace. Babel is the city of fallen man. Jerusalem is the city of God, and the city of redeemed man. Babel symbolizes rebellion against God. Jerusalem symbolizes obedience to God. Babel represents false religion that leads to death. Jerusalem represents true religion that leads to life. Every human being is a citizen of Babylon or Jerusalem. Which one are you?

Chapter 11 concludes with the descendants of Shem – those who are chosen to know the One God, and bring the knowledge of the God who can redeem us, to the rest of the nations of the world, who are religiously confused, morally corrupt, and alienated from the God who can save them, and enable them to live forever.

From Shem to Abraham ten generation are recorded, covering a period of some 400 years. The lifespans of human beings are much shorter after the Flood, than they were before the Flood, indicating that conditions on Earth were different. Abraham lived around the year 2000 BC, which means that the Flood could have taken place somewhere around 2400 BC.

It took 11 chapters for Moses to describe the creation of the universe, the creation of Adam and Eve, the fall of man, the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, principles of atonement by having faith in God and bringing a sacrificed animal, the corruption of humanity before the Flood, the destruction of the earth by the Flood, the covenant that God made with humanity after the Flood, the list of the nations of the world, and the rebellion at Babel.

Moses will now give greater attention and spend more time on the life of one man – Abraham! That tells us that the events connected to Abraham are very important, and we should be familiar with them.

Why is Abraham so important? Because by the time of Abraham, humanity had once again become corrupt. The false religion of Babylon had spread throughout the human race. The world was alienated from the God Who Can Save Us, dead in trespasses and sins. The Lord God who loves the world wanted to create a nation in the midst of the nations, a people who would know Him, be close to Him, serve Him, worship Him in spirit and in truth, and understand the principles of faith and sacrifice that brings atonement. Israel was to be a light to the nations, bringing God and salvation to the rest of the world.

Abraham starts off the with name Avram, which “high father,” since he was meant to be the exalted and honored father of the Jewish people, many of the Arab peoples, and the father of all those who have genuine, saving faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.

Abraham marries Sarai, whose name means “princess.” She is his half-sister, his father’s (but not his mother’s) daughter. Sarai is barren and is unable to have children.

Abraham starts off in Ur in Chaldea – a city in the southern part of ancient Babylon. His father Terach, served other gods (see Joshua 24:2). The Talmud says that Terach was an maker of idols, but we don’t know that was the case. We do know that he grow up in an idolatrous environment. But, in spite of growing up in the midst of religious confusion, the Lord chose Abraham, and revealed Himself to him, spoke to him, and made a world-effecting covenant with him, a contract, a binding agreement with him. How gracious, how kind, how good of God to do so!

This man, who would be the first of the new and holy nation, needed to be removed from the pagan influences surrounding him. And so the Lord commanded Abraham to leave his country, and his relatives and his father’s house, and head to another land which He would reveal to him.

That was a difficult thing that the Lord asked Abraham to do. Most human beings love their country, and their relatives, and their society, and would find it very hard to leave them all behind, and head to an unknown land. He was to leave all – civilization, family, friends, and go wherever the Lord directed him. But Abraham had faith in the One God, and obeyed Him, and left family and country, and headed west. “A similar ‘call’ comes to Abraham’s descendants in every age … to separate themselves from all associations and influences that are inimical to their Faith and Destiny” (Hertz). The one who is not willing to leave father, mother, sister, brother, son, daughter, country, home, does not share the faith of Abraham.

The Lord commanded Abraham to leave family and home, but at the same time He also made a covenant with him and promised him some great things. The provisions of this covenant include:

  • A great nation: This primarily refers to the Jewish people, but it also includes Ishmael’s descendants and the sons of Keturah (see 25:1-6) who formed the Arab peoples. It also includes all true Believers, who are sons of Abraham because of their faith. The nation of Israel achieved a measure of greatness under King David and King Solomon, but our ultimate greatness will be achieved when King Yeshua is ruling over the world from Jerusalem.
  • A great name: Abraham will be famous and greatly honored. 4,000 years this man is remembered, loved and honored by close to 3 billion people, about half the world’s population, including followers of Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
  • Blessing: Abraham was to be blessed. This is fulfilled in both earthly and heavenly riches for our father Abraham.
  • You shall be a blessing and in you all the families of the Earth will be blessed: The Jewish people have made many valuable contributions to the world in the arts and sciences, in law and economics, but our greatest gift to the world has been accomplished by bringing the nations the knowledge of the one true and living God, and the Word of God, and the Messiah of God, who brings atonement and salvation, reconciliation with God and eternal life.
  • I will bless them that bless you and curse him that curses you: this is one of the basic principle with which God deals with individuals and with the nations, and is still valid for today (Dt. 30:7, Is. 14:1-2, Zech. 12:1-3, Mt. 25:31-46). Pharaoh harmed Abraham and Sarah and was cursed (12:10-20). Haman cursed the Jewish people and forfeited his life. As we look back over 4,000 years of history, we can see how every nation that has cursed the Jewish people has indeed been cursed. The Egyptian, Assyrian, Syrian, Babylonian, Roman, Spanish, German and English nations have all experienced the consequences of turning against Israel. Those nations that have treated the Jewish people with kindness have been blessed. One of the reasons why the United States has been greatly blessed is because this nation has been a blessing to Israel and the Jewish people. May it always be that way!
  • I will give to you the Land: the Land of Israel is an inherent part of the Abrahamic covenant. The borders of the Land are later given from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates. The Land is to be an everlasting possession for the Jewish people (15:18, 17:8). If this provision of the Land is no longer valid, then why is the rest of it, which includes the salvation of the nations?

This covenant is recorded for us in several places: first here in 12:1-3, but also in 13:14-17, 15:4-21, and 17:1-8. It is restated to Isaac (26:3-5) and then to Jacob (35:10-12). This covenant is unconditional – it can’t be broken by man. It will be fulfilled.

Verses 4-9 tells us that Abraham and Sarah and Abraham’s nephew Lot, and their servants, left Haran, where they had moved to from Ur. From Haran they headed west and south to the Land of Canaan. They went as far south as Shechem, where the Lord appeared to Abraham, and made it clear that this was the Land intended for Abraham and his descendants.

Abraham’s response to God’s revelation was to build an altar in that place where the Lord appeared to him. The altar was the place where Abraham sacrificed an animal, and burned part of it, enabling him to draw nearer to God, since the Lord had made it clear that we come closer to Him by placing our faith in Him, accompanied by the blood of an innocent life.

Abraham was a man of faith, and prayer and worship, and so he did the same at nearby Bethel, about 20 miles further south. Abraham continued further south through the Negev area. Then, since there was a famine in the land, he continued even further south toward Egypt.

While there was food in Egypt, there was also a powerful government. Abraham was concerned that Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, may not be just, and that he would take Sarah, his beautiful wife, to be Pharaoh’s wife, and kill Abraham. And so, he instructed Sarah to only tell part of the truth, and tell the Egyptians that she was his sister – not his wife. Now, she actually was his half-sister, but she was also his wife, and so this half-truth was really a lie. This strategy left Sarah exposed and unprotected. Pharaoh in fact did notice Sarah, and she was taken into his house. This is one of the very few times in the long and faithful life of Abraham, where he does something wrong.

But God is so good, and so capable, that He is able to make good come from our bad choices. He is so great that He can make good come from evil. Even though Pharaoh didn’t know that he was doing something wrong, the Lord did, and started cursing Pharaoh, striking his house with great plagues because he was harming Abraham and Sarah – the Lord’s chosen ones. Charles Ryrie speculates that these plagues may have prevented Pharaoh from defiling Sarah, and I hope that was so.

Pharaoh figures out that the cause of his problems is that he had taken Abraham’s wife, and Abraham and Sarah are special, and their God is protecting them and punishing him, and so he returns her to him, allows Abraham to keep all the many generous gifts he had given Abraham because of Sarah, and asks them to depart from his land.

How gracious of the Lord to overrule Abraham’s mistake. How gracious of the Lord to overrule so many of my mistakes, and my sins, and yours as well! Now, while the Lord is capable of bringing good out of evil, let’s not use this as a justification to sin, or an excuse to live a sloppy live. That would be presumptuous of God’s mercy, and reveal a heart that was far from God.

In chapter 13 Abraham heads north and east to the Negev, and then north to Bethel, where he had previously built an altar. And there at Bethel, Abraham called on the name of the Lord, which means he prayed to Him, and worshiped Him, declaring the truths he knew about God. Even though the land was filled with those who worshiped many gods, Abraham wasn’t embarrassed to declare his faith in the One God, the Invisible God – and neither should we!

Abraham was a rich man, with many flocks and herds and servants. His nephew Lot, who traveled with him, also was a man of some substance, and the land was not enough to sustain both of them. They needed to separate, and Abraham, gracious and generous, and not greedy, knowing that God had promised him this land, but trusting God to take care of him, and fulfill His promise, allows his nephew to make the choice for them both, and choose where he wanted to settle.

Lot’s choice to live in the valley that was watered by the Jordan river. It was lush and rich, but it contained the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. So, while the area was rich on the outside, it was corrupt on the inside. Lot’s choice turns out to be a bad one for him. And, his choice has been repeated by millions of other human being, who have chosen material prosperity, and overlooked the moral corruption that so often accompanies it.

After Lot leaves, and Abraham is fully separated from his last connection to his relatives, the Lord instructed Abraham to look north, south, east and west, and travel thought this land, because the Lord will give this entire land to Abraham and to his descendants as an eternal – not temporary, possession. Abraham won’t have a few descendants, but many – as numerous as the specks of dust that accumulate on Earth!

Abraham may have been physically separated from his nephew Lot, but he was still connected to him, and it is this connection that gets Abraham entangled in a Middle Eastern war. A coalition of five kings from Canaan revolted against the king of Elam, who lived east toward Babylon. The king of Elam and his allies came and attacked and conquered several nations in the area, including the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. After defeating them, they came to Sodom and Gomorrah, and took the goods and people, including Lot and his possessions, as spoils of war.

Abraham is told of the capture of Lot, and decided to mount a rescue. Abraham assembled a force of 318 of his men, travels a long way, more than 100 north from Hevron, in the south, to the very northen part of Israel. There they overtake the allied eastern armies, and the Lord grants Abraham and his band a great victory over what had to be vastly superior forces.

Abraham rescues Lot, and all his possessions, and also all the people and processions of Sodom and Gomorrah.

On the way back, as they were near the city of Salem – which means Peace, which would later be renamed Jerusalem – the City of Peace, they met a fascinating person – Malkee-Tzedek – the King of Salem, whose name means “King of Righteousness.” He was also a priest to El Elyon – God, the Most High. Malkee-Tzedek believed in and the Most High God. Even though most human beings has been religiously corrupted, the King of Salem knew the Creator. In a sea of polytheism he was an island of monotheism. In a desert of idolatry, he was an oasis of truth.

As a priest, he represented the Lord, and brought God closer to human beings, by teaching them about the Creator; perhaps by offering sacrifices for them; and he brought human beings closer to the Lord.

He was God’s representative, and was a generous and gracious host. He served his guests bread and wine to refresh and strengthen them on their journey, reminding his guests that God is a generous and gracious host that we can rely on in our journey through life.

And, as a priest of the Most High God, he brought the blessing of God to Abraham. Malkee-Tzedek blessed Abraham and said, “Blessed be Avram of God Most High, Possessor of Heaven and Earth” – in other words, “may the Supreme Power in the Universe, who owns and controls everything in it, who has unlimited resources, bring many good things into the life of Avram.” He continues: “And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand” – in other words, “the Supreme Power in the universe should be praised, who is greater than all of us, especially since He used His power to enabled you to have victory over your enemies, Abraham.”

And, father Abraham gave him, as God’s representative, ten percent of everything that he had. Abraham tithed to him. And, I urge that all of us imitate father Abraham in this regard, and give ten percent of what we have to support the Kingdom of God.

Why did Malkee-Tzedek bless Abraham? Why didn’t great Abraham, bless Malkee-Tzedek? Why did Abraham tithe to Malkee-Tzedek? Why didn’t Malkee-Tzedek tithe to great Abraham? We know that the greater blesses the lesser (Hebrews 7:7), so Malkee-Tzedek must be greater than Abraham. If Abraham encompasses the Jewish people, and also the Levitical priesthood, and he tithed to Malkee-Tzedek, isn’t the priesthood of Malkee-Tzedek greater than that of the Levitical priests?

Who is this mysterious King of Jerusalem, this King of Peace, this King of Righteousness, this priest of the Most High God, who combines the offices of Priest and King in one person, who is greater than Abraham, about whom we know so little, who suddenly appears on the pages of Holy Scripture out of nowhere?

I do not believe that Malkee-Tzedek is the Son of God, but he is like the Son of God. The Son of God is eternal and has no origin, just as none of Malkee-Tzedek’s ancestors are known to us. The Son of God is the King of Jerusalem, and the King of Peace, who alone is able to restore peace to a shattered universe. The Son of God is the King of Righteousness, who is Himself the epitome of righteousness. He always did the right thing, and is able to make us right with God. Because of Messiah’s life, death and sacrifice, God can consider us to be righteous – if we join ourselves to the righteous Messiah.

The Son of God is the same kind of priest as was Malkee-Tzedek. “The Lord has sworn, and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever, according to the order of Malkee-Tzedek.'” Yeshua is an eternal priest, with the same kind of superior priesthood that Malkee-Tzedek had. It is a priesthood that is not based on being descendant from Aaron, the brother of Moses. The priesthood of Malkee-Tzedek was a real priesthood, and a legitimate priesthood, and greater than that of the sons of Aaron, and so is that of the Messiah. Since He is fully God, Messiah can perfectly represent God to humanity. Since He is fully Man, be is completely able to represent Man to God. He is perfectly equipped to bring God and man together, reconciling the two.

The Son of God offers us bread and wine. He invites us to eat at His table, offering us the bread of His body and the wine of His blood – offering Himself, and His life and His death to us, so that if we place our faith in Him, and love Him, and join ourselves to Him by faith, we can receive His life and death, and die to sin, and live for God. He will provide everything we need for life in this world, and godliness in this world and in the world to come.

Abraham is a generous soul, and even though the king of Sodom offered him all of the goods of the people of Sodom as his reward for rescuing them from a life of slavery, and even though Abraham had a right to the goods by right of conquest, Abraham refused. He did not want to take advantage of the people of Sodom in their distress, and leave them feeling resentful toward Abraham. He would not interfere with the right of his other leaders, however, to take some goods as reward for their efforts.