Only the beginning, only just the start… Creation Creation of man The Fall The Flood The Tower of Babel Genesis 1-11 The story of the lives of four men Genesis 12-50

The purpose of the Bible To explain God’s attempt to establish His kingdom on earth.

Genesis – the Purpose To explain Israel’s beginning and purpose in the establishment of God’s rule on earth.

Genesis – The Structure Genesis is divided by markers in different sections, each highlighted by a certain Hebrew word.

Genesis – The Structure This word can be translated with the phrase, “What became of…”

Genesis – The Structure – 2:4-4:26 We have looked at “What ever became of the heavens and the earth?” and “What ever became of Adam?” “What ever became of Noah?”

Genesis – The Structure – 6:9-8:22 Now, we focus on the post-flood world and what became of Noah’s sons.

Genesis – The Outline I.Early Events (1:1-11:26) A. Creation of the Heavens and the Earth (1:1-2:3) B. What became of the heavens and the earth (2:4-4:26) C. What became of Adam (5:1-6:8) D. What became of Noah (6:9-9:29) E. What became of the Sons of Noah (10:1-11:9) F. What became of Shem (11:10-26)

Genesis 10: The Sons of Noah The genealogy here is different than the earlier ones in that this is a “horizontal” genealogy instead of a “vertical” one.

Genesis 10: The Sons of Noah The goal is not to list all the descendants but serves to show where they all ended up geographically, ethnically, and politically.

Genesis 10: The Sons of Noah This showed Israel who would be blessed and who would not.

Genesis 10: The Sons of Noah The people of the earth did not spread out in obedience. For example…

Genesis 10:2-5 - The Sons of Japheth These northern tribes did not figure prominently into Israel’s history, but are prominent in future prophecy (e.g. Magog, Gog, the Medes, and the kin to the Greeks).

Genesis 10:6-20 The Sons of Ham 10:6-7 – In So. Arabia, So. Egypt, Sudan, No. Eth. 10:8-12 – Nimrod = “to rebel”; Babylon, Assyria; a mighty hunter founded powerful cities who later battled Israel 10:13-14 – Mizraim = Egypt and early Philistines 10: Canaanites

Genesis 10:21-31 The Sons of Shem Elam – East of Babylon Arphaxad – N.E. of Ninevah Aram – Mesopotamia Peleg – during his day the earth was “divided”

Genesis 11:1-4 - The Scattering The major issue here involves the same as the pre-flood world: Pride.

Genesis 11:1-4 - The Scattering Humility is related to trust and obedience.

Genesis 11:1-4 - The Scattering Pride is related to independence and disobedience. (Ross)

Genesis 11:1-4 - The Scattering Their desire to build this city seems in direct defiance to God’s express will (9:1).

Genesis 11:5-9 - The Scattering Their unity and strength in rebellion magnified their potential for evil.

Genesis 11:5-9 - The Scattering What they wouldn’t do willingly, God did to them.

Genesis 11:5-9 - The Scattering Based on a word play here, the location of Shinar seems to be Babylon.

Genesis 11:5-9 - The Scattering Their great fear realized, the people of earth are scattered over the earth with no hope...no mark for the fugitive, no rainbow, no token of grace.

Genesis 11: The Scattering It is out of this environment that the author provides us a genealogy of Shem that leads us to a man named Terah who had a son named Abram.

Genesis 11: The Scattering God was not done with the human race.

Genesis 11: The Scattering Israel was called to be a nation ruled by God, a Theocracy.

Genesis 11: The Scattering They had to do one thing: obey.

Genesis 11: The Scattering If they would do that God would bless them and establish their nation.

Genesis 11: The Scattering They only needed to avoid the major pitfall of those before and after the Flood: Pride.

Genesis 11: The Scattering Wasn’t pride the issue with… Satan? Eve? The descendants of Cain? Isn’t with us?

James 4:6 “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

After the Flood In seeking to establish His Kingdom, God has tried… Perfect man, perfect woman, perfect situation Conscience Human government Now, God picks out one man to build a nation from him, bless the earth, and establish His Kingdom

Genesis 11: The Scattering Now you know how Israel came to be.

Genesis 11: The Scattering Next, we study why they are so important to history and why they are the unique object of God’s favor.