Monthly Archives: November 2023

GENESIS 11 WHEN GOD DISPERSED AND CONFUSED MAN

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November 20

GENESIS 11

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confusedthe language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth. – Genesis 11:1-9

GENESIS 11 WHEN GOD DISPERSED AND CONFUSED MAN

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

As the earth was being populated after the flood and having one language

The Lord God saw how man’s desire to build themselves their own idols

The people began to build with bricks a very high tower to reach heaven

They thought that they needed to make a name for themselves with the tower.

Once again, God sees the wickedness and sinfulness of man

The Lord God had to stop their plot against his own plans

So, the Lord dispersed them and divided them over the earth

They began speaking different languages and became confused.

The story of the Tower of Babel is very significant to us all. Even though it was a very short narrative in the bible, it showed a unified humanity using all it had to establish a city and a tower that is the opposite of what God planned it to be. This story manifests man’s wickedness and unfaithfulness to God. Man’s desire to glorify himself and be like God is so powerfully described in this chapter.

REFLECTION

  • What does the Tower of Babel symbolize for us humans? What’s the lesson here?

GENESIS 10 NOAH’S DESCENDANTS FROM SHEM

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November 19

GENESIS 10

21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations. 32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

                                                                    – Genesis 10:21-32

GENESIS 10 NOAH’S DESCENDANTS FROM SHEM

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

It was from Shem that Abraham was descended. According to ESV study bible notes, many of Shem’s descendants are Arabian tribes or kingdoms. Eber is one of Shem’s great grandsons who receives special attention in verse 21 even before the sons were mentioned. Matthew Henry’s commentary states that Shem was called “father of all the children of Eber” even though Eber was his great grandson. Probably because Abraham and his seed, God’s covenant-people, not only descended from Heber, but from him were called Hebrews (14:13), Abram the Hebrew. Eber himself was a man well-known for religion in a time of great apostasy and a great example of holiness and the holy tongue being commonly called from him, the Hebrew.

Another commentary says that from Elam (Shem’s son) comes the Persian peoples. Asshur, another son of Shem was the father of the Assyrians and Lud was the father to the Lydians who lived for a time in Asia Minor. Aram was the father to the Arameans also known as Syrians. Arphaxad was the ancestor of Abram and the Hebrews. Uz was another one that came in a region in Arabia. Jobab may be the one we know as Job in the Old Testament.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think Shem’s descendants were chosen by God?

GENESIS 10 NATIONS SPRINGING FROM CANAAN

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November 18

GENESIS 10

15 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, 16 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. 19 And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

                                                                    – Genesis 10:15-20

GENESIS 10 NATIONS SPRINGING FROM CANAAN

According to the following verses, Canaan was Ham’s son who gave birth to Sidon and Heth, Jebusite, Amorite, Girgashite, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites, totalling to eleven children. Notice that the names mentioned becomes nations as we read in the bible. Verse 19 describes the direction of the spreading of Canaan’s clan which was towards Sidon near Gerar and as far as Gaza and also near Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Lasha.

According to Wikipedia, scholars connect the name Canaan with Northwest Semitic region. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but one explanation says its original meaning is “lowlands” from a Semitic root “to be low, humble, depressed” in contrast with “Aram” which is highlands.

According to traditional Ethiopian histories, Canaan’s son Arwadi (the Arvadites) and his wife Entela crossed from Asia into Ethiopian in 2101 BC and the Qemant tribe were said to be descended from their son, Anayer. There is further Ethiopian tradition that two other Canaanite tribes the Sinites and Zemarites also entered Ethiopia at the time it was ruled by King Kush and became Shangella and Weyto peoples respectively.

Canaan was the ancestor of the tribes who originally occupied the land of Canan, all the territory of Sidon or Hamath in the north to Gaza in the southwest and Lasha in the southeast. In Exodus 23, God declares a pestilence to these nations to annihilate them and let the Israelites occupy their land. It must have been connected with the curse that was on Canaan in Genesis 9:25, where Canaan will be a slave to his brothers.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think God destroyed the Canaanites in Deuteronomy 20:16-17?

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GENESIS 10 NOAH’S DESCENDANTS THROUGH JAPHETH & HAM

November 17

GENESIS 10

These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.

6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whomthe Philistines came), and Caphtorim.– Genesis 10:1-12

GENESIS 10 NOAH’S DESCENDANTS THROUGH JAPHETH & HAM

In this whole chapter, we are given the list of descendants of two sons of Noah, Japheth and Ham. This account leads us to the formation of many different nations that arose from the people that God saved from the flood. According to ESV study bible notes, Japheth’s offsprings spread through the coastal regions and islands of the Mediterranean Sea. Ham’s descendants formed many of Israel’s enemies, such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, Philistines and various Canaanite groups. Ham, Put and Cush are regions south and west of Egypt and Cush is linked geographically with Africa.

Nimrod is linked with the great cities of Babel and Nineveh in Assyria. In verse 8, Nimrod was described to be the first on earth to be a mighty man. According to commentaries, this description is more a rebellion against God. In the following verses, Nimrod built Babel and Nineveh. We hear of these cities that were eventually destroyed because of their wickedness. Remember Jonah’s story where he was told by God to prophesy to Nineveh but he didn’t want to because he knew how evil the Ninevites were?

Here, we get a glimpse of the different nations

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think it is important for us believers to know Noah’s descendants?

GENESIS 9 THE CURSE OF NOAH OVER CANAAN

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November 16

GENESIS 9

18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed. 20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” 26 He also said,

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.”

28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died. – Genesis 9:18-29

GENESIS 9 THE CURSE OF NOAH OVER CANAAN

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

After the flood, Noah and his sons followed through God’s mandate

Noah began to be busy with toiling the soil and planted a vineyard

One day, he became drunk with the wine that he harvested

And Ham, one of his sons saw him naked but did nothing.

Shem and Japheth, seeing their father without clothing

The two brothers got a garment to cover their father’s nakedness

They were very careful not to look at their father’s exposed body

Noah upon learning what happened gave a curse to Canaan, Ham’s son.

In our modern day, we would be confused by Noah’s reaction to Canaan seeing his grandfather’s naked body. In some commentaries, it was explained that Canaan neglecting to cover him up was a mockery of his authority. So, it wasn’t just mockery but a form of disrespect and insubordination to his grandfather’s elderly role over him. There was also a mention in the comments that when we get drunk, we are susceptible to abuse.

REFLECTION

  • What is our biggest lesson in these following verses?

GENESIS 9 THE RAINBOW IS A REMINDER OF GOD’S PROMISE

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November 15

GENESIS 9

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”  – Genesis 9:8-17

GENESIS 9 THE RAINBOW IS A REMINDER OF GOD’S PROMISE

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

As the Lord continue to mandate Noah and his sons after the flood

He continually reminds them of the covenant he makes with them

As a sign to solidify that promise, God gave them the rainbow

Each time that bow is set in the cloud, it will remind them of that vow.

God told them that he will never again bring a flood to destroy all flesh

And since God is a promise keeper, he wants us to remember that vow

Let us then think of that assurance from the Lord when we see a rainbow

We can dwell on God’s mercy as we focus our eyes on the colors of that bow.

What a beautiful visual sign of God’s covenant to humankind in the form of a rainbow in the sky. We don’t always see a rainbow daily but those who belong to the Lord can be assured of such promise because they know his word. It is such a beautiful sight to look at the various colors of that rainbow.

REFLECTION

  • How do you usually react when you see a rainbow?

GENESIS 9 GOD’S MANDATE TO INCREASE AND MULTIPLY

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November 14

GENESIS 9

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. 7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”  – Genesis 9:1-7

GENESIS 9 GOD’S MANDATE TO INCREASE AND MULTIPLY

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

When Noah and his sons got out of the ark, God commanded them

“Be fruitful and multiply and all animals and birds will fear you”

“You can eat every moving thing that lives apart from the fruits of plants

“But you cannot eat flesh with blood in it for life is in the blood.”

The Lord prohibited them from shedding the blood of man

This is because all man were made from God’s own image

For if one man’s life is taken, they shall be answerable to God

Noah and his sons were mandated to increase greatly and fill the earth.

When Noah and his sons were given the mandate to increase and multiply, we remember also how God gave the same command to Adam to have authority over all the animals and living things and fill the earth and reproduce.

It is also interesting that in the post flood, God added to the foods that we are supposed to eat. Before the flood, it was just plants and fruits from the trees but after the flood, he allowed humans to have every living thing that is moving and creeping on the ground. But he had exempt us from taking anything that has blood in it and cautioned humans to take another man’s life for man is made in God’s image.

REFLECTION

  • After reading the changes of man’s food to eat after the flood, what can you say about people who limit their foods to either vegetarian or carnivore diets?

GENESIS 8 GOD’S RESPONSE TO NOAH’S OFFERING

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November 13

GENESIS 8

20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again cursethe ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”– Genesis 8:20-22

GENESIS 8 GOD’S RESPONSE TO NOAH’S OFFERING

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

After God delivered Noah and his family in the flood

His response was to built an altar for the Lord

He got some of every clean animal and clean bird

And he burnt them to give it as an offering to God.

God was pleased when the fragrance of the offering reached him

His heart was touched and as a response to it, he gave a promise

He made a covenant with Noah that won’t curse the ground

He won’t blot out every living thing as he had done in the flood

What a great relief it was for Noah and his family to safely come out of the ark and have their feet touch the ground once again. We could witness Noah’s faithfulness to the Lord after they were delivered from the annihilation of living things. His heart is full of thanksgiving and so he built an altar to honor and show gratitude to his Master, Creator and Deliverer. Then he picked out the clean animals and birds without being told by God to do so. He did it out of his own thankfulness.

When the fragrance of the burnt offering reached God, he was very pleased and that act of gratitude of Noah made him vow not to destroy the ground and every living thing once again as he did in the flood. This is how important thanksgiving is to the Lord. He wants to be honored and praised for everything that he has done for us. It manifests our devotion and love for him, just like Noah did.

REFLECTION

  • What could we do to honor God since we no longer burn animals as offering?

GENESIS 8 WHEN NOAH GOT OUT OF THE ARK

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November 12

GENESIS 8

13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

                                                                    – Genesis 8:13-19

GENESIS 8 WHEN NOAH GOT OUT OF THE ARK

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

It was the first day of the first month of the six-hundred and first year

That the Lord God dried out the waters from off the earth

It took the second month of that year that it totally dried out

Noah was instructed by God that they can now come out of the ark.

He was to lead his entire family and every living thing to come out

And they all came out so that they can be fruitful and multiply

What a glorious day that was when they finally are back on earth

No more isolation in the ark amidst all that was destroyed by the flood.

That big flood that swept the entire mankind apart from Noah and his family finally ended and now they can come out of that ark that protected them from being blotted out on earth. It must have been a joyful day for Noah’s family to be out from that containment and isolation. But at the same time, that ark was also their sanctuary and shield against the destruction of evil on earth. I could imagine that they were also honored that the Lord God had chosen them to begin a new world with evil erased in the world and that design of the ark which God planned himself was for their safety and comfort.

REFLECTION

  • What would have happened if Noah didn’t follow all of God’s instructions?

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GENESIS 8 NOAH WITNESSES SIGNS OF LIFE ON EARTH AFTER FLOOD

November 11

GENESIS 8

6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.  – Genesis 8:6-12

GENESIS 8 NOAH WITNESSES SIGNS OF LIFE ON EARTH AFTER FLOOD

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

After forty days, Noah opened the ark as he was instructed

He sent forth a raven to see if the waters have retreated

But unfortunately, it went back and forth so he knew it wasn’t dried yet

Then he sent a dove as well, and it returned to him in the ark again.

Noah waited another seven days and sent the dove out once more

That evening, the dove returned with an olive leaf in his mouth

That was the sign for Noah to know that life on earth was restored

He waited another seven days until the dove didn’t return anymore.

It must have been challenging to be inside the ark all those forty days and forty nights and be locked in those dark walls of the ark. Although, it must be pretty noisy and busy with all those animals around them. What irony it was that inside the ark was full of life and outside there were no living things. Amidst the isolation from other people that the family of Noah felt inside the ark, there was much life in the other animals, beasts, other crawling things and birds. It was dead all around the ark, but so much life inside the ark.

After waiting for the signs of life, Noah patiently followed God’s instruction. How many of us can patiently wait in this very noisy and distracted world we live in now?

REFLECTION

  • What can you surmise from this account about Noah’s character?