Genesis Chapters 10-13

Chapter ten brings us back to a lot of simple lists of fathers and their children, and where they lived. It basically breaks down Noah’s family tree. Not much in this chapter is interesting beyond some of the names. Names like: Gomer, Cush, Nimrod, and Mash. The mental images I have of some of these men is not necessarily positive.

Chapter eleven starts to get us a little deeper into their stories, and things begin to slowly get interesting again.

Gen. 11:6-7 “After that Jehovah said: “Look! They are one people and there is one language for them all, and this is what they start to do. Why, now there is nothing that they may have in mind to do that will be unattainable for them. Come now! Let us go down and there confuse their language that they may not listen to one another’s language.””

Is it just me, or did God basically just decide to create multiple languages just to amuse himself? He didn’t want them talking to each other and coming up with more ideas! Makes me wonder though. Do you think God considers it a sin to be bi-lingual? I’m sure he gets a great deal of joy out of modern-day language barriers!

Chapter eleven also talks about men who lived to be upwards of 600 years old. But wait! Didn’t God say back in chapter 6 that he was going to limit lifespans?

Gen. 6:3 “After that Jehovah said: “My spirit shall not act toward man indefinitely in that he is also flesh. Accordingly his days shall amount to a hundred and twenty years.””

Yep! That’s what he said alright! And so the contradictions begin! I wish there was an easy way for me to keep count of the contradictions I find, but even if there were, I’m sure I would miss some. I certainly didn’t expect to find one so early on!

In chapter twelve, we are told the story of A’bram and his family. God basically tells him to take his family and wander the lands. A’bram does as he is told, but when they are approaching Egypt, things get sketchy. A’bram realizes that the Egyptians will find his wife appealing, and will kill him so that they can have her. He asks his wife to lie and claim that he is her brother, so that his life will be spared and they will treat him well in order to win favor with her. She agrees to do this.

Now, before leaving out on their journey across the lands, God had made a promise to A’bram. It comes into play while they are in Egypt.

Gen. 12:3 “And I will bless those who bless you, and him that calls down evil upon you I shall curse, and all the families of the ground will certainly bless themselves by means of you.”

So God had promised to curse anyone who brought harm upon A’bram and his family. Well….. The Phar’aoh decided to take A’bram’s wife as his own. Obviously, he didn’t know that she was already spoken for, but that didn’t matter to God. God cursed Phar’aoh’s house with great plagues. When Phar’aoh found out the reason, he asked A’bram why he didn’t tell him that she was his wife, and then kicked them out of Egypt. Somehow, A’bram got to keep all of the gifts that had been given to him while there. Maybe Phar’aoh was afraid God would punish him further if he took them away before casting them out of Egypt. I certainly couldn’t blame him if he was!

Chapter thirteen brings us to the parting of ways of A’bram and Lot. Basically, they had gathered so many possessions over the years, that they were having a hard time keeping everything separated. They began bickering, and their respective people began bickering, so they decided to go in different directions in order to keep the peace. This split leads us close to a place that we all know will later become a big deal. Sodom.

Gen. 13:12-13 “A’bram dwelt in the land of Ca’naan, but Lot dwelt among the cities of the District. Finally he pitched tent near Sod’om. And the men of Sod’om were bad and were gross sinners against Jehovah.”

This is the first time Sodom is mentioned, and it’s already got a reputation. God quickly instructs A’bram to move away, and he does as he is told. Personally, though I have no idea where the story is told in the bible, I can’t wait to read more about Sodom. I’ve heard stories. I want to see if they are true!

Alright, that’s it for this post! I hope you are still interested! Follow along at home if you would like, and PLEASE leave your thoughts in the comments. I greatly appreciate that so many people have stopped by to check out what I am writing, but I would appreciate even more some feedback! Share with your friends! Check out all the pages! Let’s get talking!