Today’s passage: Genesis 11:10-32
Helpful thoughts:
- These verses give a further detailed genealogy of the line of Shem.
- Within these generations listed, we see a sharp decline in the years for life expectancy. This process is in keeping with God’s comment from Genesis 6:3.
- Noah lived 950 years.
- Terah lived 205 years.
- The genealogy also serves the purpose of setting up the next portion of the narrative, the life of “Father Abraham.”
- Abram was from Ur of the Chaldeans (A center of worship for the moon god, Nanna).
- His wife Sarai was barren (Until she wasn’t…spoiler alert)
- He had a nephew named, Lot.
Questions to consider:
- We read yesterday of God’s decision to spread man out (To keep us from being all one people working together). Today we read the process of man’s life being shortened. We know from reading Genesis that both of these actions limited the expression our sinfulness and were acts of God’s common grace. How do these truths contradict what the world often thinks about the nature of mankind today? Are we intrinsically good? Can everyone follow their own heart and find peace with everyone else and every other nation around them? What does the Bible say?
- Why does verse 20 tell us that Sarai in two different ways that Sarai had been unable to bear children? What is the point of this emphasis (See Genesis 21:1-2)?
- In what ways is God’s sovereignty on display in this passage? If He can accomplish all this, what else will He do? Is there anything He has promised He will not accomplish?