January 5, 2026 - Genesis 10-11

“These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  Sons were born to them after the flood” (10:1), and so, the genealogies of Noah’s descendants begin.  For several generations, things seemed to go well and, then, as the families began to migrate eastward, we read, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves” (11:4).  “A name for ourselves” . . . seems a bit presumptuous, doesn’t it?  Of course, it was presumptuous and it was a forgetting about God.  But God was not going away.  God never goes away.  He scattered the people and confused their languages and “they left off building the city” (11:8).  One might be tempted to think that, from here, things would go from bad to worse and, in a sense, the world did grow worse with idolatry and the rejection of God.  However, it is written of Nahor, a descendant of Shem, one of the sons of Noah:  “When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah” (11:24).  And of Terah, we read, “When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram” (11:26).  And now, things begin to get real interesting.  What a story!

I love to tell the story,

for those who know it best

seem hungering and thirsting

to hear it like the rest.

And when in scenes of glory

I sing the new, new song,

‘twill be the old, old story

that I have loved so long.

I love to tell the story!

‘Twill be my theme in glory

to tell the old, old story

of Jesus and His love.   --Kate Hankey (1866)