Continued: Chapter II-The Beginnings Of History

From 5:28-31 it is clear that Lamech either had the tablets of Adam or was well acquainted with the promise of Gen. 3:15. At the birth of his son Lamech called his child's name Noah, saying, "This same shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, which cometh because of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed" (Gen. 5:29). When this statement is read in the light of Genesis 3:15f, it is more than evident that Lamech was simply repeating that promise with which he was familiar, doubtless, by both hearing it repeated and by seeing it in the original document. Noah did save himself and family from the Flood, and thus partially fulfilled the vision of his father. Of course it will find its complete and full materialization in the promised Messiah, who is recognized as the world Deliverer and is in Hebrew theology given the name Menahem, which is here in the participial form and rendered "comfort."

This language means that there were seven days between the sending forth of the raven and that of the dove the first time. The second time the dove went forth, it returned (vss. 10,11). According to verse 12 he sent forth the dove the third time after the lapse of seven days. Therefore the third time that the dove went forth was on the 2nd day of the 12th month.

According to 8:13, the waters were dried up on the 1st day of the 1st month of the 601st year of Noah's life. At this time he removed the covering from the Ark and looked forth upon the ground, for it was dry. Then on the 27th day of the 2nd month of the same year (vs. 14) God spoke to Noah and told him to disembark, which thing he did. Was this date given in terms of the lunar year or the solar? If this data are put in terms of solar months, Noah was in the Ark one year and eleven days. If, on the other hand, the facts are given with relation to lunar reckoning, then he was in the Ark one complete solar year. Under this condition he would have been in the Ark 319 days of the 600th year of Noah's life and 46 days in the 601st year. John Kennedy, in his work, New Method of Scripture Chronology, argues that the primitive Hebrew calendar was measured in terms of solar years of 365 days, computed in terms of the lunar year of 12 months, 11 of which had 30 days, and the 12th only 24 and at times 25. Thus the lunar year was 354 or 355 days long.

On this point Anstey makes the following deductions:

"The Biblical year is the luni-solar year. Time is measured by the revolutions of the sun. The feasts are regulated by the revolutions of the moon, and the relations between the solar year are adjusted, not by astronomical calculation but by observation of the state of the crops, and the appearances of the moon. The resulting system was perfect and self-adjusting. It required neither periodic correction nor intercalation."

The Hebrew word שָּׁנָה, rendered year in our version, comes from a root signifying a repetition. This fact indicates that the year began at the same starting-place each time. Reference occasionally occurs in the Biblical record to the "return of the year." The word rendered "return" in connection with the year appears in such passages as Exodus 34:22; I Samuel 1:20; and II Chronicles 24:23. From Creation to the Exodus the new year began in the fall at or near the autumnal equinox, but at the Exodus it was changed to begin at or near the vernal equinox. This latter reckoning was to regulate the religious activities of the Hebrew people. Thus their feasts occurred in the 1st, 3rd, and 7th months.

When all the facts are taken into consideration, it seems quite likely that the years were reckoned upon the basis of the seasons. A hint of this seems to be given in Genesis 8:22. It appears quite probable also that the Hebrew people corrected their calendar and thus adjusted the lunar year in its proper relation to the solar or tropical year.

The special contribution which Shem was permitted to make in the preservation of God's revelation is contained in Genesis 10:1b-11:9. According to 11:10, this section is the book of the generations of Shem. He connected his contribution to the former tablets coming to him from his ancestors by use of the title method. At the beginning of the book of Shem, Ham and Japheth we see in 6:10 the names of these three patriarchs. They are repeated in the beginning of Shem's book, showing that this tablet was cemented to the former revelations by this usual method.

For the ethnologists the tenth chapter of Genesis is most important. It gives the account of the spread of the human family after the Flood. The Biblical account of the three great divisions of the race is verified by the researches of modern ethnologists. In making this statement I am thoroughly aware of the fact that there are points of contention and controversy on several issues; nevertheless the more men learn of the antiquities of the nations, the nearer they come to the Biblical account as set forth here.

Some have objected to this portion of the record, because, in the midst of the names of the descendants of some patriarchs, we find certain names in the plural number. For instance, in 10:6 we read that Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan were sons of Ham. This second name is the regular word for the Egyptians. Cush became the name of a country, Ethiopia. Canaan was one of the early names of Palestine. This working out of history is clear to us, but how could Shem in enumerating the sons of Ham insert the word Mizraim in the plural? When we recognize that he wrote his account at least 100 or more years after the Flood, as is evidenced from the fact that he mentioned the division of the earth, which we know occurred in the days of Peleg, we see how he could speak or think of the Egyptians as being the descendants of Ham. It is quite likely that they had developed into a numerous clan and their influence was being felt. Hence Shem spoke of them in terms of their position and influence at the time of the writing. Such usage is common.

This table of nations has every earmark of an early document, because it reflects a primitive type of civilization and culture. There were no empires at that time, but simply small tribes and city-states. Nevertheless there was an effort to unify the human family, as we see in 11:1-9. Since there is not the remotest idea of great empires reflected here, we may be absolutely certain that the critical theory relative to the late composition of Genesis, which asserts that environment alone gave birth to the different concepts reflected in the Scriptures, is untenable. According to this hypothesis Genesis 10 should reflect the conditions existing from the ninth to sixth century before the common era, since it is claimed that the Torah was composed at that time. According to the critical theory that the Scriptures are simply the reflection of the environment out of which they came, this chapter must have been written at an early date since it reflects a primitive social order. As already suggested in chapter I, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were still standing at the time Genesis 10 was written, because they are pointed out in describing the boundaries of Canaan. Since these cities of the Plain were wiped out in the days of Abraham, we may be absolutely certain that Genesis 10 was written prior to that catastrophe.

As we saw in section III, Noah was born in the year 1056 A.H. The Flood came in 1656, i.e., in the 600th year of Noah. We must now continue constructing our chronological bridge connecting the next span with the Flood year. In order to do this, we must look at the next tablet which is found in Genesis 11:10b-27a. According to the last verse of this citation, this portion of the record was Terah's. It is evident that he fell heir to the Sacred Oracles which had been passed down through the theocratic line from Adam to Noah, to his sons, and then to Shem, who, in turn, delivered them to Terah. As we shall presently see, Terah, the father of Abraham, was born in the year 1878 A.H. and died in 2083, but Shem outlived him by 75 years. Hence Terah could have gotten all the information regarding his ancestral line from Shem, who had personal knowledge of the entire period covered by his genealogy. That Terah had the former series of tablets and joined his to the last one is evidenced from his repetition of the phrase, "after the Flood," which is found in the beginning of the tablet of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Terah began his contribution to the sacred history with the birth of Arpachshad two years after the Flood, i.e., in 1658 A.H. Since Terah was born in 1878 A.H., he gives, doubtless upon the authority of Shem, the genealogical line from the birth of Arpachshad to his own birthday, a period of 220 years. Since his life overlapped that of Shem 205 years, he had every opportunity from a human standpoint to get the exact data from a contemporary. Hence he has traced the lineage to his own day and to the birth of his oldest son, who was born when he was 70 years of age.

This genealogical table is computed just a little differently from the one found in chapter 5. The father's age is given at the birth of his oldest son. Following this, the remaining years of the father's life are stated. The totals are omitted, but by simple addition one can get this information. There is a very decided drop in the length of the lives of the postdiluvian patriarchs from that of the antediluvians. While one cannot afford to be dogmatic, I am inclined to believe that this reduction in the span of life was due to the changed conditions brought about by the Flood and the destruction of the canopy which surrounded the earth, and which kept back the deadly actinic ray, as has already been suggested in chapter I.

From 11:10,11 we see that Arpachshad was born to Shem 2 years after the Flood, i.e., in 1658 A.H. According to verse 12, his son Shelah was born when he was 35 years of age; hence we add 35 to the year 1658 and get the date of Shelah's birth. When the latter was 30, his son Eber was born; hence we add 30 to 1723 and get the birth-year of Eber. When Eber was 34 years old, his son Peleg was born; hence Peleg's birth-year was 1757 A.H. This year proved to be an epoch in the history of the world and the human race, because, as we are informed in Genesis 10:25, the earth was divided; i.e., the one original continent was split up into the present land distribution, as we see today. Of course there have been minor changes since that day, but in the days of Peleg this great catastrophe occurred. Since his name indicates division, it is quite likely that that calamity occurred the year Peleg was born. If so, 1757 A.H. is one of the crucial dates in all history. Continuing the simple process of addition of the figures which we find in this table, we arrive at the conclusion that Terah was born in 1878 A.H.

When Terah was 70 years of age, one of his sons was born. If we had Genesis 11:26 only to consider, we might think that Abraham, Nahor, and Haran were triplets, but such is not the case. We have already seen the statement that, when Noah was 500 years old, he begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Gen. 5:32). These three sons were not triplets, for Japheth was the eldest (see Genesis 10:21, footnote marginal reading, Revised Version). Shem, because of his religious nature and being in the theocratic line, is mentioned first although Japheth is the eldest son. A like situation we have in Gen. 11:26 relative to Abraham, Nahor and Haran. Abraham is given the priority because of the prominence which he played in the revelation and the plan of God. As a matter of fact, Haran was the eldest son, and Nahor and Abraham married their older brother's daughters.

Remembering that Abraham was 75 years old when his father died at the age of 205 (Gen. 11:32; 12:4), we see from this fact that Terah was 130 years old when Abram was born. Therefore Abraham was 60 years younger than his older brother Haran. Nahor married Milcah, the daughter of Haran, and Abram took Sarai, who was, according to Genesis 20:12, the daughter of Terah (the granddaughter) but not by Abram's mother. Evidently Sarai was a child by a second marriage of Terah's. Tradition makes Iscah and Sarai the same person, but the proof is not absolutely positive.

The history of the life of Abraham is found in Genesis 11:27b-25:18. He walked across the historic stage with a firm tread of reliance upon and an unswerving faith in Almighty God. He hoped against hope and obtained the promises of the Almighty. He stood head and shoulders above his contemporaries and through the centuries to the present day has occupied a position of preeminence enjoyed by no other historical character.

He spent the first part of his life in Ur of the Chaldees, in lower Babylonia. Prior to modern archaeological discoveries on the site of ancient Ur, many scholars doubted the historicity of Abraham and relegated the chapters of Genesis recording his life to the realm of legend and folklore. Some however were not so bold in their rationalism and accepted the historicity of the Biblical account upon the basis that certain tablets discovered speak of an Abraham who rented land and sowed his crop. Also records have been unearthed which tell of the renting of a wagon with the stipulation that it should not be used in going to the land of Amnru, that is, the west coast from the standpoint of Babylonia.

From the recent excavations of Ur we see that Abraham lived in a city that had developed the highest type of culture and industrial life of those times. He was reared in the great whirl of the cosmopolitan life of this ancient city. Here the moon god was the principal deity. Abraham's father worshiped idols when he was in Babylonia. This is seen from Joshua 24:1,2. Sir Leonard Woolley in his book Abraham has given us a most fascinating picture of the environment in which the patriarch grew up.

At the call of God Abraham together with his father, Terah and his nephew, Lot, left Ur and journeyed to Haran in upper Babylonia. At this place the moon god was worshiped, as has been proved by archaeological discoveries. Here Abraham remained until his father died at the age of 205 years, he himself being 75 (Gen. 11:32; 12:4).

At the call of God, which is always to separation from an evil and an ungodly environment, Abraham left Haran in company with Lot and his immediate family to go into the land of Canaan. When the Lord gave him this call, He entered into a sevenfold covenant with him. The items of this covenant are as follows: (1) I will make of thee a great nation; (2) I will bless thee; (3) Make thy name great; (4) Be thou a blessing; (5) I will bless them that bless thee; (6) And him that curseth thee will I curse; (7) And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. We can see this sevenfold promise very clearly. The fourth one, however, which seems on the surface to be a command, is a promise, although it is put in the form of an order, urging Abraham to pass on to others the blessings conferred.

While God has partially fulfilled this promise to Abraham, in no sense of the term can one say that it has been accomplished as here contemplated. God has made of Abraham a great nation. There is no race upon the earth greater than the Hebrew people. When one considers them numerically and their achievements, together with the outstanding characters who have made the greatest moral and spiritual contributions to the world, he is forced to say that God has indeed made of Abraham a great nation. These statements are true. When this passage is read in the light of other predictions, it is seen that the fulfilment thus far accomplished falls far short of the promise here given. Therefore we may be confident that God will yet in the future make this promise good. The Lord has blessed the Hebrew people in a marvelous manner but not in the full measure promised here.

There is a special blessing, according to this covenant, for those who will bless the Hebrew people. God has made this promise which is tucked away in this 12th chapter of Genesis. He is, as He declared to Jeremiah (Jer. 1:11,12), watching over it to fulfil it. In this connection may I appeal to my Gentile readers that, if they wish the fullest blessings of God to rest upon them, they must do all they can to bring a blessing to the Hebrew people? I can testify that God has made this promise good in my own experience and in the lives of hundreds of others.

There is also a severe warning against ill-treatment of the Jew. God declared that He would curse those who curse Israel. He likewise has been watching over this threat. As proof of this position, all one has to do is to look at the rubbish heaps of Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt. Those nations persecuted the Jews. The wrath of God was stirred against them; hence He poured out His judgments upon them. No weapon that is formed against Israel can prosper (Isa. 54:17). May I sound a warning to every anti-Semite that he is calling down the wrath of Almighty God upon himself whenever he in any wise persecutes the Jews, or assists in any way this subtle propaganda that is abroad throughout the earth today, stirring up hatred against God's ancient, chosen people?

Another most important matter is presented in the twelfth chapter of Genesis for our earnest consideration. God gave the land of Palestine to the Hebrew people. It is theirs by right of divine decree. They hold the title-deed to it in the archives of heaven. Though they have been deprived of it for centuries, the time is fast approaching when they will be reinstated in the land of the fathers and will be blest above all nations. That the land-promise contained in Genesis 12 means the possession of the literal land is confirmed by the language of the Almighty to Abraham after he and Lot separated. At that time the Lord urged him to lift up his eyes, looking towards the north and south, east and west and declared saying, "all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever" (Gen. 13:15). This land-promise is reiterated throughout the Scriptures. In God's good providence the Chosen People will again inherit the country and nevermore be removed therefrom.

The last point in this connection which is of inestimable value in this study is that Israel's position in the world is spiritual. She is called to a life of separation, having been endowed by miraculous inheritance at the birth of Isaac to perform her world-wide mission. Agricultural, industrial, or mercantile life is not the calling of the Hebrew people. On the contrary, her task is a spiritual one. Unfortunately the leaders of Israel cut loose from the moorings of God's divine call and plan; hence the nation has drifted far out upon the sea of the nations and away from God's original purpose. Eventually she will be brought back by His mercy and will perform this divinely-ordained ministry to the peoples of earth.

Therefore, since Genesis 12:1-3 embraces the cardinal, fundamental principles of predictive utterance, it is the cornerstone of all prophecy as it relates to Israel and the nations.

The Terah-Abraham connection has given some chronologers quite a bit of trouble. When the facts are viewed impartially, the solution is very easy. According to Genesis 11:32, Terah died at the age of 205, while he was living in the land of Haran. At that time Abraham was 75. Since Terah was born in 1878 A.H. and died when he was 205 years old, his death occurred in the year 2083 A.H. Since Abraham was 75 at that time, he was born in 2008 A.H. The year 2083 was epochal in the life of redemption since in it Abraham received his call to separation and to covenant relationship with God.

The 14th chapter of Genesis has been the battleground between the radical and the conservative scholars. The former see in this wonderful chapter only a fragment of history which became in some wise connected with the Genesis record; the latter, on the other hand, correctly see in this marvelous record an account of historical events which occurred in the lifetime of Abraham and Hammurabi. The late Robert Dick Wilson of Princeton, the greatest Semitic scholar of the age, affirmed that the Amraphel king of Shinar of the Biblical account is the Hammurabi of the monuments. Arioch and Chedorlaomer also have been identified as contemporaries of Hammurabi. For a full discussion of the evidence supporting this proposition see Scientific Investigation of the Old Testament by Robert Dick Wilson, and The Pentateuch, A Historical Record by W. T. Pilter.

The next historical date in the life of Abraham is given in chapter 16 which records that Abraham was 86 years of age when Ishmael was born. This was 2094 A.H. The events recorded in chapters 14 and 15 therefore occurred sometime between the 75th and 86th years of Abraham's life.

The next historical notation is found in Genesis 17:1. This passage informs us that, when Abraham was 90 years of age, God entered into the covenant of circumcision with him and promised to give him a son by Sarah, his wife. Nine years later the Lord appeared to him when he was at Mamre and renewed the promise which He made when He cut the covenant with him (Gen. 15). In reaffirming the promise, the Lord disclosed to him that "At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son." From 21:5 we learn that Abraham was 100 years of age when Isaac was born. Therefore we may be certain that He appeared to Abraham and announced the birth of his son and also foretold the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah the year he was 99, which was 2107 A.H. The day following the announcement of the doom of Sodom and the cities of the Plain, they were overthrown. Thus we can pin down historically the year of the destruction of these wicked cities.

In Genesis 21 we read of the feast which Abraham made when Isaac was weaned, and when Ishmael, the son of the bondwoman, was cast out. At that time it became apparent who was to be the seed of Abraham, for, according to verse 12, God declared "in Isaac shall thy seed be called." For the present I suggest that this year was probably 2113, but shall give the proof later.

In chapter 22 is the record of the great test to which Abraham was subjected when God commanded him to offer as a sacrifice his only son through whom He had made the promise to bless the world. Without faltering through unbelief but being made strong by his faith, Abraham proceeded to offer Isaac upon the altar and was stopped by the intervention of an angel at the critical moment. When Abraham thus demonstrated his unswerving faith in God, the Lord renewed the original promise to him that He would multiply his seed, and that they should be the channel through whom He would bless all nations (Gen. 22:15-18). God always has good and sufficient reasons for everything that He does. We must believe therefore that such was the situation on this occasion.

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