10 This is the account of Shem.
Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father [d] of Arphaxad. 11 And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
12 When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. 13 And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. [e]
14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 15 And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 17 And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.
18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. 19 And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.
20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. 21 And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. 23 And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.
24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. 25 And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.
26 After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.
27 This is the account of Terah.
Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. 29 Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no children. ( Genesis 11:10-30)
When one first looks at this passage, one might easily dismiss it as one of those "begat" passages of the Bible; you know- an on-going litany statements of ancestors and their descendants which might appear somewhat meaningless to the modern reader. To be sure, they are not as interesting to read as other parts of the Bible; but this does not mean they are any less inspired. In fact, there are two or three very important facts that we can derive from this passage which might otherwise be overlooked. For one thing, we read about Shem, the son of Noah- who lived to be 500 years old: not as old as his father who lived to be 950 years old (Genesis 9). Following Shem, his descendants' lifespans are diminished significantly to the point that four generations later, Shem's great grandson lived only half as long as Shem did. By the time Abram was born, people were living on average only 100-125 years. This is in keeping with the promise of God in Genesis 6:3 when God said prior to the flood:
"Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal ; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." I would speculate here to say that this was accomplished by the rains perforating a great vapor shield around the earth at that time which shielded its inhabitants from harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. Gradually, man's lifespan decreased in the years following the flood. But this only confirms also that God means what He says.
Secondly, the name Eber is mentioned in verse 16. A casual reader might over look this as well. This name is also mentioned in the previous chapter. Nothing more significant is mentioned in either passage save that he was the son of Shelah and that he had sons and daughters. Yet what is significant is the fact that it is from Eber's name that the Hebrew people are named. In chapter ten, Eber is mentioned this way: "Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber. " (v.21). This is not mentioned in Scripture, but Jewish legend says that Eber refused to be involved with the building of the Tower of Babel, and therefore his language, nor the language of his children or descendants were not confused as those who worked on the Tower. It would be considered then, that if this is true, Eber- the Hebrew language, is the most ancient language on earth today; since this is the language Noah (and perhaps his ancestors) also spoke.
This is not to say that the Hebrew language has not undergone drastic changes and modifications throughout centuries, but the Hebrew language is at the very least a link into our ancient past and heritage. This is the backdrop of the language and the culture of the Hebrews who also worshipped one God by the time Abram was born.
There are many people who devote their retirement years to working on their ancestry or family tree. They might sheepishly encounter the names of people that they are not so proud of- persons who became criminals or those who possessed a somewhat less-than-respectable character. Others discover links to those who contributed much to society and civilization. Others are just names whose significance was once known only by those who knew them, but was lost when those who knew them died out as well. However, our legacy will be known by the words we speak. This was certainly true of Eber, and will be true of us as well. The words that we use will be known and repeated by those who come after us. Will we be known for our words of encouragement or words of defeat? Will we be remembered for our harshness or gentleness in the way we communicate? Will our grand children or great grandchildren think fondly as they remember us or will our memory cause a chill to go up their spines. These are things we don't often think about as we live our lives today, but they will one day. I have no memory of either of my grandfathers. Both died before or shortly after I was born. I only know them by the conversations I have heard about them by those who knew them. Sometimes those conversations are flattering; at other times somewhat less so. None of us are perfect- neither were those who lived before us. But if we are to be remembered, let's strive to be remembered for our love and our positive influence on the lives of others; to seek to be people admired and emulated, not as models to be avoided. Most of all, may we continue to leave a legacy of love and godliness to enrich not only our own families but people all around us to the glory of God.
Prayer: Dear God, I am not perfect, nor were my parents or grandparents perfect. Father I know that I will likely be remembered for my many faults and short-comings. But let the love of Jesus Christ and His tender mercy be born in me, so that it may be instilled in those who come after me as a testimony to Your ever-living presence and to Your glory. May this prayer be prayed by all of us, so that all who come behind us find us faithful. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Have a blessed day!
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