I won’t comment on the genealogies themselves too much — I have a link that shows some interesting details on the skin color on Noah’s sons and their descendants over time — but I do believe it’s pretty interesting in which the people from Japheth (many of whom in this day and age reside in Europe, North and South America, and Australia/New Zealand) get to share in Shem’s spiritual blessings. I pray revival in Ham’s family tree who are alive today, too. I don’t think it’s right that the people are enslaved due to some twisted beliefs that abuse this Scripture, though. That’s not what Genesis encourages, nor does anything else in the Bible.
This passage is located in pages 5-6 of my NKJV Bible, pages 6-8 of my NASB Bible, and pages 10-13 of my VOICE copy (including notes) and Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.
For the life of me, I can’t tell why anyone would judge someone based on their skin color, but I must say, it’s not good. The black people have been abused too many times in the U.S. and in many other places around the world. I don’t think prejudice is supposed to happen, and the color of your skin doesn’t make you superior or inferior to the next guy. It’s not right that anyone would practice this. Someone can argue that a Christian can behave like this, but I disagree completely, to the point in which I would even argue that such behaviour is a way to reject the Lord Jesus, whether they profess Christ as Lord and Saviour or not.
It really sucks that diversity isn’t often celebrated, though, and knowing that the tribes have fought with one another for about as long as Noah’s grandchildren had been around (along with all of their descendants). It’s really weird that Ham went into Noah’s tent and saw him drunk and naked once, though. Thank God his brothers went inside and put a blanket on Noah without looking at him, while he was yet asleep. But Noah’s prophecy was about the lands, mostly, but many have been completely dumbfounded over his words. But they have power, as a note in my VOICE copy of Genesis 9 says. We have too often regarded this as meaningless, but words are either helpful or detrimental, just as it says in Proverbs 18:21: “Death and like are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (NASB).
But seriously, though the United Kingdom (what we now know as Great Britain) put conquest as the forefront of their people several centuries ago, it’s at least helpful that colleges and universities exist in many places, now. Europe was once the intellectual capital of the world, but nowadays, many people are signing up for college, and that’s pretty awesome. Too bad most of us still have student loans to pay off. I’m working on mine, but at least I’m still able to only need to pay a small amount each month due to a rehabilitation program I’m in. But next June, my bill for that will climb much higher, for next May is my tenth and final month of the program. And sadly, I still don’t have a job that can help with that (though I love my position at Fry’s). But I might pay off at least one month of this if I still have some money from my tax returns. I don’t have it yet, but I pray wisdom in my financial decisions even now.
Many of us in the U.S. are descended from people originating in Europe, and God has brought together many people in great ways in differing cultures. It’s a shame that Puritans were the ones who have made such a false image of God since before the 1600s when colonizers first tried to kill the natives who had people living here thousands of years ago. But I think they originated from Shem, and so did other indigenous peoples across North and South America, and even Australia, New Zealand, Japan, etc. — much of that was in Christ’s Name, though. It’s very frightening that a lot of people would band together to poison Christ’s Name as if it were something exercising political force. Jesus didn’t come to judge the world but to save the world (John 12:47). If anyone tried to do that today, it’d be a lot easier for other people in different parts of the world to see it, and many would discourage it. But I don’t know who among us would still approve of it. I think it’s ridiculous that our teachers didn’t tell us that our ancestors tried to wipe out the natives and erase them from the history books. I have a friend who is completely Native American and works at the online shopping department at my store. My niece is half-Filipino, and I’m not interested to see her discriminated against; I pray this doesn’t happen. I honestly don’t think me and all my friends in Two Rivers can do enough against the discrimination, though. But if reconciliation between the two parties happens, that’d be awesome! Too bad this nation has already passed the point of no return, though.
I honestly wish I could get more people in Asia and in the Pacific nations saved, but I know I can’t go anywhere right now due to having such a low income, with or without any debts. I honestly think those who have tried to stop me from doing this in the past are like the white supremacist jerks. This may be the reason I still haven’t been on foreign soil, even after nearly ten years of being Christian. I honestly don’t know if I can seek mission trips like this in my church, and my church is pretty missions-minded compared to most of the others around the entire world. I think I need a miracle to both get to a nation like Indonesia or Papua New Guinea and back while still keeping my job. And my week-long vacation for late this May, if it’s approved — even that won’t be enough for me to go anywhere out of state, much less in somewhere other than the U.S., including Mexico, though I could get to Rocky Point if I wanted to. I’ll need a car, though, and I have no means to get one. If that doesn’t occur, and likewise any job that gets me out of debt before I’m dead or even in my mid-40s in about 15 years, I think I’ll be finished. I don’t know where to start in believing for one any stronger; I think I need Jesus’ help for that, and even then, I don’t expect one because prosperity is never guaranteed. Indeed, if you’re struck with poverty in some form, like, you’re screwed. I do believe it’s an injustice, though, especially extreme poverty. Glad to hear that the rate of extreme poverty is much lower now than it was 200 or even 75 years ago, though (see graph below).
I don’t mean to sound like such a downer about much of the world, U.S. or otherwise, but I know a lot of people would agree with me on this. I still pray that people are saved in this nation, though. But as for colonization, that’s not something Abraham would have wanted. I know I don’t want to do this to any people. I want to honor God with everything instead.
I’ll make more notes based on this long passage over time. See you then!
Ron And His Stories 