Genesis 11-12: Post flood world and the appearance of Abram

Brief synopsis tonight as the story is pretty straightforward setting up back story for what is to come:

Chapter 11:

We are told of a post flood world where all of the people speak one language. The people realize that with their one language, all can communicate to build and do great things. What do they decide to do with this revelation? Build a tower to reach to God. God sees that man will be capable of anything he puts his mind to and then decides to mix their languages and scatter them about, presumably in an attempt to keep them from trying to be like God. The place was therefore named Babel as it was where the people's languages were mixed up. This story has modern connotations all over it. With our never ending and always improving technology, society is not only beginning to try to reach past God, but is also trying to get through life without God through very unnatural means. Perhaps this story can serve as a warning. as we work toward a global society, capable of achieving anything, where everything is electronic in one wireless "cloud," aren't we just a major crash away from once again becoming babbling idiots?

I digress....the rest of this chapter is a lot of begetting ultimately leading us to Abram. *noteworthy point: people are living shorter and shorter lifespans through these generations*

Now Abram had two brothers. One brother, Haran died, leaving his son Lot without a father. After Haran's death in the city of Ur, Tehrah (Abram's father) took Abram, Lot and Abram's barren wife Sarai and left Ur to move to Caanan. On the way to Caanan, they stopped in the city of Haran where Terah died.

Chapter 12:

God tells Abram to leave and to go to a land God would show him and make him the start of a great nation. Abram says OK and takes Sarai, Lot, all of their stuff and all of the "souls" they gathered and went into Canaan. Abram went through Canaan and continued on until God said STOP!....This is the place. Abram pitched a tent and then built an altar unto the Lord. Then Abram started going further South and a famine started. Abram took his crew and decided to go to Egypt...which is when things get quite interesting.

Abram tells Sarai, "you are quite hot, and they will kill me to take you if they know you are my wife....let's just say you are my sister." This works and all of the Pharaoh's princes hoot and holler at the hotness of Sarai and take her to Pharaoh. Pharaoh decides that he like's her and takes her into his house and gives Abram lots of animals and servants in return....until bad things start happening to Pharaoh and he realizes it is punishment for taking another man's wife. he gets mad at Abram for lying to him and then kicks his butt to the curb.

More to come....