Bible Studies, Inspired by Faith and Science

Abraham and Lot Who set out from Ur of the Chaldees heading for the land of Canaan? What relationship was Lot to Abram? How often did Abram pretend that his wife was his sister? Who were the “kings of the plain”? Who was Melchisedek? What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? Why were Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed? Where did Ishmael’s mother come from? How old was Ishmael when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed? How old was Ishmael when Isaac was born?  Genesis 11 describes the many generations of mankind scattered at Babel, and finally reaches Terah, father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. Terah lives in Ur of the Chaldees and sets out, after the death of his son Haran, to go to Canaan. Terah’s son Abram travels with him, bringing his childless wife Sarai and nephew Lot, son of Haran. Abram’s other brother Nahor appears not to have left Ur at this time. Terah stops before he reaches Canaan and lives out his life in the town of Haran (per...

Lesson 5: Nations and Peoples (Genesis 10-19) What if… faith and science agree on how we lived in ancient times? The lists in Genesis 10 contain 70 names of nations and people (or peoples). It reads like a relational list, not complete list of peoples. And 70 may well be a symbolic number—7 for God’s plan times 10 for something countable for man. (There are lots of sevens in the Bible, and lots of tens; most significantly God resting on the seventh day, and ten commandments.) Note, the ages of parents become more “normal” over time, possibly representing increased numeracy; possibly a change in lifestyle and health; or possibly more attention paid to the distinction between father, grandfather, tribal elder, etc., reflecting more words as the language develops. The Tower of Babel: What if… humanity really did spread out from the Fertile Crescent? Read Genesis 11:1-9: Genesis 10 told of Noah’s descendants spreading throughout the known world. In chapter 11, the Tower of Babel gives an...