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- Herausgeber: Rock Rooster Books
- Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
- Serie: Bible Character Sketches Series
- Sprache: Englisch
Step back in time and dive into the intriguing lives of 200 OLD TESTAMENT SINNERS AND SAINTS in this captivating exploration by Peter DeHaan. From the well-known figures of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and Daniel, to the lesser-known characters that shaped biblical history, each person's story offers valuable insight and lessons for today’s believers.
Delve into the lives of Cain and Abel, Noah and his descendants, Jacob and his twelve sons, King Solomon and his blunders, and the perseverance of Ruth and Esther. Discover the triumphs and tribulations, the faith and failures, of these individuals who navigated the complexities of their time.
As you journey through these pages, you'll be challenged to reconsider your own faith practices and how you approach God. With honesty and depth, Peter DeHaan encourages readers to look beyond the black and white portrayals of these characters and see them as real, flawed individuals—with moments of encouraging success.
Ideal for small groups, Sunday school classes, and individual study, 200 OLD TESTAMENT SINNERS AND SAINTS is a refreshing and thought-provoking guide to understanding the Old Testament in a new light. Whether you're new to the Bible or a seasoned believer, this book is sure to inspire, educate, and spark meaningful insights about faith and discipleship.
Get your copy of 200 OLD TESTAMENT SINNERS AND SAINTS today.
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200 OLD TESTAMENT SINNERS AND SAINTS
TAKE A CHRONOLOGICAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE LIVES OF 200 INTRIGUING BIBLE CHARACTERS
BIBLE CHARACTER SKETCHES SERIES
PETER DEHAAN
200 OldTestamentSinners & Saints
Take a ChronologicalJourney through the Lives of 200 IntriguingBibleCharacters
Copyright © 2022, 2024 by PeterDeHaan.
BibleCharacterSketchesSeries, Books 3 & 4
All rights reserved: No part of this book may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form, by any means, or for any purpose without the express written consent of the author or his legal representatives. The only exceptions are brief excerpts, and the cover image, for reviews or academic research. For permissions: peterdehaan.com/contact.
Scriptures taken from the HolyBible, NewInternationalVersion®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “NewInternationalVersion” are trademarks registered in the UnitedStatesPatent and TrademarkOffice by Biblica, Inc.™
Library of CongressControlNumber: 2024924268
Published by RockRoosterBooks, GrandRapids, Michigan
ISBNs:
979-8-88809-121-0 (e-book)
979-8-88809-122-7 (paperback)
979-8-88809-123-4 (hardcover)
Credits:
Developmental editor: KathrynWilmotte & JulieHarbison
Copyeditor: RobynMulder
Cover design: CassidyWierks
Author photo: ChelsieJensenPhotography
Series by PeterDeHaan
40-DayBibleStudySeriestakes a fresh and practical look into Scripture, book by book.
BibleCharacterSketchesSeriescelebrates people in Scripture, from the well-known to the obscure.
HolidayCelebrationBibleStudySeriesrejoices in the holidays with Jesus.
VisitingChurchesSeries takes an in-person look at church practices and traditions to inform and inspire today’s followers of Jesus.
Be the first to hear about Peter’s new books and receive updates at PeterDeHaan.com/updates.
CONTENTS
Celebrate Old Testament Characters
Adam and Eve
1. Adam
2. Eve
3. Cain
4. Abel
5. Lamech (1)
6. Seth
7. Enoch (2)
8. Methuselah
9. Noah (1)
10. Shem
11. Ham
12. Canaan
13. Japheth
14. Nimrod
15. Job
16. Job’s Wife
17. Eliphaz (1)
18. Bildad
19. Zophar
20. Elihu (1)
21. Job’s Daughters
Father Abraham
22. Terah
23. Abram/Abraham
24. Nahor (2)
25. Lot
26. Sarai/Sarah (1)
27. Melchizedek
28. Hagar
29. Ishmael (1)
30. Isaac
31. Eliezer (1)
32. Rebekah
33. Deborah (1)
34. Esau
35. Judith and Basemath (1)
36. Laban
37. Jacob
38. Rachel
39. Leah
40. Bilhah
41. Zilpah
42. Reuben
43. Simeon (1)
44. Levi (1)
45. Judah
46. Tamar (1)
47. Dan
48. Naphtali
49. Gad (1)
50. Asher
51. Issachar
52. Zebulun
53. Dinah
54. Joseph (1)
55. Benjamin (1)
56. Er (1)
57. Onan
58. Shelah (3)
59. Perez
60. Zerah (3)
61. Potiphar’s Wife
62. Potiphar
63. Asenath
64. Manasseh and Ephraim
65. Shiphrah and Puah (2)
Moses and the Law
66. Jochebed
67. Moses
68. Aaron
69. Miriam (1)
70. Reuel (2)/Jethro
71. Zipporah
72. Caleb (1)
73. Joshua (1)
74. Gershom (1) and Eliezer (2)
75. Jannes and Jambres
76. Balak
77. Balaam
78. Nadab (1) and Abihu
79. Eleazar (1) and Ithamar
80. Korah (3)
81. Phinehas (1)
82. Kozbi
83. Zelophehad
84. Achan
85. Rahab
86. Ehud (1)
87. Deborah (2)
88. Barak
89. Jael
90. Gideon
91. Abimelek (2)
92. Jotham (1)
93. Gaal
94. Jephthah
95. Micah (1)
96. Samson
97. Delilah
98. Elimelek
99. Naomi
100. Mahlon and Kilion
101. Orpah
102. Ruth
103. Boaz
104. Obed (1)
105. Jabez
106. Elkanah (4)
107. Hannah
108. Peninnah
109. Samuel (1)
110. Hophni and Phinehas (2)
111. Eli
David, a Man after God’s Own Heart
112. Saul (1)
113. Jonathan (3)
114. Jesse
115. David (1)
116. Goliath
117. Merab
118. Michal
119. Ahimelek (1)
120. Doeg
121. Abigail (2)
122. Abner
123. Ish-Bosheth
124. Joab
125. Bathsheba
126. Uriah (1)
127. Mephibosheth
128. Nathan (2)
129. Tamar (2)
130. Amnon (1)
131. Absalom
132 Tamar (3)
133. Abiathar
134. Abishai
135. Hushai
136. Ahithophel
137. Amasa (1)
138. Solomon
139. Abishag
140. Adonijah (1)
141. Sons of Korah (2)
142. Zadok (1)
143. Queen of Sheba
144. Agur
145. Lemuel
146. Rehoboam
147. Asa
148. Ahab (1)
149. Obadiah (4)
150. Jezebel (1)
151. Jehoshaphat (3)
152. Elijah (2)
153. Elisha
154. Naaman (3)
155. Gehazi
156. Jonah (1)
157. Athaliah (2)
158. Jehosheba
159. Joash (7)
160. Zechariah (1)
161. Josiah (1)
162. Amos (1)
163. Isaiah
164. Hosea
165. Gomer (2)
166. Jezreel
167. Lo-Ruhamah
168. Lo-Ammi
169. Micah (5)
170. Nahum (1)
171. Hezekiah (1)
172. Zephaniah (1)
173. Jeremiah (6)
174. Baruch (1)
175. Ezekiel
176. Obadiah (8)
177. Habakkuk
Daniel, Prophet and Dream Interpreter
178. Daniel (2)
179. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
180. Nebuchadnezzar
181. Belshazzar
182. Darius
183. Zerubbabel
184. Haggai
185. Zechariah (15)
186. Cyrus
187. Ezra
188. Nehemiah
189. Sanballat
190. Tobiah (2)
191. Geshem
192. Xerxes
193. Vashti
194. Mordecai (2)
195. Esther
196. Hegai
197. Haman
198. Zeresh
199. Joel (13)
200. Malachi
Jesus
Sinners, Saints, and Us
Duplicate Names
For Small Groups, Sunday School, and Classes
If You’re New to the Bible
About Peter DeHaan
Books by Peter DeHaan
CELEBRATE OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS
SomeChristians dismiss the OldTestament. They argue that since Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17), that it doesn’t matter. Others embrace the OldTestament, quoting 2 Timothy 3:16 that all Scripture—both the Old and NewTestaments—has merit.
We should therefore embrace the OldTestament to inform our understanding of the NewTestament, and the faith practices it reveals, through the foundation the OldTestament provides.
From this perspective, we can celebrate the OldTestament. First, it reveals God to us. Second, it anticipates the coming Savior, Jesus.
In the OldTestament a mind-numbing list of things to do and not do confronts us. Yet everyone falls short. We all miss the mark (James 2:10).
Yet the OldTestament also gives us hope of the coming Savior who will offer a better way for us to approach God. It’s believing in Jesus and following him as his disciple. This is so much better than a bunch of impossible-to-keep rules.
In this way, we can best read and understand the OldTestament as it anticipates and points us toward Jesus.
One way to do this is to explore two hundred OldTestament characters. We’ll cover them in approximate chronological order, given that many of their stories overlap and others are hard to place on the biblical timeline. To provide perspective, we’ll anchor our exploration of these people around five notable OldTestament characters: Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and Daniel.
Some of these two hundred characters provide examples to follow. We’ll call them saints, even though they’re less than perfect. Others are a colorful list of screwups (sinners), the people who fall short and make a mess of things.
As we consider these individuals on a continuum from mostly good to mostly bad, remember that all of them miss the mark of meeting God’sOldTestament expectations. This points us to God’s better way through Jesus as revealed in the NewTestament.
May these OldTestament sinners and saints point us to Jesus, to follow him and become his disciples.
How do you view the OldTestament? Who are some of your favorite OldTestament characters? Why?
[Discover more about the OldTestamentScripture in Acts 17:11.]
ADAM AND EVE
Our story begins at creation, where God created man and woman in his own image. From them, all humanity follows. After beginning with creation’s first couple and their family, we’ll consider Noah and then Job, preparing us to move into the second section about FatherAbraham and his family.
1. ADAM
The first person we encounter in the Bible is Adam. And the first couple we see is Adam and Eve. Though we usually think of them as a pair, let’s for a moment look at just Adam.
In the beginning, God creates us in his image, male and female. This means that Adam, as the first person, exists in God’s image. So do we. Think about that.
God places Adam in the garden of Eden. It’s an idyllic paradise, yet it’s not an idle existence. That would be boring. Instead, God gives Adam work to do. He’s to care for God’s garden. By extension, we, too, should care for God’s garden—his creation—today.
YetAdam is also alone.
God, who exists in community—as Father, Son, and HolySpirit—knows the importance of Adam having someone to spend time with, someone to journey with through life. SoGod creates Eve—also made in his image—as a counterpart to Adam.
Though many versions of the Bible refer to Eve as Adam’s helper, I appreciate the translations which use words such as “partner,” “companion,” “complement,” and “counterpart.” In these we see a matched pair, equal to each other.
God gives Adam and Eve one rule: to not eat from one tree. All the rest of the garden’s produce is for them to enjoy, all except for this one plant. This is because its fruit contains special power. It possesses the ability for the people who eat it to know right from wrong, to discern between good and evil.
One simple rule.
YetAdam and Eve do the one thing God told them not to do. Enticed by the crafty serpent, they eat from the one tree—the only tree—God instructed them to not touch. Yet the ripened produce looks so good. Eve picks some and eats it. She gives some to Adam. They both eat the forbidden fruit.
WhenGod confronts Adam, he blames Eve. Eve in turn blames the serpent. Yet each played a role, and God punishes all three.
Scripture later holds Adam accountable—mostly. It is through him that sin entered our world. It’s because of him that we face death.
And this is where Jesus comes in. Because of Adam’s sin we will die. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice we can live.
Who do we blame more in this story, Adam, Eve, or the serpent? Does it matter whose fault it is?
[Read about Adam in Genesis 2–3. Discover more in 1 Corinthians 15:22.]
Do you believe you can live because of Jesus? Do you have eternal life through him? (SeeJohn 3:14–17 for details.)
2. EVE
Eve is a well-known biblical figure. Surprisingly, she’s only mentioned by name four times in the Bible, twice in Genesis and twice in the NewTestament. Her name may mean “living,” and we see her as the mother of humanity, with all future generations coming from her. ButEve is best known for picking the fruit God specifically prohibited and giving some to her husband. As a result of their sin, God expels them from the garden of Eden.
Though most of Scripture places the blame on Adam’s shoulders, in one place Paul does implicate Eve (2 Corinthians 11:3), though we must be careful to not take this verse out of context.
Despite this, Eve often receives the harshest criticism for disobeying God. Adam, however, is equally guilty. He could have—and should have—put a stop to eating the forbidden fruit. He knew better. More contemptible is the serpent, who lied to seduce Eve into disobeying God. Because of their actions, all three—Adam, Eve, and the serpent—suffer consequences, which they pass on to future generations. This includes us.
Eve receives three punishments for her disobedience: pain in childbirth, a desire to control her husband, and him ruling over her. This suggests that before Adam and Eve messed up, we can assume things would have been the opposite for women: childbirth would have been easy, women would not seek to control their husbands, and men would not try to rule over their wives.
The judgment Eve receives transfers forward to future generations, with women trying to control men and men wanting to rule women. However, in the beginning there was neither controlling nor ruling. There is equality, with God intending that men and women live as equals.
In marriage, this doesn’t mean wives merely helping their husbands but more so functioning as partners, companions, complements, and counterparts to each other.
We’ll do well to apply this mindset to all our interactions with others, both male and female.
Do we try to control those around us? Do we let others rule over us? How might God want us to change?
[Read about Eve in Genesis 2:18–4:1. Discover more in 1 Timothy 2:13–14.]
3. CAIN
AfterAdam and Eve leave the garden of Eden, they have Cain. TheBible doesn’t specifically say he’s their firstborn, but he is the first of their offspring we read about in Scripture. Eve praises God for his role in this, the miracle of birth.
Later, Eve gives birth to Cain’s younger brother, Abel. The boys grow up and begin to work: Cain as a farmer, Abel as a shepherd.
Cain and Abel both give the results of their labors as an offering to God. We don’t know why they do this because the Almighty hadn’t asked them to. This is well before Moses commands the people to give God offerings and sacrifices. Nevertheless, the boys desire to give back to God.
PerhapsCain decides to go first, and Abel simply follows his older brother’s example.
God accepts Abel’s gift but not Cain’s. We don’t know why.
One thought is that while Cain offered some of his crops to God, Abel offered the firstborn from his flock, the best. Another idea is that this foreshadows the law of Moses and ultimately the sacrifice of Jesus, which requires the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22). Abel’s offering could accomplish this; Cain’s could not. Or there may be another explanation we’re unaware of.
Regardless, God affirms Abel but not Cain. Imagine giving something to God and having him reject it. We can understand why Cain was angry and upset.
Still, God speaks to Cain and encourages him to do what is right. Sin knocks on Cain’s door. It desires to control him. God tells Cain to rule over the temptation.
As you may know, Cain doesn’t.
He invites his brother out into the field. There he attacks his younger sibling and kills him. We don’t know if Cain intended to murder his brother, but the story does read as though Cain premeditated the attack. The outcome of death may have been deliberate or accidental.
Either way, Abel dies. AndCain is the world’s first murderer.
God punishes Cain for his sin and drives him away.
Two brothers. One dead and the other exiled. What a sad outcome for creation’s first family.
What can we do to get along better with our brothers and sisters? When we face the temptation to sin, what must we do to control it and not give in to it?
[Read about Cain in Genesis 4:1–24. Discover more in Hebrews 11:4 and 1 John 3:12.]
4. ABEL
Having discussed Cain, we now know the story of Abel, Adam and Eve’s second child. To recap, Abel and Cain give gifts to God. TheAlmighty accepts Abel’s gift but not Cain’s. Cain is angry and kills Abel.
Though we can speculate why God approved Abel’s offering and not Cain’s, we don’t know for sure—at least not from the account in Genesis.
The book of Hebrews, however, gives us a clue. One passage outlines the faith of many of the Bible’s heroes. Among them we read of Abel.
Hebrews says that by faith Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain. Furthermore, it says that because of faith, God praised his gift and affirmed Abel as righteous. The implication is that Abel received God’s affirmation with a humble spirit and didn’t let it go to his head. In short, Abel kept his ego in check.
Though we might expect God to then protect Abel for his noteworthy faith, remember that Cain had the ability to determine his actions. The only way for God to stop Cain would be to take away his free will.
How hard it must’ve been for God to not intervene and prevent Cain from killing his brother. Yet it’s not in his nature to stop us from doing something we want to do—even if it’s something quite terrible. This is a result from living in a sin-filled world.
ThoughCain cuts Abel’s life short, we can expect Abel’s faith brings him into God’s presence right away. What a wonderful outcome.
How strong is our faith? DoesGod commend us for giving him our best, through faith? Do we respond with a faith-driven humility when he affirms us?
[Read about Abel in Genesis 4:1–24. Discover more in Hebrews 11:4.]
5. LAMECH (1)
TheBible lists no genealogy for Abel, so we can guess that he died before he had any children. Scripture focuses on the descendants of Seth but gives a short recitation of Cain’s genealogy first (in Genesis 4). We must be careful in reading these names in Cain’s line, since two names also appear in Seth’s line, though they refer to different men.
Such is the case with Lamech (1). (The other name to be careful with is Enoch. Also, watch out for Methushael, not to be confused with Methuselah.)
We know little about Lamech, but two things stand out.
First, Lamech marries two women, Adah and Zillah.
This is the first time any form of the word marriage occurs in the Bible, and this passage is also the first reference to polygamy. ThoughBible scholars often place elevated importance on the first time a word appears in Scripture, we must be careful not to connect marriage with polygamy.
TheBible merely states that Lamech married two women, but it adds no commentary. Therefore, we’re wrong to take this descriptive text as approval for polygamy or as a warning against it. Notably, this may be the only time in Scripture when a man has multiple wives that doesn’t result in conflict or heartache. Consider the multiple wives of Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, and many others. Each suffers as a result.
The other thing we know about Lamech is that he kills a man. He’s the Bible’s second recorded murderer, with Cain being the first.
Though we could charitably ascribe the death of this unnamed man by the hand of Lamech as self-defense, it’s more likely an excessive retaliation. Lamech’s justification is that the man he killed had wounded and injured him. Regardless, Lamech considers what he did to be less wrong than Cain murdering Abel out of jealousy.
We must note, however, that Lamech’s killing of this man occurs prior to God giving Moses the TenCommandments, which prohibit murder. Yet he should have been instinctively aware that murder is wrong.
When have we responded in an excessive manner to someone who wronged us? Do you think Lamech killed this man or murdered him? What is the difference?
[Read about Lamech in Genesis 4:19–24. All other mentions of Lamech in the Bible refer to Lamech (2), a descendant of Seth.]
6. SETH
TheBible tells us that Adam has many sons and daughters, but it only lists three sons by name. They are Cain, Abel, and Seth.
Most people know about Cain and Abel, with Cain killing Abel out of jealousy. He then flees his family to live in the land of Nod.
As a result, Adam and Eve effectively have no sons. One is dead, and the other is gone. Adam and Eve then have Seth. The meaning of the name Seth may be “granted,” for God granted Adam and Eve another child.
He’s essentially a replacement for Cain and Abel.
We may be uneasy about the reason for Seth’s conception. This could be a positive development, with him being elevated as Adam and Eve’s primary heir. Yet the idea that Seth’s creation is merely to fill the void left by his murdered brother, Abel, is disconcerting.
Regardless, Seth is born.
Scripture notes that after Seth’s birth is when Adam’s many sons and daughters are born. Implicitly, this makes SethAdam and Eve’s third child.
The only other things we know about Seth are his descendants. TheBible lists the successive generations as Enosh, then Kenan, followed by Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. Therefore, Noah follows Seth by eight generations.
What’s even more significant, however, is that Luke lists Seth in the family tree of Jesus. Yes, Jesus descends from Seth.
If the circumstance regarding our conception is less than admirable, do we let it define who we are or do we rise above it? Though we don’t know what our descendants will do long after we’re gone, how should their potential inform what we do today?
[Read about Seth in Genesis 4:25–26 and Genesis 5:3–8. Discover more in 1 Chronicles 1:1 and Luke 3:38.]
7. ENOCH (2)
As we already noted, Enoch (1) is a descendant of Cain, whereas Enoch (2) is a descendant of Seth.
To give us some historical perspective, here are the world’s first nine generations, from Adam to Noah:
Adam,
Seth,
Enosh,
Kenan,
Mahalalel,
Jared,
Enoch,
Methuselah,
Lamech, and
Noah.
As we can see, Enoch is the great-grandfather of Noah, as well as six generations removed from Adam.
Scripture tells us one detail about Enoch, and it’s significant.
Enoch does not die.
He walks faithfully with God and is taken up into heaven. We can connect his faithful walk with the fact that he bypasses death and goes directly to eternity.
Enoch is the first person in the Bible to be affirmed for his faithful walk with God. Though it would be wrong to conclude that everyone who walks faithfully with God will skip death, moving directly from physical life on earth to eternal life in heaven, in this case it did happen.
ThoughEnoch is the first person to experience this, he isn’t the last. Later, Elijah will also be taken up into heaven. These two events foreshadow the resurrected body of Jesus ascending into heaven.
What should we do to walk faithfully with God? Why should we want to do this?
[Read about Enoch in Genesis 5:18–24. Discover when Elijah is taken up into heaven in 2 Kings 2:1–11.]
8. METHUSELAH
Methuselah is Enoch’s son. Aside from being Noah’s grandfather, the other notable fact about Methuselah is that he has the longest recorded life in the Bible, standing at an amazing 969 years. TheBible records many people at that time as living hundreds of years, but Methuselah’s life is the longest.
Yet as we move further away from the time of sin entering the world, we see life spans decreasing in length. Death, after all, is the result of sin.
Moses later places a typical person’s life at seventy years, even up to eighty (Psalm 90:10). This is despite the fact that he lived to be 120 years old (Deuteronomy 34:7), which God established during the time of Noah (Genesis 6:3).
Accepting the lifespan of OldTestament characters as literal, as I do, we can determine that Methuselah—and his son Lamech (2)—are both born while Adam is still alive. They are also alive when Noah is born. This means that Methuselah and Lamech know both Adam and Noah.
Also, their lives end about the time of the flood. Did they die prior to the flood, or did they drown in the deluge?
Regardless, they were both certainly alive one hundred years earlier when God told Noah to build the ark. At that time God noted the wickedness of humanity and their persistent evil thoughts.
We’re left to wonder if this critical assessment of the world’s persistent evil includes Methuselah and Lamech. Regardless, Noah found God’s favor (Genesis 6:1–8).
What is our view of living a long life? Whether we have days left or decades, what can we do to make every moment count?
[Read about Methuselah in Genesis 5:21–27. Discover more in 1 Chronicles 1:3 and Luke 3:37.]
9. NOAH (1)
Following the biblical story arc, we move forward several generations. Sin entered the world through Adam, found its expression in Cain, and, over the following centuries, chaos prevails. The world becomes corrupt, filled with violence.
God decides to wipe away humanity’s rampant evil.
The rest of God’s creation can stay, but he decides to do away with people—all except for Noah and his family. TheBible calls Noah righteous. This means he lives rightly, even though God has not yet defined what that means. Noah is blameless in his life and walks faithfully with God.
Scripture doesn’t tell us the spiritual condition of Noah’s family: his wife, his three sons, and their wives. These seven may be righteous like Noah, but the Bible doesn’t say that. Regardless, God plans to save all eight. A better understanding is that they will live not because of their own merit but because of Noah’s. So it is with us and Jesus.
God plans to send a massive flood to destroy the world. Only these eight people will survive. Everyone else will die. Most land animals will perish as innocent victims in all this. ThenGod will allow humanity to start anew, through Noah. It’s a massive do-over, Creation 2.0.
To accomplish this, God tells Noah to build an ark, a huge boat, one big enough to carry a representative pair of each species and seven pairs of clean animals—along with enough food for all.
Noah obeys.
People back then lived for several centuries, and it takes Noah and his family one hundred years to complete this massive project. Building an ark doesn’t make sense and requires years of backbreaking work. Yet they persist, no doubt enduring the ridicule of those around them and making many sacrifices as they build God’s boat, all the while attending to the daily needs of living.
When the rains come and the floodwaters rise, Noah, his family, and the animals God sends to them board the ark. God seals them inside and they survive the great deluge.
When the waters recede, eight people emerge.
God then gives Noah the same command he gave Adam and Eve, to be fruitful and multiply. They do. We’re here today as a result.
God told Noah to do something difficult that didn’t make sense from a human perspective. ButNoah obeyed and saved his family, along with giving humanity a fresh start.
We applaud Noah for his obedience to God.
How well do we do at obeying God? Would we be obedient like Noah if God told us to undertake a huge task that would take several years to complete?
[Read about Noah in Genesis 5:28–9:29. Discover more in Hebrews 11:7.]
10. SHEM
TheBible doesn’t tell us the name of Noah’s wife, but we do know the names of their three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Scripture says Noah obeyed God in building the ark. We can only assume his boys helped. If they didn’t, why would God allow them to enter the ark and live?
After the flood, Noah, a farmer, plants a vineyard. He makes some wine, gets drunk, and lounges around without his clothes. Hearing this, Shem and his brother Japheth modestly cover their father, without looking at his nakedness.
WhenNoah sobers, he blesses Shem and Japheth for their chaste action, specifically elevating Shem over his brothers.
As we read the family tree of Shem, we come across Abram, later called Abraham. ThroughShem’s lineage we have FatherAbraham and, much later, Jesus.
How can we be an example to do what is right? When we see someone doing what’s wrong, do we seek to make things better?
[Read about Shem and his brothers in Genesis 9:18–27. DiscoverShem’s family tree in Genesis 11:10–26.]
11. HAM
OfNoah’s three sons, the Bible lists Ham second, even though he is, in fact, the youngest. Scripture only gives us one story about him. It’s his role in the account of his father’s drunken stupor.
It’sHam who discovers his father inebriated and naked. He could have discreetly covered his dad. He doesn’t. Instead, he tells his brothers. Though we don’t know Ham’s motives, we doubt he seeks their advice on what to do. More likely he approaches them with the glee of a gossip, sharing the tantalizing tidbits of what dear old dad has done. In short, he’s laughing at his father and expecting his brothers to join him.
WhileHam does nothing to help alleviate his dad’s situation and prevent future embarrassment, brothers Shem and Japheth do both.
WhenNoah sobers and learns what happened, he blesses Shem and Japheth for their proper response but not before cursing Ham. We don’t know why, but Noah directs his displeasure at Ham’s son Canaan, pronouncing Canaan will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers. And later, while blessing Japheth, Noah specifically proclaims Canaan will be the slave of Japheth. This makes us wonder if Canaan wasn’t also involved in his father Ham’s folly.
Ham has four sons. In addition to Canaan, he has Cush, Egypt, and Put. FromCanaan we have the Canaanites, a recurring irritant to God’s chosen people, the Israelites, who descend from Canaan’s uncle Shem.
The only other reference we see of Ham occurs in Psalms, where it talks about the tents of Ham and the land of Ham, presumably where some of Ham’s descendants settled.
Whether we’re the youngest in our family or not, what can we do to rise above our station to act with integrity? When we see someone’s misfortune are we quick to tell others about it (gossip) or do we keep it to ourselves?
[Read about Ham and his brothers in Genesis 9:18–27. DiscoverHam’s family tree in Genesis 10:6–20.]
12. CANAAN
Canaan is the son of Ham and the grandson of Noah. The story of Canaan is perplexing. WhenNoah’s son Ham finds his father drunk, he acts disrespectfully. His two brothers act appropriately.
WhenNoah discovers what his sons did when he was inebriated, he explicitly blames Ham’s son Canaan. This is despite Canaan not having any role in what happened.
We’re left to wonder if we don’t know the full story or if Noah reached the wrong conclusion. Nevertheless, Noah proclaims curses on Canaan.
This doesn’t seem right or fair, but it is what happens.
We later read of the nations that descend from Canaan. He is the father of Sidon and the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.
Although these last five nations receive scant mention in Scripture, the others reoccur.
TheSidonians (descendants of Sidon), show up 14 times.
TheHittites, 36 times.
TheJebusites, 30 times.
TheAmorites, 77 times.
TheGirgashites, 7 times.
TheHivites, 23 times.
Scripture reveals that these nations rise in opposition to God’s chosen people, the Israelites. And this continues throughout much of the OldTestament.
We’re left wondering if their opposition is a result of Noah’s curse on his grandson. What if Noah had not proclaimed curses on Canaan and his descendants? Might the history in the OldTestament have unfolded differently?
ThoughNoah proclaimed curses on Canaan, this is not an example for us to follow. Instead, we should embrace the NewTestament perspective and not curse others.
How do we respond when we’re blamed for something we didn’t do? What can we do to rise above any mistakes our parents might have made?
[Read about Canaan in Genesis 9:18–27 and Genesis 10:15–18. Discover more about curses in Luke 6:28, Romans 12:14, and James 3:9–10.]
13. JAPHETH
We’ve covered Noah’s sons Shem and Ham. Now we’ll look at the third, Japheth. Of the three boys, the Bible tells us the least about Japheth, though we know that Japheth, along with Shem, acts with integrity to cover his father’s drunken nakedness. And we know that Noah blesses Japheth for his action.
That’s it.
ThoughScripture gives us Japheth’s family tree, it’s a brief one, shorter than the lists of his brothers’ lineage. In scanning the record of Japheth’s descendants, no familiar names pop up. As far as the biblical account is concerned, Japheth and his family disappear from its pages.
What can we do to live a life that honors God? What can we do to encourage our descendants to do the same thing and, as a result, preserve our lineage for God’s glory?
[Read about Japheth and his brothers in Genesis 9:18–27. DiscoverJapheth’s family tree in Genesis 10:2–5.]
14. NIMROD
Nimrod is the son of Cush, the son of Ham. SinceCush and Canaan are brothers, this means Nimrod is Canaan’s nephew.
The biblical text tells us little about Nimrod. What we do know is he’s a “mighty hunter before the Lord” (Genesis 10:8–9). Though this is curious wording, we can understand “before the Lord” to mean “in God’s sight” or that God noticed Nimrod’s hunting prowess. What’s unclear is if this is a result of God’s blessing on Nimrod or not.
Regardless, Nimrod establishes a kingdom, first in Babylon and then in Assyria, where he builds the city of Nineveh. Do these three locations sound familiar? Babylon appears 299 times in the Bible, Assyria 132 times, and Nineveh, twenty-six times. These mentions are as the enemy of God’s chosen people, sometimes representing evil.
Parallel to the offspring of his UncleCanaan, Babylon and Assyria also oppose God’s promised people and the nations of Israel and Judah.
Assyria will later conquer the nation of Israel and deport its people. In this way, Assyria serves as God’s instrument of judgment against his rebellious children.
Not learning from this example, Judah will later suffer much the same consequence. Babylon conquers Judah and deports its people too. UnlikeIsrael, however, some people from Judah will return to the promised land seventy years later and get a second chance. The people of Israel and Judah tested God’s patience and eventually received the punishment they deserved.
In what ways do we test God’s patience like the nations of Israel and Judah did? How do we react when God gives us a second chance?
[Read about Nimrod in Genesis 10:8–12. Discover more in 2 Kings 25:1–26.]
15. JOB
We don’t know when Job lived, but many Bible scholars consider him a contemporary of Abraham. This places Job several generations after Noah in our biblical timeline.
Job lives in the land of Uz. We know four key things about him:
First, he is a righteous man, acting justly in all he does and conducting himself with blame-free confidence. He puts God first and avoids evil.
Next, Job is a family man. He and his wife have ten children, a quiver full (Psalm 127:5), which people see as a sign of God’s favor.
Third, Job is concerned for his kids and their future. After they have a party, he offers a burnt offering sacrifice for each one of them to purify them of any sin or careless thought. He wants to help make them right with God.
Last, Job is rich. He owns over 10,000 animals, with a large staff to oversee his herds. He is the wealthiest man in the area and esteemed by all.
As such, Job enjoys an idyllic life of ease with favor from God. Everyone looks up to him, and Job’s life seems perfect.
YetSatan seeks to torment Job. ThoughGod gives Satan permission to act, God isn’t the cause of Job’s suffering, Satan is. Don’t forget that.
Satan strips away Job’s wealth and kills his children. ThenSatan attacks Job’s health, leaving him clinging to life with an unsupportive wife. But in all this Job remains faithful to God.
Job perseveres through these afflictions and doesn’t buckle under his friends’ less-than-helpful advice, as we’ll see in the following five chapters.
Eventually, God rewards Job for his faithfulness by restoring his health, returning his wealth times two, and giving him ten more children. Job lives another 140 years, celebrating life with his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
When unthinkable hardship afflicts us, how can we remain steadfast in our devotion to God? When it seems everyone and everything is against us, will we continue to put God first?
[Read about Job in the book of Job, especially Job 1, 2, and 42. Discover more in Ezekiel 14:13–14 and Ezekiel 9–20.]
Learn even more about Job and his friends in the Bible study DearTheophilusJob: 40 InsightsAboutMoving from Despair to Deliverance, which explores this classic story as a modern-day screenplay.
16. JOB’S WIFE
We don’t know the name of Job’s wife. She’s a minor character in the Bible’s account of his life, so we could view her name as unimportant.
Through no fault of Job, Satan attacks him, wiping away his wealth and killing all his children. Next, Satan afflicts Job’s health, leaving him in agony. The suffering man wishes he were dead, that he’d never been born. AllJob has left is his life, four unsupportive friends, and a wife who harasses him.
AsJob struggles to maintain his faith in God and hold on to his righteousness, Job’s wife could choose to support him. She should encourage him. Instead, she turns on him. She ridicules his integrity and suggests he just curse God so he can die.
A supportive wife she is not. Her reaction to his pain suggests apathy toward him, even disdain.
At a time when Job seeks comfort and encouragement from those around him, his wife lets him down. She could have—she should have—encouraged him to stand firm in his faith, to not waver or doubt. She doesn’t. Instead, she urges him to give up and die.
Despite this, Job doesn’t waver. He calls her foolish and does not sin. God spares Job and restores what Satan took from him.
Do we encourage those closest to us when they go through tough times, or do we make things even harder for them? How can we better support those who struggle?
[Read about Job’s wife in Job 2:9–10. Discover more about a good wife in Genesis 2:18 and Proverbs 31:10–31.]
17. ELIPHAZ (1)
Job has three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who hear of his plight and come to offer sympathy and comfort. The
