As I turn the page this morning and read Genesis 10, I think of my friend who recently held a party for all his relatives, with 90 in attendance. I don’t think I have anywhere near that number actually alive!
Chapter 10 is one of those chapters we would all skim over. It looks a bit like this:
“This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood. The Japhethites. The sonsof Japheth … The Hamites. The sons of Ham … These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. The Semites … Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber. The sons of Shem … These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these, the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.” (Genesis 10)
Between these names, there are many other descendants listed.
As in all family trees, we have the good, the bad and the ugly. If you have traced your ancestry, then you know behind each name is a story in itself of faithfulness or failure.
A closer look at chapter 10 reveals names that appear later in the Biblical account. The Canaanites, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the list from Shem, which becomes the line of Christ, which we see in Luke.
These people, as in our ancestry, can no longer speak; they can no longer defend or accuse; they cannot fix any error or achieve unfulfilled opportunities.
Life is so short, isn’t it? What will they say about you and me?
Will our story have touches of grace and love? Of walking with God?
Today is another day of writing your story that people will be speaking about long after you’re not here. The choices don’t necessarily have to be big ones, but choosing to forgive, showing up when you would rather not, or being patient instead of angry, these become a legacy passed down.
One more thing, you can break the pattern from a previous generation, or you can repeat it.
Missions Paul 