Last 5 Days
Chosen Amongst the Scattered - Chosen: The Accent of Shem
10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11 And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
12 When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. 13 And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. 15 And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. 17 And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters.
18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. 19 And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.
20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. 21 And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. 23 And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters.
24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. 25 And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters.
26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
The descendants of Shem, who was one of the three sons of Noah. Shem was 100 years old when he had Arpachshad two years after the flood. Five hundred years old, he had other sons and daughters. There were eight generations that came from Shem. Beginning with Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, and Terah. Terah, the last, is the transition to the story of Abram in the next chapter to introduce the Abrahamic Covenant. Abraham will become the Father of all nations beginning with the chosen nation of Israel.
God had blessed Noah and his sons in Genesis 9:1 and told them to, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” Shem was one of the two sons of Noah who took a garment to cover his father’s nakedness (the other being Japheth) when Ham showed them their drunken father lying naked shamelessly around. When Noah awoke and found what his youngest son had done. He cursed Canaan (Ham) and blessed Shem and Japheth in Genesis 9: 25-27. The descendants of Shem were only listed after the story of the Tower of Babel as God will scatter the people for their attempt to build the tower to heaven.
After the scattering of the descendants of Noah’s three sons, Noah’s blessing of Shem was fulfilled accordingly by God. Shem was chosen by God for doing the right thing, covering the nakedness of his father, a servant of God. The rising of Shem above his two brothers was because of what he did. The youngest became the first among his brothers just as Jesus said the last will be the first in the gospel.
God can choose anyone He likes. He chose Shem to become the line of the chosen nation of Israel through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and eventually the Lord Jesus Christ from this nation. All because of him doing the right thing. Thus, in the Old Testament, Jehovah was repeatedly called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is significant not only to who Abraham was, but also to why the Lord had chosen Isaac and Jacob as forefathers of Israel.
The accent of Shem is the beginning of the accent to the Lord Jesus Christ who will become the King of the eternal kingdom from this line. Through, Christ, we are chosen to become the children of God and citizens of this kingdom because one man did the right thing. We will never know what will become of the result of doing the right thing. Thus, we must never refrain from doing the right thing. The right thing is always pleasing to God and to man just as Shem’s father, Noah was pleased with his son’s actions. Do what is right!
