The Generations of Shem
A Devotional Series from Genesis
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
8/10 Reading Portions: Ruth 3-4; Acts 28; Jeremiah 38; Psalms 11-12
Genesis 11:10-26
These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters. When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters. When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters. When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters. When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters. When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters. When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters. When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters. When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
RETURN
Although I’ve mentioned this before in our devotional series in Genesis, this lineage is given because it is the genealogy from which the promised Messiah would come (Luke 3:23-38).
We see by the declination of the ages from generation to generation that the number of total years for each life is becoming less; and will eventually be 70 years on the average, sometimes 80 (Psa 90:10). This happens for two reasons: First, it is because of the corruption of flesh due to sin entering the human condition; and second, because the layer of water above the earth (Gen 1:6-8), which shielded human beings from the damaging rays of the sun, no longer existed because of the flood.
Now, although I have mentioned this in earlier devotionals, it is from the ages given in this genealogy whereas we understand the lifespans of both Noah and Shem present some interesting truth. Noah lived 350 years after the flood, for a total of 950 years (Gen 9:28-29). He lived long enough to see his children’s children’s children, dying when Abram was 58 years old (see devotional from 7/20/26). Shem lived to be 600 years old (Gen 11:10-11), long enough to see his children’s children’s children, and dying when Esau and Jacob were 50 years old (see devotional from 8/4/26). What is interesting about this is that here are two eyewitnesses to the worldwide flood. About His return, the Lord Jesus said:
37“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:37-39
While the Lord Jesus defined what was meant by the “days of Noah” (Matt 24:37) in the two verses following, what if the first sentence He spoke also carried with it a fuller meaning concerning Noah’s days, not merely before the flood, but also afterward? which would include all the jiggery pokery surrounding the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9). Both Noah and Shem were around for that.
It seems that the arrogance in building a tower to the heavens in the days following the worldwide flood are no different from the ambitions of a billionaire today, who lives in Texas and is investing huge sums of money to create Artificial Intelligence while shooting rockets into the heavens so that one day man could live on Mars.
Just a thought.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20
Hallelujah! What a Savior!