The Sons of Joktan

A Devotional Series from Genesis

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8/3 Reading Portions: Judges 17; Acts 21; Jeremiah 30-31; Mark 16

Genesis 10:26-30

Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east.

OPHIR

Of these thirteen sons of Joktan, the son of Eber and brother of Peleg, they are said of most commentators to be those who have settled in the Arabian Peninsula. Two of the sons, Sheba and Havilah, have the same names as their distant cousins, who were sons of Cush (Gen 10:7). Was the Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon, a descendant of Cush, the son of Ham, or a descendant of Eber, the great-grandson of Shem? Scripture does not inform us. And the land of Havilah, associated with the preflood River Pishon; was this associated with the son of Cush (Gen 10:7) or with the son of Joktan (Gen 10:29). Because gold was found in the land of Havilah, and Scripture associates Ophir with gold, some may suggest this as evidence of being the same. To me, and I may be wrong, is not compelling enough to be dogmatic about it. And since I just mentioned Ophir, there are two other names from the sons of Joktan who stand out: Ophir and Jobab.

First: Jobab. I read an article many years ago whereas the writer suggested that Jobab may have been the famous Job from Scripture. The names are different. Jobab’s name, יוֹבָב (yō-VAV) in Hebrew, is different from Job, אִיּוֹב (eey-YŌV). Could they be the same? Possible, but not probable.

Second: Ophir. Gold from Ophir is mentioned ten times in the Old Testament Scriptures (1 Ki 9:28; 10:11; 22:48; 1 Chr 29:4; 2 Chr 8:18; 9:10; Job 22:24; 28:16; Psa 45:9; Isa 13:12). Prophetically speaking, gold is often associated with deity or something heavenly. Temporally speaking, men have valued gold as being the most precious of metals; and Scripture indeed presents that. In its value, and by its mention here, one lesson we can glean from this genealogy is that of the thirteen sons of Joktan, there were twelve who strayed from God, but one out of thirteen had heavenly value. Keep praying for your children. Though fruit of salvation may seem far from heaven’s door, the Lord’s arm is not so short that He cannot save (Isa 52:10).

Third, as valuable as the gold of Ophir was considered, in the eternal realm gold and silver are perishable elements, especially when compared to the precious blood of Jesus Christ; as it is written,

knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1:18-19

Hallelujah! What a Savior!