12. The Firstborn of Faith!

12. The Firstborn of Faith! “Eber had two sons. One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.” (Genesis 10:25) Among Noah’s children, Shem was a good man who knew God’s heart, just like his father Noah. Therefore, Noah’s prophetic song greatly blesses Shem. “Worship the Lord, the God of Shem. May God dwell in the tents of Shem.” (Genesis 9:26-27) The name Shem means “renown” or “glory,” signifying that Shem is God’s renown and glory, and the Lord is the God of Shem. Shem had five sons: Elam: As the firstborn of Shem, Elam was likely born around the year the flood ended (circa 2455 BC) or the following year. Although he was the firstborn, he did not continue the lineage, and the Bible does not record the reason. The lineage continued through the third son, Arphaxad. After the flood, the descendants of Noah’s sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth) spread out to form nations, and Elam went to the highlands of Iran.Asshur: Little is known about Asshur, but Assyria, mentioned in the Bible, existed as a city-state from around 2300 BC. Located in the upper Tigris River region, it was mostly composed of Semitic people and centered around the city of Nineveh. Asshur, a son of Shem, is considered the ancestor of the Assyrians (Genesis 10:22). Originally under the rule of Mesopotamian kings, Assyria formed a kingdom from the 18th century BC and became the first empire in the world, existing as a significant kingdom for 350 years from 960 BC.Arphaxad: The third son of Shem and the father of Shelah, Arphaxad is an ancestor of Abraham. Born two years after the flood, he fathered Shelah at 35 and lived for 403 more years, totaling 438 years (Genesis 11:10-13). The name Arphaxad is also used as a clan name for Shem’s descendants and is believed to originate from the region between Lake Van and Lake Urmia in Armenia. Lud: Lud is considered the ancestor of the Lydians, who lived in central Turkey. Some speculate that the Lubdi people, who lived on the southern border of Armenia, were descendants of Lud, but little else is known.Aram: The fifth son of Shem, Aram had sons named Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. The term “Aramean” or “Aramaic” comes from Aram, and it is often used to refer to the people and land of Syria. In Genesis 10:22 and 22:21, the original pronunciation is preserved, and Aram is used as the name of an ancestor of Shem’s descendants. God judged the sinful world with water, leaving only the faithful. However, the descendants of Adam and Eve still carried the sinful nature inherited from them. After the ark rested and Noah and his sons resumed peaceful lives, a minor mistake by Noah and the rashness of Ham brought misfortune and tragedy back to the earth. Noah cursed Ham for his rashness, while Shem, the youngest, received a blessing from Noah to be a priest and the firstborn of faith, praising God. Japheth was blessed to prosper on earth, but Ham’s descendants were cursed to be servants to the descendants of his two brothers. As a result, Ham’s descendants and Japheth’s descendants became divided into those who served creatures and those who were people of faith, leading to a cycle of conflict and harm. However, God desired that the earth, through the newly established Noah, would be inhabited by people who walked with God. Therefore, God chose Shem, who remembered and served God the best among Noah’s three sons, to perform the role of a priest and to be the chosen people who walked with God. Among Shem’s sons, God chose the third son, Arphaxad, and his descendants, Shelah and his son Eber. Remarkably, in Eber’s generation, God chose both of Eber’s sons, Peleg and Joktan, to continue the lineage of faith. To do this, God divided them into two nations, placing one near the land He had chosen after creating the world and sending the other to the central east to worship God and prepare for the future. The descendants of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, spread out as predetermined. Japheth’s family moved westward, eventually becoming the ancestors of Europeans, including Greeks, Indians, and Russians. His son Gomer had sons named Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah, becoming the ancestors of the ancient Cimmerians. Magog became the ancestor of the Scythians in the northeast Black Sea region. Madai became the ancestor of the Medes in northwest Iran. Javan had sons named Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim, becoming the ancestors of the Greeks. Tubal settled between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, Meshech settled in the southwestern mountains of the Black Sea, and Tiras settled along the Aegean Sea coast, later becoming pirates as their population grew. Ham’s descendants moved southward, becoming the ancestors of Libyans, Egyptians, Ethiopians, and others. His eldest son Cush had sons named Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca, and Nimrod, becoming the ancestors of Ethiopians. Some of Cush’s descendants also appeared in Chinese and Japanese history. Nimrod was known as a mighty warrior. Mizraim, the second son, had sons named Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, becoming the ancestors of Egyptians, with Caphtorim being the ancestor of the Philistines. Put, the third son, became the ancestor of Libyans. Canaan, the fourth son, had sons named Sidon and Heth, and his descendants spread to Sidon, Gerar, Gaza, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Lasha, becoming the ancestors of various tribes. Shem, after parting with his brothers, gathered his descendants and declared that they would move towards an unknown new land in the east, where the sun rises, to avoid conflicts over land with the descendants of Japheth and Ham. He announced several guidelines to follow during the journey. "Now we will move towards a new land that we have never been to before. This land is a place that God has already prepared for us, and therefore, it will be a blessed land. None of us know exactly where it is, but God will guide us. Even during the journey, if any of you wish to stay at a place or move further according to God’s will, you may do so freely. If you wish to do so, please speak up without delay.The climate has changed so much since the great flood that it has become quite cold here at times. The place we are heading to might be even colder and more challenging. So, be patient and endure until we reach the place God is leading us to. Be strong in heart, and especially be careful not to be alone during the journey, as there have been frequent attacks by beasts on people recently. When moving, start with the eldest son and move in order, with each family moving together. Within each family, the head of the family should take responsibility and care for their members during the journey. And one more thing, until we reach our destination, no matter what happens, always obey and follow the leader at the front." After Shem explained everything to his children about the upcoming journey, he built an altar, sacrificed a lamb, and prayed to God before departing. “God! Thank you for appointing me as a priest through Noah. Please be with the descendants of faith who are heading towards the new land as you have spoken, always protect them, and make them a people who remember God. Let all the descendants glorify God freely in the new land!” As Shem prayed, all his children renewed their resolve and thoroughly prepared their hearts for the new land. When the signal to depart was given, all of Shem’s children began to move in unison following Shem. However, a vast land stretched out to the east where they intended to go. As they moved towards the new land, they encountered a small accident within a day’s journey. Although it was a small accident, it was a significant matter for Shem, who was heading east. After grouping the families of his five sons, he had them follow in order. Recently, as the number of wild animals increased rapidly and they couldn’t find food, they began to attack people more frequently. Since sin entered during the time of Adam and Eve, the animals also became wicked and ferocious. Furthermore, after Noah’s flood, all the plants on the land were dissolved in water, so when Noah and his family came out of the ark, there was no food. God then allowed them to eat the animals. “Every living creature will be food for you” (Genesis 9:3). However, this was allowed as emergency food when there were no grains, vegetables, or fruits for people to eat. But humans, once God permitted meat-eating, began to hunt animals indiscriminately. As a result, animals, which were once familiar and coexisting beings like in the Garden of Eden, became fearful and dangerous beings to humans and also became targets to be fought against. The small accident for Shem’s clan was that the animals attacked Lot’s family, which was the smallest in number. Fortunately, Aram and his sons, who were following behind, helped chase away the beasts, so there was no major problem, but Lot’s family was left in fear. Lot, frightened, declared to his father Shem that it was difficult to continue in this state and that he would stay there with his family. Shem, feeling frustrated, decided to stay there for a few days. He tried to persuade Lot, representing his family, to move a bit further, as the place was too close to where their cousin’s families lived, which could lead to conflicts. However, Lot was not convinced. So, reluctantly, Shem left Lot’s family there and continued the journey with the other families. Although Lot’s family was the smallest, their departure caused the other families to lose strength and their resolved hearts to weaken. As this atmosphere spread, most of Shem’s children became exhausted within a month and tried to settle wherever they saw fit. Shem had to make a decision. One day, he gathered his remaining sons and grandsons and encouraged them once more. “I know you have many anxieties and worries in your hearts. But shake them off. Those anxieties will lead to greater worries and concerns and will also undermine your confidence.” However, the sons, once caught in the atmosphere of anxiety, were not willing to listen. But they couldn’t easily disobey their father’s words, so Shem decided to settle there for a while, gain strength, and wait for his descendants to grow in number and strength, hoping their thoughts would change. During this time, children were born and grew up, got married, and the descendants increased significantly. While living there, about eight years passed, and the children gained new strength and courage. However, in the year 2018 BC, Shem faced an unexpected sorrow. His third son, Arphaxad, suddenly passed away at the age of 438. After burying him, the children, who had gained some strength, were once again gripped by fear and dread of the long journey. Shem concluded that he could no longer stay there and decided to take only the descendants who were willing to go east with him. He gathered all his descendants again and asked who would go east with him and who would stay nearby. Even if no one went, he decided to go alone to fulfill God’s promise. He called his sons and directly asked if they would go east with him. To his disappointment, even his eldest son Elam and second son Asshur declared that they would stay. The third son, Arphaxad, had already passed away, and the fourth son, Lot, had left earlier. Now, his only hope was his youngest son, Aram. But Aram, too, declared that he would stay, leaving Shem with no children to accompany him. Hearing this, Shem felt all his strength drain away. Seeing his children who did not understand his heart towards God, and even if they didn’t understand, seeing their lack of faith and loyalty to accompany him on his journey, he felt a sense of betrayal. But remembering the promise he made to himself at the start, he couldn’t stop there. So, he declared that he would leave alone. Then, his sons came and tried to stop him, saying he was too old to go alone and they couldn’t let him go. “Then what about the promise with God?” When Shem scolded his sons, they replied that if someone would take their father, they would let him go. They themselves did not want to go, blocking the way, and now hoping someone else would go, fearing God’s wrath and seeking a solution, which made Shem feel bitter. However, as his sons did not want to let him go, it became difficult for Shem to leave alone. He had no choice but to rely on his grandsons, who had grown enough to take care of themselves. So, he first asked Arphaxad’s son, Shelah, if he would go east with his grandfather. Shelah replied that since his father was buried here, he too must stay. Next, he asked Aram’s four sons, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash, but they also said the same. Since their father Aram stayed here, they too would stay with him. Not losing hope, Shem called his great-grandson, Shelah’s son, Eber. However, Eber, Shelah’s only son, also said he would stay to serve his father. Next, Shem called Eber’s son, Peleg. Peleg, as the eldest son, said he must serve his father Eber and that while it was important to go east to serve God, many people here also needed someone to serve God, so he would stay to do that. He emphasized that he had no choice but to stay. Hearing these stories, Shem felt a wave of despair. All his children said they would serve God, but in reality, they were settling or compromising in the face of practical problems. “What would God think?” Thinking this, Shem felt his heart tearing along with God’s heart. Shem thought that all these stories had plausible reasons, but in reality, they were avoiding and making excuses because they did not want to go to the land of hardship and adversity. However, he could not force them, and leaving them as they were made him foresee the future, which pained him even more. There were no more descendants to ask. So, Shem, overwhelmed by the situation and old age, lay down. Seeing this opportunity, his sons came and urged him not to think of going east but to stay here and serve God with them. His grandsons also came, saying that at 538 years old, he was too old for long journeys and should stay here to serve God and live with them. The more they did, the more Shem felt empty. Other descendants who decided to stay feared the repercussions and began to scatter to surrounding areas. In this process of expanding their territories, sometimes the boundaries between tribes became unclear, leading to entanglements of regions and tribes. Now, the descendants of Ham, who had advanced earlier, began to live among the descendants of Shem, who were settling later.