Adoption as Sons

For you did not receive a spirit that make you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit itself testifies that we are God’s children.

~ Romans 8:15-16 ~

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights as sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

~ Galatians 4:4-7~

Due to the climate of our modern era, many have attempted to “update” the Bible by changing certain words that they see as reflecting a male-dominated culture. Some say this change is to make the Bible more readable; others to make the language current with our modern way of speaking. Instead of ‘mankind’, ‘humanity’ has been re-purposed from its original definition. Instead of ‘sons of God’, some say ‘sons and daughters’ or simply ‘children’. These changes have various political and social implications that I will refrain from discussing today. My point is that the phrase “adoption as sons” is very specific and intentional. Without this phrase, we lose not only the historical understanding, but also the lasting, eternal, meaning and implication.

The Greek word is υἱοθεσία, transliterated as huiothesia, which means ‘adoption’ or ‘the placing as a son’ (Strong’s “5206.”). It is translated as “adoption to sonship” five times in the New Testament (Rom. 8:15, 8:23, 9:4, Gal. 4:5, Eph. 1:5). While this may seem like outdated language to us, it meant the world to the Gentile Christians at the time, male and female alike. Most people at this time would have been fairly immersed with Roman culture and law. And among these laws, written and otherwise, were those about adoption and rights as first-born sons. To be a first born son was to be somebody, especially if you were a patrician. To be anyone else, especially a woman, was to be disregarded, and often discarded. There was only bondage and a lack of worth in store for most people whom the disciples preached to.

But where Gentile cultures treated everyone – save first-born sons – as lesser people, especially if they were female, Christ and the Scriptures spoke of all people being adopted as sons. This meant that as a Christian, you were of worth simply because Christ loved you and died for you, not because of your status at birth or status of sex. As the letter to the Galatians stated, there is neither slave nor free, male nor female, for all are one in Christ (Gal. 3:28). This does not mean there are no sexes but that in Christ we are simply Christian. All are welcome. All are unified. All have inherent worth. There are neither first-born sons nor women of no worth. There is no one greater or lesser to any degree; there is only God over all and us under Him. All are unified in freedom, dignity, worth, and salvation in Christ.

This was a freedom found only in Christianity, a freedom that is now taken for granted in modern cultures.

Similarly, Roman culture had specifics on adoption. The phrases go thus, “Minus, dicto audientem filium liceat abdicare: Let it be permitted to disown a disobedient son”; following, “Non abdicabis adoptatum: You may not disown a son you have adopted.” (Fantham 325). What does this mean? In Roman culture, a father could disown a natural-born son. But an adopted one? He could not disown him. Why? Because he had been sought out and brought into the family. That was a bond that could not be broken. And it was within this very context that Paul wrote the letters to the Gentiles. They knew what adoption really meant. It meant that all – men and women – were adopted as sons forever. They would not be forsaken by the Lord.

This is what it means when the Scriptures say that we Christians have been adopted to sonship and that we are ingrafted branches. We are not of a natural birth, but sought out and brought into the family of God as sons. We will not be disowned if we stay in Him. Yes, even women are included in sonship. Together, we are called sons of God that we, too, might no longer be strangers to Him, but members of His household and a part of His inheritance (Rom. 8:23, Eph. 1:5, 2:19).

And what does it mean to be adopted as a first-born son? It means that we gain rights as heirs. Heirs were the first born sons in this culture. Now that we are all adopted as sons, we are also such heirs. We Gentiles are heirs and sharers of the promise together with Israel and are made co-heirs with Christ (Eph. 3:6). These are the rights gained as being sons.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

~ Romans 8:17 ~

No matter the reason for changing or wanting to change the translation of these Greek words, it is important as Christians to know what the words mean and why they are important. Sonship does not mean only males in this context, nor does mankind. These are words than encapsulate a greater, spiritual meaning.  We are more than those who follow a teaching, but are Christians. We are more than children, but those adopted to sonship, with all the rights that come with that. We are more than worshipers, but are sons of the living God who suffered, died, and rose again for the sins of His creation. We are formed in the image of our Father, for that is what He is. He is our provider and protector and creator.

We are His through the adoption of sons and heirs besides. Let us not miss out on the significance of this phrase but cling the promises it represents. Let us strive to know more fully what God has in store for us who love Him because He loved us.

Blessings to you and yours,

~Rose

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Fantham, Elaine. Roman Readings: Roman Response to Greek Literature from Plautus to Statius and Quintillian. Berlin: De Gruyter. 2011. p. 325.

“3207.” The New Strong’s Complete Dictionary of Bible Words. 1996. Print.

Advent: Coming and Watch

Merry Christmas and a Joyful Advent to you! Yes indeed, we are well into the season of Advent, a time of celebration, joy, hope, peace, and watchfulness. While some may think of Christmastime as the season where we wait for gifts on the morn of December 25th, to those of the Christian faith, Advent is a time of remembering the coming of Christ, the time of His coming to us, and of looking forward to His second coming.

Advent comes from the Latin ad and venire, together which mean “arrive at” or “come to”. This later was adapted as adventus, which in Ecclesiastical Latin signified the coming of our Lord Jesus, our Saviour. Later, this changed to Advent, which is the season before Christmas, the feast day and mass of Christ’s birth. This phrasing began during the time that Latin was the lingua franca of the world and slowly became the language of the Church. This was the time was to celebrate, or fast, until the Christ Mass, for this was and often still is the way that the Church celebrates saints, holy days, and of course our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

In fact, Advent marks the beginning of the Church year as in Christ we are reborn, made new, and redeemed. Our lives truly begin with Him, so it is fitting that our Church year, as every year and day should, begin with Him as our focus. With this in mind, what do the Scriptures say about the coming Messiah? What of His coming to redeem us? What of His second coming? All of these are addressed at this time, at Advent, and hopefully the basics shall be addressed in the following.

 

The Promised Messiah

To begin, we must go back to the beginning, in Genesis. Even from the beginning, God had promised to send His son to save our sins (Luke 24:27, John 3:16, Rom. 16:20, Titus 1:2).

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

~ Genesis 3:15 ~

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me [Paul] his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, …

~ 2 Timothy 1:8-9 ~

Even after mankind had rebelled against the commands of God, He still provided for His children and foretold of His coming Son, our Saviour.

As time continued, God sent more words to His people about the coming Messiah, as He told Abram, “and all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen. 12:3, 22:18) This, of course was fulfilled with the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, through whom all nations have been blessed. Later, Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, prophesied that the Savior would come from the line of Judah.

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.

~ Genesis 49:10 ~

This was later narrowed down further to a king who came from Judah, a man named David, and it would be from this line that the Messiah would be born (Isa. 11:1-16).

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

~ Isaiah 11:1 ~

The Scriptures also foreshadowed the suffering of the Messiah, such as in the Passover (Exodus 12). He would be the perfect lamb sacrificed for the sins of many, a redeemer from bondage, the firstborn (Luk. 22:1-24:7). David, looking forward to the coming Messiah, spoke of these things”

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grace, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

~ Psalm 16:9-10 ~

Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

~ Psalm 22:16-18 ~

Perhaps, though, Isaiah is the book that contains the most references to the coming Messiah. He is called by many names in this book, all pointing to who He is.

During the reign of Ahaz, who ruled Judah, the land was troubled, because Israel had been divided and Judah feared his northern brothers and neighbors. But the Lord sent Isaiah and spoke of a sign in addition to what would happen before that sign was fulfilled.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

~ Isaiah 7:14 ~

 

In addition, he foretold of the great coming of the Lord and what it will mean for the world.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. … For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

~ Isaiah 9:2, 6-7~

The Lord also told of the one who would prepare the way before Him, which was John the Baptizer (Mal. 3:1). When you read this passage, notice the verse where the phrase “good tidings” which is said at Christmas, and the song “Go Tell it on the Mountain” comes from.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. …”

You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, light up your voice with a shout, lift it up do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

~ Isaiah 40:1-3, 9-11 ~

 

There are many other prophecies and foreshadowings in the Scriptures of the coming Messiah. If you would like to look at more, I encourage you to look at the link provided at the end of this piece. But for now, we will move onto where the Messiah would be born. So far, the Lord provided for a Messiah, said that He would come from Abraham, then Judah, then Jesse and David. This line leads all the way to the location the Messiah would be born, which was in Bethlehem. This was known at the time of Jesus’ birth, as priests and teachers told Herod (Mat. 2:5-6).

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.
He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

~ Micah 5:2-4 ~

 

 

Thus, Israel waited for their coming Messiah, the one who would save them. They knew He would come and knew that the Scriptures needed to be fulfilled before that time. And yet, they did not all know Him when He arrived. And though He was not what they expected, He did come.

 

The Arrival of the Savior

Finally, the long-expected Saviour arrived. Mary, a virgin pledged to be married, was told by the angel Gabriel that she would bear a son and name Him Jesus. Gabriel said, “He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. … The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:31-33, 35).  The conception was truly a miracle. Remember the Creed: Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. What does this mean? Christ had to be both God and man. He had to be perfect and holy and of the line of David. This was a Holy conception by the Lord, the Giver and Maker of life.

Shortly after, Mary and Joseph, still pledged, traveled to Bethlehem, the city of David, to register, and it was here that the Saviour was born, as it was foretold by the prophets (Luke 2:4-7). Many came to see Jesus, including shepherds after they heard the good news from the angels, the magi from the east, and two people at the temple where Jesus was presented. These latter two were Simeon and Anna. Anna was a prophetess and, after having seen the Messiah, gave thanks to the Lord and told all about God’s redemption (Luke 2:36-38). Simeon had been promised by the Lord that he would not die until he saw the Lord’s salvation (Luke 2:25-28).

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

~ Luke 2:29-32 ~

This salvation was not only for the Jews, but even to the Gentiles, all those of the world. As Simeon says here, so too did the Lord say through His prophet Isaiah:

he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light to the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth. ”

~ Isaiah 49:6 ~

As the Lord promised to Abraham, all the nations of the earth would be and were blessed through him via the Messiah, the Christ, our Saviour (Acts 3:24-26). He came, died for our sins, and established a new covenant with us. He paid the ultimate sacrifice with His blood that we could not pay, not with the blood of animals nor our own lives.

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

~ Isaiah 53 ~

Because of His death and resurrection, we may live forever with Him. After Jesus’ ascension, He sent the Holy Spirit to rest among His people. This was on the day of Pentecost, the day which people of every tribe and tongue began to hear the Word of the Lord (Acts 2:1-19). Thus, the Lord continued His work through His people to spread the Gospel and bless all people (Mat. 28:18-20)

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

~ John 3:16 ~

 

Watching and Waiting for Christ’s Return

But for now, the Lord is in heaven and we are on earth. So what are we to do in the meantime? We are to follow His commands, to pray, to preach the Word in and out of season, to read and know His Words, to continue the spread of the Gospel , to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to teach them all He has commanded (Mat. 28:18-20). This is the great commission. But in addition, we are to wait and be watchful for His coming, for He promised that He will come again.

Therefore keep watch, because you d not know one what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect me.

~ Matthew 24:42-44 ~

Thus, we do not know when the great day of the Lord will be, so we watch and wait. During this time, we are in a sort of “second advent” as we are waiting for his Second Coming. While we wait, we serve Him, and do not waste our time away. We have tasks to do as servants of the Lord and, as He has invested in us, we must increase His investment in what we do, teaching others and sharing the Gospel with all people. We must be ready for the day of His return. (Luke 12:35-48, 19:11-27)

But while we wait, we must keep in mind that there will be those who deceive. Many will say that the Lord is here, or has come, or that it will be this date or that (Mat. 24:1-51). We do not know the day, and we must not be lead astray by those who wish to malign the Word of God (2 Thes. 2:1-6). When the day of the Lord is upon us, we will all know! There will be no mistake, not confusion. His coming will be known from one side of earth to the other. It will be great and terrible.

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged! The Judge is standing at the door!

~ James 5:7-9 ~

There will also be those who say that He will not come. These are scoffers and those who wish to claim that the Word of the Lord is not what the Christ said it was, that Christ is not who He is (2 Pet. 3:3-10). We also must be wary of those and not lose heart. The Lord will return. As He foretold and promised that He would come before, so too will He come again. Therefore, we ought to live and follow in His steps, looking forward to the day of His return (2 Pet 3:11-18, 1 John 2:28).

Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash there robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go though the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

~ Revelation 22:12-16 ~

 

The Significance of Advent

To some, the season of Advent does not exist. It is the season of Christmas, which stretched back into October. For some, Christmas is a time for toys and food and fights and reunions. Some of these things are good, some less so. But Christmas is a time of celebration and joy because of Advent, the coming of Christ. Advent and Christmas are celebrated because they celebrate Christ. They do not celebrate what we have done, not our good deeds – sleeping or otherwise – but the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our sins.

This is truly why Christmas is celebrated and why it is so special to Christians. And while Christians remember Christ always, or at least they should, and remember and celebrate His death until He comes again in Holy Communion, during the start of the church year we celebrate his First coming. This is why Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas and Advent are celebrated because Christ came as a baby, walked among us, and saved us from our sins. Now, we wait again, work, and have faith in His second coming.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed Advent to you and yours,

~ Rose

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

~ Revelation 22:20-21 ~

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More Scripture from the Old Testament on the Coming of the Messiah

More Information on the Church Year

“advent.” The Online Etymology Dictionary. 2017.

 

Arphaxad and Aram

Within the past month, I have finally finished my chapter on Arphaxad and his descendants. I never anticipated how long this would take, but that had in large part to do with my lack of knowledge on who or how many those descendants were! There were truly a great number of them. While the Scriptures focus mainly on the line of Shem to Abraham and so forth, there are so many other people who descended from the line of Shem, and namely Arphaxad, who are mentioned in the Scriptures. Some are discussed to a greater extent than others, but they are included nonetheless.

Though all the sons of Shem are those who populated what is now known as the Middle East, it was mostly Arphaxad’s line that dominated. There are the people who mixed in Assyria and Aram who descended from Terah, including Haran and Nahor. Of course, their more famous brother, Abraham, gave rise to many more nations than the two generally discussed. From The Israelites and, partially, the Samaritans arose from Isaac. From Ishmael, the many nations of Arabs, as they were sometimes called, grew to a great power. They were known by many names and many people who lived long after those names were lost seem to have been related to them. These are such as the Ishmaelites, the Hagrites, and even some such as the Nabateans have been conjecture to be related. As discussed before, the Midianites and their brothers also came from Abraham. These were the nations that lived from the western parts of Mesopotamia down through Canaan and even to the southern western parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

Many doubt the presence of Israel and the house of David as having existed when and where they did. Yet the Israelites, those called Iudea, or Omri-land, or Samaria, or the House of David are mentioned all throughout archaeology. They were known by the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Moabites, the Arameans, and the Greeks and Romans. Their presence and place in history was made clear in the Scriptures, but it was also made known again by the artifacts.

Additionally, the people of Lot, who was nephew of Abraham, gave rise to two great nations, one of which left behind a name that remains today in Jordan: Amman. Though Jacob’s line is the better known of Isaac’s two sons, Edom also gave rise to a great nation that often dwelled alongside the Midianites and the Ishmaelites. Their land stretched from the south-east part of Israel, to the Sinai peninsula, down to the southern reaches of Arabia. In fact, they were so close that they often intermarried. Additionally, one of the sons of Edom gave rise to nations known by names other than Edom, such as the Amalekites and Temanites, known elsewhere in Scripture either for good or evil. These people were known then and they are known now by what and whom they have left in each of the regions they settled in.

And after finishing with Arphaxad, I continued with Aram, and it is he whom I have been working on for the last week and a half. His people were in many ways quite simple as compared to some of the rest. Like Israel, they were and still are a well-known nation, though under slightly different names, purposes, and governance now than they were originally. In fact, like Israel, much about who governed them is known because of what is found in the Scriptures. Aram became what is today known as Syria. While this land shares part of its history with Assyria, Babylon, Phoenicia, and some other countries, its people, name, and much of its language can be traced back to this son of Shem. Their leaders are named as far back as the time of the Judges, and their last days are a “superpower”, if you will, are recorded in Kings portions of Scripture as well as in Assyrian annals. Though they were conquered and scattered, their people and language remained, even overcoming the language utilized by Assyria and becoming the lingua franca on a near equal-standing with Greek.

Though many of these names and nations may seem insignificant to the people’s dwelling in these lands now, they are the lands and the people who exist in those lands today. Though many have been scattered, many remained in their homelands and continued on into the present, becoming the people that we know in that land to this day. Many of the Jordanians are descended from Lot. Those in Israel are, and most famously perhaps, descended from Jacob. Those in Syria share their roots with a multitude of people, but still hail to their roots in Asshur, Aram, or another brother or tribe. The people of the Middle East share a history in war, location, and culture. They have interacted with each other, intermarried, and dwelled together for centuries. And as they were brothers then, they are still so now. Each of these nations from Arphaxad and each place they settled in are essentially unchanged unto today.

Just as I hope for the rest of the world, perhaps one day these brothers may see themselves as such and live in peace with other another.

Blessings to you and yours,

~Rose

 

 

The People of Lot

While the story surrounding Lot and his wife is among the lesser of the well-known accounts in Scripture, the story of the people who came from him is almost overlooked entirely. When people talk about Lot, in my experience at least, they talk only about two things: he was Abraham’s nephew and his wife turned into a pillar of salt. Sometimes they talk about how he separated from Abraham, as that is how he and his family eventually ended up in Sodom. But few talk about the circumstances surrounding his daughters and their sons. Though having children by their father was not right, God still provided for them after the Exodus and during the conquest of Canaan, telling the Israelites that He had given the sons of Lot an inheritance in the land (Deut. 2:9, 19, & 37, Jdg. 11:15). But what is specifically fascinating about Moab and Ben-Ammiy is in their names.

Moab will come first as his was the older of the sons. His name is מוֹאָב comes from the Hebrew word אָב which means father and sometimes as a forefather (Strong’s “4124.”, “1.”). Thus, Moab or מוֹאָב means “from the father” or “of the father”. In other languages, however, while the basic form of the name remains the same, some of the meaning is lost. In Assyrian records, Moab’s name is rendered as both “Ma’abaya” and “^mat Mua’aba-a-a“. In Egypt, the name is “mwib“. The Mesha Stele renders the name Moab similarly to Hebrew, Canaanite, and Egyptian, appearing something like “mab”. Thus, in many languages and lands, Moab’s name survived essentially untouched.

Ben-Ammiy, or Ammon, also survived the test of time, not only in apparent spelling but also in meaning. While most call the land of Ben-Ammiy Ammon, the proper rendering of his name is Ben-Ammiy. The name Ben-Ammiy is בֶּן־עַמִּי in Hebrew, coming from בֵּן or “ben” meaning son and עַם or “am” meaning nation, people, or tribe (Strong’s “1151.”, “1121.”, “5971.”). Thus, Ben-Ammiy literally means “son of my people”. In Ammonite territory, an osctraca was found with “bn ‘m[n]“, which translate to “the people of Ammon”. In Ugaritic inscriptions, the name for Ammon was either “‘my” or “bn’myn“, similar to Ben-Ammiy and meaning essentially the same as the Hebrew. The Assyrian name for Ben-Ammiy is even more akin to the original name than even what they gave to Moab, calling the Ammonites “^matBit-Am-man-na-a-a” a name translated as either Beth or Bit-Ammon. This much more similar to the original name. Finally, Ammon currently remains in the name of the capital of Jordan: Amman. In the past, the name of this city has been Philadelphia, Rabbah, and Rabbath Ammon. When Rabbath Ammon is literally translated, it means “the capital of Ammon’s sons”. In truth, this is how the beth, bit, bath, or ben is translated in most cases – as son.

Even to this day the sons of Ben-Ammiy and Moab are found in this region of Jordan. Although many other people have moved and left this area, including Esau’s, Ishmael’s, Ashur’s, and many other’s sons, it was Moab and Ben-Ammiy who left their names so strongly on this part of the land for so many generations. And all of these children of Lot and Abraham, who both come from Arphaxad, along with their brother’s have grown up and remained in this land and peopled it to this day. Perhaps one day others, in seeing their neighbor as a brother, will grow to them as such.

Blessings,

~Rose

 

Book Update, the Middle East, and the World

Well, it has been over a month since the last time I have given any sort of update on my book. This is much longer than I would have hopped to go, but alas that is how things are. I have yet to finish this section, but hopefully that will happen soon so I can begin work on Aram and start editing! I would thought I would be less surprised about how long this section is taking, but I suppose I never really considered just how many people are connected to Arphaxad. I would think that just about everyone knows that the Israelites, Ishmaelites, and Edomites come from his line, namely that of Abraham, but there are frankly just so many more, more than I initially even planned for.

Some who may have written this book, and as I have seen those who have written similar books do, would have probably skipped over some of these people. They do not seeem important enough to the greater scope of history. Why bother to write about Abram’s brothers? Why worry about the descendants of Lot? Do the Edomites actually matter to the rest of Scripture, let alone world history? How do other people mentioned in the Bible, like the Amalekites, actually play in? The Midianites? The book of Job?

Believe it or not, a lot of them do.

To begin, Edom had more people come from him than just the Edomites. The Amalekites and the Temanites also come from him. And while they may not seem all that important, the Amalekites were one of the most infamous enemies of the Israelites and may have been a thorn in their side possibly to the time of Esther. And many people may have not have heard of the Temanites, but the only other Eliphaz mentioned in the Bible – for their were only two – was a friend of Job, descended from Eliphaz, son of Edom and father of Teman. And while we are on the subject of Job, another of his friends, a Shuhite, was descended from a son of Abraham named Shuah. This helps locate Job, the man from, Uz, where and when he might have been located, probably east of Israel in Edom, and why he is so closely connected to the Scriptures at all. Additionally, Midian, a sometimes ally/sometimes foe of Israel, was in fact a people who were in large part descended from Abraham from his wife Keturah. They made up many different groups of nomads throughout the southeastern part of Saudi Arabia. Did you know that Abraham actually has eight sons, not just two? Most do not and I plainly forgot, let alone knew the implications of each people. This is not even to mention the Moabites and Ammonites, though I have yet to research these “sons” of Lot.

While most consider the Arabs to be this “single group” in regards to “ethnicity”, this is not necessarily so. In the north many are from Asshur, Nahor and his family, Aram, Nimrod, and even Arphaxad. In the south, many are actually descended from Cush, Joktan, and others. In the middle, there is Madai and Elam on one side, and Edom, Moab, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia, and so many more, not to even the aforementioned Canaanites. These people are a diverse group, and their connection to Abraham through Ishmael and Keturah has only just begun to be uncovered. It is amazing and overwhelming. There is so much history, so much genealogy to be found in the Middle East. It is little wonder why Mesopotamia is referred to as the Cradle of Civilization.

All of this is to make a partial point that I have been wanting to make with these posts and my book on a large-scale. Each of these groups in the Middle East, on the level that I am discussing them on, could be divided into different people groups. Yet even that can be difficult as they intermarried so often. For example, Edom had two Canaanite wives and one who was daughter to Ishmael. Boaz, of the line of Judah and Christ, married a Moabitess. This is not to mention all of the intermarrying before that – from Midianite Zaporah to different Canaanite women during the Judges. And this is just for Israel. The list could go on, but the point I make is this: while thier “nationality” is often called different, for most of these people groups, their parentage is the same. As I mentioned at the beginning, why bother to account for all of these groups? Because at the end of this, they are one of the many that made up what is today largely known as the Middle East. While the land is under different names today, all those people are basically descended from those original settlers in one way or another. Moreover, all of them are still traced back to these three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. In fact, I’ve mentioned descendants from all three of these sons in this post as all leaving descendants in the Middle East.

We are all of one blood, and that is something that not only should be remembered but also repeated in daily life. There is so much strife in the world over race and whatnot, yet this is strife among brothers, among siblings. No matter where you go, especially today, it is difficult to find a group that is not of “mixed heritage”. And while it is good to be interested or proud of where your family came from,  everyone in the world is related through these three sons of Noah, and in turn, we are all children of Adam and Eve. This should be our focus: to remember that we are all of one blood and because of that we should treat, think of, and love each other as such.

God’s blessings, my family,

~Rose

On the Seven Churches of Asia

As unsurprising as it should be, in my search for the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth I have discovered a greater connection to the early church beyond Acts 2.

It has been a little while since I have given an update on my book, and much has happened in between then and now. I have traveled across state back and forth twice, visited new coasts, picked blueberries, and begun packing to move. And while that has slowed progress on my book, I have not stopped writing completely. For the last three weeks I have been working on Arphaxad, third son of Shem. But I had to pause my work. He left more than one line, much like Gomer, and fathered a people beyond the line of Abraham. Because of that, I am still not done with his descendants chapter and will have to update you all of their story later.

But in order to save my sanity – for three weeks of searching for a name can wear on a gal – I worked on and finished Lud, the fourth son of Shem. He is what brings this post to the churches of Asia.

Lud and his people were not easy to find. In fact, I went searching for one word in any text for three days before I found it. In some ways, he and his people disappeared from much of history (and this is after the Hittites, who are simple by comparison). This is mainly because they separated from the rest of the world that, frankly, kept tabs on the people around them. People like the Assyrians, Babylonians, Medians, and of course the Israelites. Israel, their cousins so to speak basically only recorded their existence in prophecy, seeming to have little if any contact with them. Later, the Greeks and Romans kept records of them, even arriving at a mythology loosely based on truth, but such records are posthumous, if you will. Yet in the midst of those records, Lud and his people were found. At the end of it all, I found that they were the Lydians in south-west of Anatolia.

Originally, they were called the Lud or Luddu. While they were descended from Shem, in later times the people appeared more like the sons of Japheth rather than of Shem. For instance, their language was similar to those which came from Javan and their location on the coast probably led to Phoenician influence. Because of these factors and others, Lud was very hard to trace. There are only a handful of references to them in the Scriptures. Also, many confuse them with Mizraim’s son’s people the Luddim, who became the Lybians. But one reference is that the Gospel would be shared with them, and shared with them it was.

While Paul and Silas were on their journey through Anatolia, they stopped at a river and met a group of women there, one of them named Lydia. She dealt in purple cloth, making one wonder about the Phoenician influence. More importantly, she and her family became Christians, and though Paul met her outside of her hometown, she was from a city called Thyatira. This city happens to be one once held by the Lydians. And not only was the city once of Lydia, it was also one of the seven churches written to in the book of Revelation.

In fact, Ephesus, Thyatira, Smyrna, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Sardis were all cities housing churches which were written to in the book of Revelation. All were also found in Lydia. Ephesus even had an epistle written to it, and there was possibly even a letter written to Laodicea. Thus, the prophecy, found in the book of Isaiah, that those in Lud would hear the Word of the Lord was fulfilled.

While very little was known or written about the Lydians, especially their origins in secular history, they were not forgotten regarding the Gospel. Not only was the Gospel sent to them, they were centers of the early christian Church, receiving praise and warning in the book of Revelation. Though their genetic and historical legacy is vague at best, despite that what I can find shows they are in fact descended from Lud, they were not forgotten in the spiritual inheritance as sons. And this lineage is more important than even my task at hand – to find the genealogical lineage of the nations. For in truth, though the nations were separated at Babel and we are of one blood, in Christ, we are all of one body, joined in the inheritance of Christ and united in one family: His Church.

Blessings to you and yours,

~Rose

Shem: the Final Son

The title makes it sound like some epic climax, and in some ways it is. But for the most part, the next step in the direction of this final son, Shem, is really an entire journey all to himself. For starters, I finally finished the Canaanites. I never thought that dissecting the past of the Canaanites would have been so difficult. But with their number, and holding to the fact that “the Canaanite tribes scattered,” I should have recognized the warning.

But now I am starting on the final son of Noah. I say final because he is the last listed within the table of nations, but it is highly unlikely that he was the last born son. What is more likely is that he was the second born after Japheth and Ham was his younger brother. But his description of descendants is left for last in the table of nations. This makes the most sense as his genealogy is of great importance within the Scriptures. After all, it is from his line that the Christ was from. Following the account of the Tower of Babel, the line from Shem is continued through his son Arphaxad to Abram, the man who was the father of Israel and in the genealogy of Christ.

Unlike the other descendants of Japheth and Ham, those of Shem generally stayed in one general location, and that is within the middle East. He had five sons: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. Like many other nations, the people and nations that came from them were also named after them. Elam became the Elamites. They dwelled south of Madai, who became the Medes, and the Elamaites became the Persians. Together they would end up conquering Babylon. Asshur, possibly the most apparent of the group, fathered the Assyrian Empire, which was named after him. Lud has yet to be fully discovered, but likely his people lived in southern Anatolia. Aram is also something of a mystery, and yet, there is a group within the Middle East called Arameans who may be his descendants. While Arphaxad is clearly the father of Israel, Abram’s family came from Ur of the Chaldeans. While this is sometimes the name used for Babylon, this people might have come from Arphaxad. But then again, I have yet to find the links to each of these groups. And thus, the search begins!

So as has been the case for the last few months (and years), the research continues. But, now I am something like a third done with the book. Of course, a lot of editing and intro-conclusion work is yet to be started. Still, the idea of being nearly a third done with the draft and it only being about half-way through the year, I am rather excited.

Blessings to you and yours,

~Rose