Pastor, Father, Grandfather who loves Jesus
Pastor Chris,
WERE THE SHEMITES PRESENT WHEN THE TOWER OF BABEL WAS BUILT?
~ H.B.
Dear H.B.,
Yes, the Shemites were present at the time of the Tower of Babel. The story of the tower is recorded in Genesis 11. The tower was built after the flood. Shem and his descendants are listed in Genesis 10:21-31.
Pastor Chris
Pastor Chris,
Who are the people that dwelt in the land of nod,on the east of Eden who Cain went to live amongst after he slew Abel.
Because the bible indicates that Cain Knew his wife,where was the wife from because God only created Adam and gave him a helper Eve, so where did Cain’s wife come from? It is not indicated anywhere that there were other humans that.
~ Rodah
Rodah,
The Bible does not list all of Adam and Eve’s children by name. It says in Genesis 5:4 that “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters” (NIV). Therefore brothers and sisters married. It was not until many years later during the time of Moses that prohibitions against marrying close relatives were given (Leviticus 20:17).
~ Pastor Chris
Pastor Chris,
I hate to admit this, but I’m so lost in my life right now and I’ve been struggling with God for about five months now and I don’t understand; all though I try so hard too. I want to believe so bad I get so angry with myself, because the Bible seems so important, but I’m struggling with the fact on How God can see us and know what each one of us are doing. I pray all the time about this, constantly, but I know it’s my own minds problem. I know the Bible states that God is everywhere, but it’s really really hard for me to grasp. Why does everybody seem to get it and I don’t?
~ Jennifer
Jennifer,
Everyone has questions about God. You are not alone.
It helps me to read Genesis 1 which describes God as the Creator of everything. I also find my heart renewed in my experience of His majesty when I consider the stars and galaxies of outer-space. The vastness and the complexity of the universe (macrocosm and microcosm) goes beyond the imagination. One of my favorite books on this subject is Powers of Ten: About the Relative Size of Things in the Universe by Phillip Morrison and Phylis Morrison. This book is filled with fascinating photographs of the inner universe and the outer universe that are breath-taking.
We are created beings and cannot know everything or even understand everything. Sometimes I think that if God explained everything that even then I would not understand. An imperfect analogy would be a professor of mathematics trying to explain calculus to an infant. The baby is not going to understand. We are infants in these matters.
You might consider reading the Bible in a contemporary translation like The Message or The Living Bible. Passages like Genesis 1; Psalm 8; Psalm 148; Revelation 21-22 reveal the majesty of our God and will help you trust Him with the unknowable. The bottom line is this: Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). If you want to know what God is like, study the life of His Son.
~ Pastor Chris
Pastor Chris,
I was reading in genesis about the fall of man. I came across a verse I never noticed before and do not quite understand. I was wondering if you could offer some insight into the meaning of this verse. In genesis3:16, the bible says, “and god said to the woman, ‘your desire will be for you husband but he shall rule over you.'”
I Am very confused as to what this verse is saying about e husbanD/wife relationship.
~ Leanna
Leeanna,
You have asked a significant question. I commend you for searching the Scriptures thoughtfully, prayerfully, and diligently.
God has perfect relationships within the Trinity. There is perfect communion between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When God put Adam and Eve in the garden they had perfect relationships, too. They had perfect communion with each other and with God.
Genesis 3:16 comes after Adam and Eve sinned. When they sinned they broke fellowship with God and with each other. Relationships were fractured.
Sin carries consequences. Genesis 3:16 speaks to some of the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin.
It is interesting to read how different versions of the Bible translate this verse.
And you will desire to control your husband,
but he will rule over you. NLT
You’ll want to please your husband,
but he’ll lord it over you. THE MESSAGE
Your desire will be for your husband,
yet he will dominate you. HCSB
you shall welcome your husband’s affections,
and he shall be your master. TLB
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.” NIV
When a husband is acting out of his flesh (sin nature) he can become unreasonable and demanding. When a wife is acting out of her flesh she can become controlling (NLT) and can put her husband before God (your desire will be for your husband).
In all of life the first priority is God Himself. When that priority is in place we live better, we treat each other better, and we know God’s perfect peace. The Bible says, “live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature”
(Galatians 5:16, NIV).
Some good books on the roles and responsibilities of husbands and wives in marriage from a biblical perspective are:
Strike the Original Match by Charles R. Swindoll
Different by Design by John MacArthur, Jr.
Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs
His Needs, Her Needs by Willard F. Harley, Jr.
The 5 Love Languages by Gary D. Chapman
God bless you!
~ Pastor Chris