Two Timelines

This year, for my Bible study, I am enjoying my chronological Bible. I love the perspective it brings, as it arranges everything in chronological order. I’m still in Genesis, so there’s not any difference so far; but once I get into the Samuels, Kings, and Chronicles, it really helps straighten things out for me. I’m keeping a spiral notebook to jot down major events; and of course I add lots of sticky notes as I think of “what ifs,” odd thoughts, and questions.

I posted an Adam to Noah Timeline some time ago. Now I’ve made a Shem to Abram Timeline. I find it interesting that Shem was still alive when Abram / Abraham was born and, in fact, died shortly after Abraham.

Shem was God’s chosen line of salvation (Genesis 9.26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem…). So God had made Himself known to Shem and his descendants; and Abraham and his family were followers of Jehovah. When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac, he made the servant swear NOT to let Isaac marry a daughter of the Canaanites, But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac (Genesis 24.4). It was because he knew that his family were followers of Jehovah. (Evidence Genesis 24.50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.)

This cleared up a few things for me, because I’d wondered if God had just chosen some random pagan when He chose Abraham. Well, of course He didn’t, because God doesn’t work that way; but I liked that He filled in some info for me.

Here are the timelines:

Adam to Noah Timeline

Shem to Abram Timeline

Ark Encounter

We visited The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY. Another Wow Wow! Please put this on your list – it’s amazing and incredible. I so appreciated, in both the Creation Museum and The Ark Encounter, that they pointed in all ways, in all things, to God, and gave Him glory.

The Ark is an exact replica of Noah’s ark, as closely as they were able, from the instructions God gave Noah in the Bible. It is made mostly of wood, and they employed several Amish woodworkers. All the money was donated – no taxes were used.

The shuttle dropped us at the Answer Center: they show two videos right off at 9:15, the first of which is about the building of the Ark. It’s worth it to watch before walking over to the Ark itself.

The rest of the photos will, I hope speak for themselves. As always, photos cannot convey the experience, but here is a small taste:

Homemade Timeline

I am posting a series I started (privately) some time ago and never continued, titled “Revelations from Genesis.” As I read the book of Genesis, I am always amazed at how much there is in this book: God intimates why He created us, He gives us a peek at how mighty and awesome and majestic He really is, He shows us why we need salvation, He outlines and details His plan of salvation, He shows us why we can’t do it ourselves, He paints pictures of His love for us and our need for Him; and He presents a tailored plan on how He designed us to live – what’s most healthy and satisfying and joy-bringing.

I begin the series with a timeline I created. I like a good picture, and I couldn’t find one, so I made one. It is accurate, as far as I know how to make it. If anyone sees discrepancies, please let meknow.

Some items of note from this visual:

• Because people lived so long, they really got to know their family groups: grandbabies and great-great nephews and nieces and sons and shirttail in-laws mingled with one another.  All the way up to Methuselah, ancestors could speak directly with Adam (and maybe Eve?) and hear what it was like in the Garden, to walk with God and be without sin.
• It looks like maybe Methuselah and possibly Lamech died in the Flood. Noah was born 126 years after Adam died, and maybe born while Seth was still alive. These folks must have felt very related to each other. I don’t think they moved far away like we do now. There was interaction, and they knew their bloodlines. What did Noah think when God closed the door of the ark? Noah knew his relatives were still out there. But he had faith. Faith that God cared for each of them as much as He did for Noah himself, and that all lives were in His capable and loving hands.