Jeremiah 29:11

With the rising cost of gasoline and oil I thought it would be interesting to know why we have this problem which dates back to biblical times.

The Historical and Biblical Basis of the Conflict:

Focus • Analysis of the cause of the conflict indicated in the Bible

In this study we will look at:

the Biblical account of the origin of the conflict through

• Abraham;
• Isaac and Ishmael;
• Jacob and Esau;
• Moab and Ammon; and,
• other regions.

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Map 4: Middle East Countries today

Noah and Shem
Indirectly, the scene set for the conflict begins after the great Flood. You will recall that only Noah was saved from destruction, together with his family (Genesis 9:18). That family included three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth. Genesis 10 contains a record of what happened to the descendants of each of the sons. Of particular interest is the son, Shem. These descendants became known as the ‘Shemites' a term that was later modified to ‘Semites' A descendant of Shem was Eber. At this time (immediately after the Flood) and for some period afterwards, there was only one language. In what can be seen as one of the many occasions men disregarded God, the people decided to build a tower that demonstrated their own prowess • "so that we may make a name for ourselves" (Genesis 11:4). God was displeased and dispersed them to all parts of the earth, and also punished them by confusing their language. The tower was called Babel (hence our very appropriate word ‘babble'. The term ‘Babylon' had its origins in the word ‘Babel'. This area now corresponds to Iran/Iraq. Shem’s descendents inhabited the area from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean, including the area then called Ur of the Chaldees • again, Iran and Iraq, or the area formerly known as Persia. Of considerable significance is that the word Eber, the descendant of Shem (the ‘Semite', gave rise to the word ‘Hebrew'.

Abraham • the foundation
Part of the dispersal involved the descendants of Shem, Eber, and later Terah (who had three sons, Abram, Nahor and Haran), living in Ur of the Chaldees. So, even though the Semites/Hebrews eventually settled in the land now known as Israel and the surrounding regions, they initially started just north of the tip of the Persian Gulf (see Map 6).

The way they began to migrate is clearly indicated in Genesis 12. God called Abram (the name by which he was then known) to travel from Ur of the Chaldees into the land later known as Canaan. Here we see the directness of God. He chose His people and placed them in the land in which He wanted them to live. It is important to note at this stage that this is a reference to the whole of the Semitic people that included the Jews and Arabs.

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Map 5: Abram’s journey

Abram was given a promise before he left. God said:

• He would make Abram and his descendants a great nation;
• He would bless them;
• He would bless those who blessed Abram’s descendants and curse those who cursed them; and,
• that all people of the earth would be blessed through Abraham.
(Genesis 12:2-3)

Abram travelled with Lot • his nephew. (Lot was the son of Haran.) Some time after they arrived in Canaan there was contention between Abram’s and Lot’s herdsmen, Abram gave Lot the choice of land in which he could take his cattle. Lot chose the best-looking pastures. These were in the land of Jordan, to the east of the Jordan River. The land included the notorious cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was after Lot left that God reiterated His promise to Abram. He said that:

• all the land he saw would be his; and,
• he would have numerous offspring.
(Genesis 13:14-17)

(God changed Abram’s name to Abraham. The former meant ‘Friend of God' and the latter means ‘Father of many nations'. It is obvious from this that

Jeremiah 29:11

Here is the Genesis account out of Chapter 25 and 27 where the conflict all started:

The Death of Abraham
1 Abraham took [a] another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.

7 Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.

Ishmael's Sons
12 This is the account of Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Sarah's maidservant, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.

13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps. 17 Altogether, Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. 18 His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward [c] all their brothers.

Jacob and Esau
19 This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram [d] and sister of Laban the Aramean.

21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.

23 The LORD said to her,
"Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger."

24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. [e] 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. [f] Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom. [g] )

31 Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright."

32 "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?"

33 But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.

[b]Chapte

RLSH700

There were a few things I had forgotten about, namely the route of the name "Semites." I think a lot of life lessons can be gained from all of this. Cheating and stealing from others can cause grudges and fighting that goes on for generations. Cheating on your spouse will come back and haunt you. The children from such a fling will resent their half siblings as they are not accepted as wanted. Reading though the relationship of Jacob and Esau always gets me irritated. Jacob was a very dishonest person to have stolen Esau's blessing and birthright, but Esau should have been smarter.

It also strikes me as ironic how God kept blessing such an immoral person as Jacob. He pretty much broke just about every commandment applying to how you treat other humans (granted they weren't written yet). He did not honor his father's wishes, he covitted his brother's blessing and birthright, he stole Esau's blessing, he committed adultry. About the only thing he didn't do is kill anyone (at least not from what I can remember).

You're right Jeremiah, when you look at the history it explains why these people are constantly fighting with each other. Some of the same problems are in my mom's family. My Grandfather and his brothers and sisters were constantly fighting about the most stupid things throughout their whole lives. They would fight over the feeling that my Grandfather was the favorite of my Great Grandparents. The only real evidence of that was how my Great Grandmother rejected my uncles' chooses for their spouses, and honestly I can't say that I blame her as they are not very friendly people and have contributed more than their share of the division. Even after my Grandfather died, the fighting continues as they pick on my mother who is a very friendly person. I'm getting tired of hearing them call her names and insult her everytime she tries to talk to them. All I have to say is if they ever treat her with disrespect around me, I will remind them about what my Great Grandmother had said about them, because I'm really tired of this childish behavior. My Dad's family is over double the size and yet everyone gets along like best friends, so why can't those nutcases in my mom's family get a life.

joeyr

Also we cannot forget the curse of the land through Adam and Cain, God cursed the land in which Adam sinned and where Cain he slew his brother Abel which is Also in the region of Iraq. (Gen 3:17; 5:29) Nod is present day Iran


Isaiah 46:9-10

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Genesis means the begininng and where the rivers in which flowed through Eden (Genesis 2: 8-14), The rivers which flowed through it where namely the rivers Hiddekel (Tigris) and Euphrates flow through Iraq.




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Axel

This really doesn't give me to much hope in many ways. My knowledge, dare I say, is weak when it comes to the Bible and I must admit that I have a lot to learn. Kind of like will I be forgiven for the things I have done in the past if I ask for forgiveness, or because of the wrong I have done will I be punished for it and so my offspring also? I will get to that in a moment though.

I'm worried for America because of what I see. Many things during the wars of past have fallen in our favor, what many people would call luck, but what I would call something so much more. Germany was on the verge of making the first jet plane and many more things, but just before that happened everything seemed to come down around them.

America has been a God fearing nation for a long time, many things have been contested and fought for in God's favor. What worries me is a lot of that seems to have been changing. Gay right or marriage is no beeing fought for and winning in some states, "God" is being taken away from anything that has to do with the government, like the commandments and such, people, or a person, fought to get the Bible out of the school and has won. Basically, we are working to push God out of our country and the people who are for God seem to be sitting quiet and doing nothing, other then the AFA and even then they are limited. Christmas is now turning into a holiday because we are afraid to offend people.

I think my main concern is when will we lose? When will we fall? Will the next world war be the one that takes us down? I can't imagine a country so against God, or the government that's so against God running the country and the people doing nothing to stand up to them, actually stay in His favor for to much longer. It's a very scary thing to think about.

An example to the start of our fall may be hurricane Katrina. I'm sure many people are saying how could God let this happen, my question is how could all these people let the government and other people remove God from our country? Funny how people expect somone or something else to do something for them, but they aren't going to do anything for that someone or something else. I'll admit, I'm as guilty as everyone else not doing anything so in all rights I have no right to God's protection either.

Maybe I'm way off in my thinking, but it is what I've been observing with everything that has been going on around here lately. Major change of events that have been going on, dare I refer to Revelations, though I think we have a ways to go before things to get much worse and the end comes.

Now here's where I ask if I found a way to curse myself and any offspring that I were to have, maybe more to the point that I shouldn't have now. My current wife, she has two kids with two different people. One when she wasn't married and one when she was married. She committed adultry while with her ex husband, not a great man as it was, but no excuse none the less, and then again with me. Thing is we were busted in his house and thankfully things didn't turn into something bad at that point being that he came in on us and I had a fully loaded weapon.

Moving on, we stayed "together", though didn't live together though that doesn't matter much since we did other things, while they were married, but separated. Once they were divorced, her and I got married. During this process we ended up with four children.....so to speak. None of them were born. The first one was lost in a miscarriage and the rest were lost to abortion because of my idiocity, if there is such a word. One being four months along that I'm having a hard time moving on with, his due date would have been Thanksgiving. What's even worse about all of this is that we were trying while she was still married, yeah, talk about stupid, but it thankfully never happened. Would have been even more odd had her ex gotten him pregnant. Don't ask, just stupidity on both of our pa

joeyr

Yeah he was dishonest and a jerk, but that is why I liked him he was a trickster just like David. His name means to supplant and it was foretold that the younger would rule over the older (you see this again with his son Joseph). The only thing is that I thought that esau forgave Jacob in

Gen 32 (1-19)

And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight. And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;
And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape. And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;
Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.
And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.

Gen 33 3-4

1And Jacob lifted up his eye

Axel

Wow. Definitely a good comeback, but what I have noticed with these countries in war, or people who aren't, people like to take certain part of the Bible and apply them the way they wish. Well, we were promised this in this part of the Bible while another country, or person, may say that we were promised this. If everyone took it as a whole then things may be very different at this point, or in that case if everyone actually followed the Bible and not some other books which actually promote violence.

joeyr

Thanks Axel, I often struggle with bible knowledge as well, so dont feel so bad about that.

Jeremiah 29:11

Axel, those are awesome words of wisdom and you are exactly right.

Unfortunately, other religions believe the Bible is corrupt.

RLSH700

I remember that as well joeyr, the thing though is although Esau might have forgiven Jacob, it doesn't mean that the generations later won't resent and want revenge after they see the land and properity that they should have had. I know in later reference they make references to his decendents fighting with Jacob's.

Axle, my advice is look to look at Paul's letters in the New Testament. Under his older name Saul, he assisted in the persecution of Christians and God forgave him. All you have to do is ask for God's forgiveness and you will have it. It doesn't mean though that bad things won't happen as a result of the earlier mistakes, but at least you will be forgiven by God which is more important than anything else. Something I have found is that God normally uses people that have previously been living a life that is the opposite of the way God taught us. Many of the people I have known that head a lot of pro-life organizations are actually women who had abortions and later decided it was the wrong thing to do. God might have something special in mind for you. As for the section in your second post that Jeremiah discussed, you are right. The problem is a lot of these other books inspire violence and encourages revenge. The problem that these people fail to see is that constant revenge against each other is going to lead to a never ending war that will continue to exist until the end of time itself; unfortunately as Jeremiah pointed out, they won't trust the Bible because they have been told it is false and many follow a book of propoganda that encourages death. It's very sad.