What would you say? Class 12/12/21 (Thanks to Michelle for the write up)
Steve provided a link explaining some history on the grandsons of Noah. They populated parts of Europe, Russia, Asia, Africa. Some of the grandsons were worshipped and treated like gods, one became 2 of the Greek gods- Zeus and Thor. People were named after these grandsons also..the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus records that the people who were called Galatians or Gauls in his day (c. AD 93) were previously called Gomerites (descendants of Gomer - Noah's first grandson).
It is interesting to note that the word ‘Aryan’, which so fascinated Adolf Hitler, is a form of the word ‘Iran’. Hitler wanted to produce a pure Aryan ‘race’ of supermen. But the very term ‘Aryan’ signifies a mixed line of Semites and Japhethites!
The first generations after the Flood lived to be very old, with some men outliving their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. This set them apart. The 16 grandsons of Noah were the heads of their family clans, which became large populations in their respective areas. Several things happened:
People in various areas called themselves by the name of the man who was their common ancestor.
They called their land, and often their major city and major river, by his name.
Sometimes the various nations fell off into ancestor worship. When this happened, it was natural for them to name their god after the man who was the ancestor of all of them, or to claim their long-living ancestor as their god.
All of this means that the evidence has been preserved in a way that can never be lost, and all the ingenuity of man cannot erase. We will now examine it.
Please scan/read the link- lots to overwhelm and give you a history lesson!
Conclusion: We have only taken the briefest glance at Noah’s sixteen grandsons,14 but enough has been said to show that they really did live, that they were who the Bible says they were, and that their descendants are identifiable on the pages of history. Not only is the Bible not a collection of myths and legends, but it stands alone as the key to the history of the earliest ages of the world.
https://creation.com/the-sixteen-grandsons-of-noah
The sixteen grandsons of Noah - creation.com
Some of the Gomerites migrated further to what is now called Wales. The Welsh historian, Davis, records a traditional Welsh belief that the descendants of Gomer ‘landed on the Isle of Britain from France, about three hundred years after the flood’. 2 He also records that the Welsh language is called Gomeraeg (after their ancestor Gomer). Other members of their clan settled along the way ...
creation.com
Then we continued on with the Bible Project, seeing an overview of the 2nd half of Genesis and seeing the link between the 2 halves- God's promise to Abraham. The first part begins in the garden where we see the downward spiral of self-destruction and ends in the tower of Babel when the rebellious humanity is scattered by God. The second half is about one man's family. The link between two halves is Abraham- through him and his family will find God's blessings. God is trying to restore the humanity of the goodness of the garden, his rescue plan for the whole of humanity. Each generation God renews that promise and uses them to bless their future. However, there is lots of dysfunction in this family. Joseph's famous line we need to remember: You planned all this for evil, but God planned it for good and to save people's lives.
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/torah-genesis-2/
Watch: Genesis 12-50 Torah Series Video | BibleProject™
The Israelites Delivered. This brings us to the second book of the Torah, Exodus. Here, the Israelites are enslaved to the Egyptians, and the first half of the book focuses on how God raises up Moses to deliver His people from the Egyptians.
bibleproject.com
So Abraham offered Lot his nephew to choose where he wanted to settle his family because they were both prosperous. Lot chose to settle close to Sodom and Gomorrah. Do you remember the rest of the story?
What would you say if someone says God Didn't Punish Sodom and Gomorrah for Homosexuality?
1. The context of Genesis makes the meaning of the Sodom story clear.
2. Another scripture confirms the connection between Sodom and homosexuality.
https://watwouldyousay.org/god-didnt-punish-sodom-and-gomorrah-for-homosexuality-2/
God Didn't Punish Sodom and Gomorrah for Homosexuality - What Would You Say
You’re in a conversation about the Bible and homosexuality and someone says to you “God didn’t punish Sodom and Gomorrah for homosexuality, he punished them for inhospitality, promiscuity, and sexual violence.” What would you say? In the book of Genesis, God sent angels in the form of men to visit the town of Sodom in ...
whatwouldyousay.org
What about business owners' who do not want to serve people who are homosexual? Cake maker? The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who had refused to create a wedding cake for a gay couple. The court’s decision was narrow, and it left open the larger question of whether a business can discriminate against gay men and lesbians based on rights protected by the First Amendment.
We all provide services to others even though we don't with their actions, we just love and serve as Jesus would.
It was brought up that sexuality is now more about what you feel rather than the previous argument that it is genetic makeup.
https://whatwouldyousay.org/is-being-gay-genetic/
Is Being Gay Genetic? - What Would You Say
You’re in a conversation and someone says, “People can’t help being gay. It’s part of their genetic makeup.” What would you say? Because the search to find a biological cause for sexual orientation has been largely unsuccessful, it has continued to change.
whatwouldyousay.org
First, genetics only play a small role in determining sexual orientation.
Second, genetics cannot predict whether a person is gay or straight.
Third, sexuality is not WHO you are, it’s HOW you are.
More discussion about Dr. Christopher Yuan in the future. (speaker from the video above)
Hope you found some of this interesting and plan to attend future discussions. Please suggest topics you'd like to discuss.
Next meeting: Dec 19th, 2021 on Miracles
