Daily Devotions
Genesis
"I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God…" Psalm 17:6a
Text: Genesis 12:1-20
INHABITANTS IN THE LAND OF CANAAN
God promised that He would give land where his posterity would become a nation one day. Where was this Promised Land? Who were the inhabitants of the land at this time? Let us consider the following texts for the answer.
“So they came to the land of Canaan.
Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem,
as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites
were then in the land.”GENESIS 12:5f-6
“The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan…
Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed…
And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go
toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward
Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.”GENESIS 10:6,18b-19
The Canaanites were descendants of Ham. By the time God spoke to Abram, whatever blood ties between the present generations were completely lost! They were different in at least two ways!
1. Language
They spoke different languages. This may be understood in the light of the confusion God brought about when He disrupted the arrogant plans of the builders of the Tower of Babel!
2. Faith and Religion
They certainly had vastly different ideas of religion. The Canaanites had become idol worshippers! Abram maintained a monotheistic faith! He also rejected the idea of idol worshipping!
THE WORSHIP OF GOD IN DAYS OF OLD
What was worship like in the ancient days? How did Cain and Abel worship God? For that matter, how did Noah worship the Lord? And Abram?
1. A Simple Symbolic Altar
In all cases, it would appear that all set up altars as Noah did.
“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean
animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings
on the altar.”GENESIS 8:20 (Cf. Genesis 12:8)
2. A genuine faith in God
There is no question about the genuine faith of these men of God!