There may be something to birth order.
Maybe you’ve heard about it. Research has been conducted on the personalities and leadership abilities of first, second, and third-born children. Regardless of whether this research is true or not, you and I are in a family line.
We aren’t just “fillers” in our family tree. We’re here because the Lord has given us life.
Genesis 11:27-25:11 is the seventh toledoth section. We’ve mentioned this every time it comes around, but toledoth is Hebrew for “this is the account of…”. It’s the natural division in Genesis.
It is in today’s passage that we turn a corner in Genesis. From here on out, we are dealing with one family line and one plan. The focus changes sharply at this point. Now, we move from dealing with humanity as a whole to focusing on the ancestors of the nation of Israel.
And this sharp change begins with a genealogy.
I’ve said before that genealogies are in the Scriptures for a reason. It’s not because the Holy Spirit ran out of things to say. He did not suggest, “Hey, writer, go ahead and throw a genealogy in there. It’ll help to ‘break things up a little bit.” No. Genealogies mean something. They connect families to the story of the Bible.
This connection is now seen in Genesis 11:27-32.
27 This is the account of Terah’s family line.
Genesis 11:27-32, New International Version
Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. 29 Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah. 30 Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.
31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there.
32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.
Who is introduced in this genealogy?
We meet Terah, the patriarch of this family line. He became a father at age 70 and lived 205 years.
We also meet Terah’s son, Abram. Abram married Sarai. The mention of Sarai’s barrenness is also a clue that Abram was the inheritor of Terah’s estate. More on that later.
Ironically, Terah named this son Abram. Abram means “exalted father,” but this passage clarifies that Abram was not a father. More on that later.
Terah’s other sons were Nahor and Haran. Lot is also introduced here, and he is Haran’s son. That makes him Abram’s and Nahor’s nephew.
Although it’s a small reference, we also see a people group called the Chaldeans. As we continue in chapter 11, we’ll learn more about them.
Ur of the Chaldeans was a great city with a high civilization (including a library) even before Abram’s time. Archaeologists have also discovered this was a pagan city that was very idolatrous and evil. Ur can also refer to the region around the city—like how we might say “the central valley”.
We’re told a little more about the relationship between these people, as Sarai is Abram’s half-sister. They have the same father but different mothers (Genesis 20:12).
Sarai married Abram. This may seem scandalous, but we will talk more about that later. This genealogy is setting up where we’re going. It’s not giving us everything yet.
Sarai’s inability to have children is mentioned on purpose.
It’s the first time in Scripture that barrenness is mentioned. Also, the Lord’s command has been to “be fruitful and multiply.” Here is a couple who cannot enjoy this blessing. Additionally, the lack of children disrupted the generational inheritance pattern. Next, they wouldn’t have children to care for them as they aged. Next, this was considered a great calamity in the Ancient Near Eastern world. Finally, it’s exaggerated because her lineage isn’t given.
The message is thunderous: Sarai is a “weak link” in the chain of blessing.
Then the genealogy concludes with Nahor’s wife, Milkah and Haran’s daughter, Iscah.
This passage speaks in very human terms—the everyday life of these people. There seems to be no divine intervention.
But is the Lord uninvolved?
So far in Genesis, the author has followed a pattern of listing ten names between prominent individuals in the narrative. Here, there are only eight names. Where are nine and ten?
Accident? Nope. Foreshadowing.
This is where we’re about to see the Lord work in amazing and miraculous ways. The incident at Babel was still with them. The cultures and languages of the people they were around reminded them of what happened. And yet, God’s plan was quietly unfolding.
The Lord’s plan was unfolding to help us see Abram’s background. Look at all God did to get us to Abram.
Are you paying attention to the unfolding of God’s plan in your life?
Life Meets Theology 