Break in Tradition

Break in Tradition

Genesis 11: ²⁴ Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah. ²⁵ After he begot Terah, Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.

 

²⁶ Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

 

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Up to this point, the descendants of Shem had unique names. But Terah did something different and named one of his sons after his father Nahor. Terah may have been close to his father Nahor and possibly listened to the stories of Shem together with him.

 

Terah waited until he was older before having children. This was different from his ancestors who traditionally had kids in their thirties. Terah only had three kids, which was also another break in tradition.

 

My Observations:

• Lifespans were getting shorter which may have been a cause for concern for Terah.
• Terah was the father of Abram and may have taught him about the LORD.
• Terah may have learned about the LORD from his father Nahor and from Shem.

 

It seemed like Terah was different than his ancestors. Family seemed to mean a lot to him, but tradition may not have been his thing. Terah seemed to be growing restless living in the same traditional place as we will see in upcoming scripture. He wanted to see the world.

 

But the world was possibly getting meaner and sicker. Violence, that GOD mentioned to Noah, was in the hearts of humans. Ailments may have been introduced possibly due to a lack of contact with GOD. Greed was possibly growing and the desire for pieces of the Garden of Eden were in high demand. Gold was a precious rock people sought after. GOD saw and protected the descendants of Shem.

 

Challenge

• Why does it seem that Terah breaks tradition as GOD explains Shem’s descendants to Moses?
• Has GOD ever made you restless, wanting to do something different, specifically for HIM?
• Are you able to break traditions, yet keep your walk with the LORD solid?