Where Did The Different Races Come From

Where did all the different ethnicities and races come from if Adam and Eve were the original two human beings?  Wouldn't we all look more alike?

To answer these questions, we must go back in history to the first few generations of mankind.  Of course, the prerequisite needed here, is to accept the Bible as a proven, documented historical book.  All of the dates and genealogies recorded in the Bible have never been disproven, although skeptics have tried.

We need to start with the first page of the Bible ... Genesis 1:1 where it says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Our next statement of importance to us in this study is verse 10 ... "And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas."   

The earth at this time was one land mass, one big continent.  More on this in a moment.

Next, let's jump ahead about 1,800 years or so to the flood which destroyed all living creatures on land or in the air.  Sea dwelling creatures lived through the great flood.  But God provided for one family and one pair of every type creature to be saved from the flood.

At God's direction, a man named Noah built a ship (the Ark) for his family and the animals God brought to him for safe keeping during the flood.  Many people believe the remains of this ark have been photographed sticking out of a glacier on what is called Mt. Ararat, which is a long ridge of mountains in Armenia and Turkey.      

The animals at God's direction, according to Genesis 7:9 ... "went two by two into the ark, male and female."

Now how could all the different types of animals get to the ark if the earth looked like it does today?  The only explanation must be that there was only one large land mass before God separated the earth into separate continents.

Many today contend that this could be true by looking at a world map.  If you cut out all the continents and large islands from a paper map they seemingly can fit together like a big puzzle. 

In Genesis chapter 10, the generations and genealogies of Noah's sons are listed.  But one of Noah's great, great, 5th generation grand children, by the name of "Peleg" ... we need to take note of ... not for what he did, but what happened during his lifetime.

Genesis 10:25 ... "Unto Eber were born two sons; the name of one was Peleg; for in his days the earth was divided."  (Remember, God called the dry land Earth.)

The next point of importance in our quest for the truth about where the different races came from is found in Genesis 11:1-9, the story about all the people of the whole earth being of one language and purpose in their attempt to build a city with a tower so high, it would seem to reach heaven thereby giving them some kind of a name of power or fame.

The Scripture puts it this way ... "The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, and said, 'The people are one, and they all have one language, and this they begin to do?  Now nothing will be restrained from them which they imagine to do.'  So God confounded their languages so they could not understand one another's speech, and they could no longer build the city.  Therefore the name of the city is called Babel ... because there the Lord did confuse the language of the whole earth; and it was from there the Lord did scatter them upon the face of the earth."  (edited for clarity)

The Bible doesn't comment any further on this matter.  So, we are left to assume that at the same time the languages were changed, the people assembled together in their own language groups and undoubtably traveled to different areas to live on this one great land mass, before it was separated into different continents. 

There is no other reasonable explanation of how the different people groups that are now around the world developed into the different ethnicities and races we now have.  I am of the opinion that skin color, facial features, size characteristics, etc., were changed at the same time as the languages ... at least I believe the scripture alludes to this theory.

Genesis 11 continues with more of the generations and genealogies which shows us the record of when Peleg lived.  He was the fifth generation after the tower of Babel.  If we use 40 years as a generation ... then sometime during the life of Peleg ... around 200 years after Babel, the earth (dry land) was divided, as we read in Genesis 10:25.

This one huge land mass enabled all the pairs of animals to travel to Noah's ark ... also allowed the different people groups (after their languages were changed) to set up what would later become nationalities on separate area's of the earth they chose as their territory to live on.   

This one big continent ... over night or over time ... separated the people groups and the land into the world we see today.  How God did it is not important. 

This is now a fact ... the earth was divided ... not just into nationalities and governments, but into continents and islands.         

It's a fact ... Eve is the mother of all living.  Science has already proven that to be true through DNA research.  Genesis 3:20 stated this 4,000 years before science confirmed it.
 
"And Adam called his wife Eve; because she was the mother of all living." 

Why do I believe the Bible?  First ... because it makes sense. 

Someone once said ... "If the literal sense makes good sense, seek no other sense, lest it becomes nonsense." 

And second ... because it is a proven, documented historical book.



(Comments are welcome, and will be posted by moderator.)

Truth Has No Agenda

I love the Book Of Ecclesiastes.  It is full of truth and wisdom.  In Ecclesiastes, Solomon placed life itself on trial; whereas I have just observed life, but I have come to almost the same conclusion.  The conclusion of Solomon's trial of life is simply this … "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
      
His conclusion is that all of man's efforts in seeking happiness in this life are wasted without complete submission and obedience to God.  Even then, we are not really in control of our lives.  God is the one who gives the blessings to us as He pleases, and He will be the one who disposes of our life when He is done with us.  

But even so … it is this world that is brought into question … not God.

Life ... as I have observed it, has in all honesty shaped my doctrine of faith or the lack of it.  I have shared with you before that our Creator has given each of us one of four basic temperaments.  The four are ... Choleric, Melancholy, Phlegmatic and Sanguine.  I happen to be a Melancholy ... which means I struggle with some things about God.

As a melancholy, my basic desire is for "perfection" in everything and everyone.  So of course I see myself as unable to live up to my own expectations.  Emotionally, the melancholy temperament is a little "sensitive," which means I struggle with how things are.  Because "things aren't perfect" in the world I see, or for that matter, life in general ... sometimes a little depression tries to creep in.  But I overcome it.

But the main spiritual struggle I have is with ... "the fairness of God."

I'm not complaining for myself ... I am blessed ... and I know it.  But when you observe life like Solomon did, one could question the fairness of God.     

I'll give you an example which has something to do with my understanding of … "the fairness of God."  Perhaps I should say, my misunderstanding of that fairness.

Several years ago a fifteen year old girl was kidnapped by a vile, evil, satanic madman.  This precious beautiful young girl was raped and then dumped naked along the side of a highway to bleed to death after this monster chopped off both of her arms below her elbows with an ax he had in his van.  She only survived because she stopped the bleeding by sticking the stubs of her arms into the dirt of a plowed field along the side of the road.

I don't have an answer for God watching and allowing this to happen except … it has to do with something called free will.  As we look at the "fairness of God" question … we find that it includes giving these monsters like this madman, the free will to mutilate and destroy lives.  I have to accept this as fact, that all free will must be this way … even to be totally free to choose good or evil … but I don't have to like it. 

Let me continue being as honest as I can about the truth and the facts of life.  Find me a scripture or a promise in the Word of God to stand on … or better yet, find me someone with enough faith in God to pray for this girl … and have God restore her arms and make her whole again. 

She doesn't need healed … she needs new arms to grow back.  But as far as I have ever studied or researched … there has never been an amputee who has had a limb grow back or a limb restored by God.  Why is that?  He has the power.   

Brutal honesty.  Is God fair?  The truth is ... of course He is.  God is not the author or approver of sin.  It's life that isn't fair.  That's why we need God.

Sorry … but I'm tired of playing games about the truth that's not found in the Word of God. 

The truth is … God heals and restores.  The truth is … but not every time.  Both facts are true just the same.  God doesn't heal every time in every situation.  Our loved ones die.  Dreams die.  We will die.  Am I being too honest with the truth?

These are things most believers don't or won't talk about.  Why not ... it's the truth.  Some believers will never admit that they are sick.  Didn't Jesus call for the sick?  They came to Him admitting they were sick and needed His help.  It's not a sin to be sick. 

I just brought up sickness as one example where believers try to separate the facts of life that are real ... from what they want to believe as the truth they see in the Scriptures.  Yes, 1st Peter 2:24 states you were healed through the stripes Jesus bore as He went to the cross ... and that is the truth.  But it's not a fact until God makes that healing real in your body.  That's also the truth.

The Word of God teaches the truth.  Life also teaches the truth.  Well ... maybe I should say, life teaches the facts.  God is the truth, and He has the truth at His command.  But life's lessons usually hurt more.  I believe what I've written is the truth or at least the facts … as I see them.  As with all of my opinions … well, they're just mine.  

Truth has no agenda.

The truth is ... God's answer is always Jesus.



Comments are welcome.

God's Needle and Thread

1st John 4:18 … "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

The word John uses for fear is "phobos" … (to be put in fear); alarm or fright: to be afraid, be in terror.  By John saying there is no fear … he is literally saying … "fear is not; fear has no existence."  In reality, fear is like darkness, it is nothing.  As darkness is the absence of light, fear is the absence of that perfect love or complete trust in God.

"Fear hath torment" … the word torment in this verse is a faulty translation.  The word is "kolasis" and means … "infliction" or punishment causing pain or damage.

Note the present tense, hath, which means it "possesses in the present."  The punishment is present in the fear.  Fear … by anticipating punishment, has it even now.  The phrase hath torment indicates that the punishment is inherent in the fear.  Fear carries its own punishment.  Fear itself is the "torment." 

Commenting on the main point of this verse, "perfect love casts out fear," meaning ... the expulsion of fear by love ... Augustine, (the early Christian theologian from the 4th century) presents a new thought when he suggests this idea …

"As in sewing, we see the thread passed through (the cloth) by the needle. The needle is first pushed in, but the thread cannot be introduced until the needle is brought out. So fear first occupies the mind, but does not remain permanently, because it entered for the purpose of introducing love."

We are the cloth.  The needle is fear.  The thread is God's perfect love.  We cannot know God's perfect love unless fear is introduced into our lives.  Only then can we see and fully understand the perfect love God has for us. 

It's His love that expels any torment fear has brought to our lives.

The Amplified reads this way ... "There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror!  For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection]."

We must each decide for ourselves if God can or does indeed use fear as a needle to introduce that perfect love into our lives.  I believe the Apostle Paul does allude to this thought in Ephesians 1:11, when he writes that it is God ... "who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will."

Including a needle and thread?

Romans 7:7 ... "I had not known sin, but by the law."  Paul states that God introduced "the Law" into the world to show us what sin is.  So why can it not be the same way with fear and love?

Is there another way we can know the difference between the torment of fear, and the opposite ... the complete, perfect love of God, unless we have experienced both?

I have no problem with the example Augustine uses.

God's plan is always perfect.



Comments are welcome.