The Big Picture

I created this Spread Sheet from the Raw Data Supplied mostly in Genesis 5, and 10, and then key places elsewhere. I simply took the year the man was born (beginning with year one), and then the year they had their first born son, then the year they died, and plugged those dates into a spreadsheet, and then converted it into a bar chart to get this amazing visual picture. The dates from Adam to Joseph are all directly sourced from the Bible. After that I had make educated approximate estimates.

Seeing Relationships | How They Overlap

The main beauty of this spreadsheet for me is that it gives a visual picture that can be clearly seen and understood, and referenced quickly. It give a person a strong understanding of the relationships, and the many interconnected family ties, that are not necessarily discussed in great detail in the Biblical Text. Why? Because the Text is most focused on God’s Plan of Salvation from Cover to Cover, than man’s individual lives. Most things recorded in the Bible speak directly or indirectly to the need for a man to receive the Salvation the LORD supplies, and everything related to that … and story are shared that directly relate to this most important theme in the Word of God.

This Spreadsheet will also be very helpful to teachers and preachers to help grasp the Big Picture and to put the details in order clearly and correctly.

May this be a valuable resource for you to grow your faith in the Word of God and also to help you communicate it clearly in the Pictures the Father provides.

Adam, Noah, and Abraham | They Dominate The Genesis Story

Well, so do Jacob and Joseph (they dominate the latter end of the story.) My Main Revelation is how the Whole Word of God is Put together–and that the first 2ooo years are covered by 2 prominent and significant Lives and their testimonies. Can you imagine knowing both Adam and Noah personally? That would have been possible for six generations of Noah predecessors.

Key Point: With all this face to face family data, the falsehood factor would be greatly reduced. False facts could be quickly fact checked and cleaned up by just asking the original source. Also, The true message and story could be spread over a wide and deep bandwidth of reliable witnesses that everyone in the family would recognize and respect. Also, God would appoint trustworthy stewards to watch over the story to keep it pure. I picture THE TRUTH being guarded by some pretty fearsome fellows.

Some Fearsome Fellows

Abraham was no wimp. He and his 300 men, along with his two buddies and their mates, went to war against five of the top dominant Kings in the territories, who had just defeated four other dominant Kings. Abraham was not someone to mess with, he routed them in one night and brought back his nephew Lot and all their goods. (See Genesis 14)

Noah, stood up against the most unholy men on Earth in His Day, at a time when God said that every inclination of their hearts were only evil continually. and spent 100 years building a boat the size of a football stadium.

Genesis 6:5-6 (KJV)  5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 

Adam, I don’t believe, was any weakling either. Made in the image of the Perfect God, endued with a powerful body, a quick mind, and he had suffered the greatest fall in world history, and still lived to 930 years. I don’t picture him as a couch potato, watching sports reruns, nor neglecting God’s Holy Word, after that mess up in the Garden.

Breaking the Derogatory Default

Some people who are foreigners to the Covenant of God tend to see really negative and out of touch pictures, when viewing Biblical Pictures or listening to Biblical Stories not knowing the depth and breath of the background and wisdom grounded into every word of those stories– from Heaven’s Perspective. Foreigners naturally mock or despise what they don’t understand. They tend to view foreign beliefs, stories, testimonies, in a negative a light. That’s our default. We are skeptical and untrusting of anything new or different from what we have learned from our parents, peers, and own culture–especially when learning Stories and Customs regarding a foreign god–be back up and put up shields. This is only natural.

But we need to truly assess our own prejudices and the the biases of those we communicate with. It’s important to be aware of the obstacles people face when trying to learn a new way of seeing something or doing something. We need to demonstrate the rightness, the value, the benefit, the truthfulness, and compare them to the alternatives in order to make our case clear. That will help us present the alternative viewpoint whenever possible in a favorable light.

One Picture that comes to mind

When thinking about the men who produced, preserved, and passed God’s Word down to us–I like to see them as some of the Strongest, most Formidable Foes, Most Honest and Faithful Men, and Some of the Greatest Friends one could ever walk with here on Earth. Were they imperfect? No. That goes without saying. Did they make some mistakes? Yes. But do you think that those in intimate relationships with the God of Heaven will last very long in the wrong position? Can they continue doing wrong in relationship with God? No. They will have to come clean, own their faults, mistakes, plunders, and fears. They simply cannot cover up their evil when in relationship with God. They cannot go on spending their days in lying and conniving, like those in the rest of the World?

Also, like attracts like. Men and Women of Deep honesty sharpen their skills and discernment around other men and women of like spirit. And the more time they spend before God and in genuine fellowship unchained with one another, the more courageous, and sharp in Action they become.

Yes, My Friend, These witnesses were no ordinary men. No. They are the men and women whom God used to write, example, tell and reproduce the Bible in their Day, that has reached our ears in this day. They were exceptional people. Beyond acceptable. They were tried in the fire. Purified in the flames. Washed in the Waters. They stood before vast armies, vastly outnumbered, vastly out gunned, square on their two feet and put their trust in the Holy One of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

“By … faith [they] subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

By Faith they conquered Kingdoms

Hebrews 11:4-40 (KJV)

4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. 28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

When Tempted to Believe a Bad Report (about God)

When tempted to give up on God, to reject His Word, to fall in line with the skeptic, the atheist, the con man, the sinner who has no self control over his body or his mouth, when tempted to remove your hand from the Gospel plow and to return to the pleasures of the world for another season of distraction … Think about this.

Those who closely guarded THE TRUTH, the PROPHETS OF GOD, were walking in deep, personal, intimate, and highly accountable relationship with the God of Creation. They paid a high price as you have read in Hebrews 11. They lived in such an environment, where it was hard to lie. Hard to deny your faithful brothers. Hard to deny the power of the Good News. Hard to turn a little lie into a plan to make money. Remember the Story of Anaias and Sapphira? (Acts 5) These men were not insignificant worldly milk toast followers of a Heavenly Messiah. They were dangerous to be around. Any minute you could be arrested, stoned, whipped, have all your property confiscated. They had no worldly reason to walk in the Truth. To Live out the Gospel in Purity, Holiness, Reverence, and Faith.

The writers of the New Testament and Old were tried, tested, and faithful in the fight. You can actually trust what they said and wrote, and trust why they said and wrote it. Because they were not telling their own testimony only, they were speaking the very Words of God, not for their own sakes. Not for their own benefits, for better homes, richer foods, more elegant and luxurious living (as is the case today for many turn the Gospel into a means to get rich)–they will receive their reward.