As a child the flood of Noah’s time seemed so long ago. In reality though if we count the number of people, or eyewitness accounts, it takes to get back to Noah it’s really not that distant in the past. Using the idea that we are only six persons away from knowing anybody on earth how far are we from knowing Abraham, Noah or Adam? A friend of mine, Joe, met president Bush so I am only one person away from having met the President.
Through books and letters we can be even closer. Books and letters can transcend time and space giving us first person accounts of events. Books place us in cities, on battlefields and share the mind of the author. Books are a link, text message if you will, that has reached us today without us seeing the author. Books are our time machine.
We read the first person accounts of people who lived through certain events and accept them as valid witnesses of what went on. Through books we are there. We as believers accept the Biblical record, as a matter of faith, much like the rest of the world accepts the historical records of the past. For the Jew we have the Torah and Christian have the Torah and the Bible as our text message. We have the Biblical record. “A more sure word,” writes the Apostle Peter We all can read the writings of people like the apostles Peter, Matthew and John who walked with Jesus. There has only been about 1978 years since Jesus walked the earth, we have eyewitness accounts of His life. There are also accounts of Paul, King Solomon, Moses and others.
Noah and his son Shem lived long enough to know Abraham; in fact Noah’s son Shem out lived Abraham. Shem who lived 100 on the other side of the flood lived long enough to know Isaac and Jacob. Think about it Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob could all have talked with a son of Noah who lived through the flood. Jacob whose name was changed to Israel went down to Egypt to live with Joseph during a famine. Four hundred years later the children of Israel left Egypt, by God’s miracles, lead by Moses, and then wandered in the desert for 40 years before entering into Canaan, where Joshua fought the battle of Jericho.
When we consider that Israel (Abraham’s grandson) was alive at same time as Shem (Noah’s son, who lived through the flood) and Shem was alive at the same time as Methuselah who was old enough to know Adam, how far removed are we from the beginning? Think about it Israel could have talked with Shem who could have talked with Methuselah who lived at the same time as Adam. Israel was possible only then three persons away from Adam and Eve. The Bible is a book of faith, but some has been verified by archeology, filled with first person accounts that connects us with our human history, and John wrote, enough “is written here that you may believe …..” Jn 22:31. When you think about it some people are not that far away. Who are you connected with?
The Holy Bible
Longevity Chart from Adam to Joseph, CSE
Bible Charts, Maps & Maps Time Lines, Rose Publishing
