Advent Journey - Following the Seed From Eden to Bethlehem Sampel

Day 7

LEAVING SIN CITY

Terah (19)

Terah receives very little mention in scripture., but his role in Biblical history was monumental. Terah was responsible for getting Abram (tomorrow’s Seed guest) away from “sin city.” 

Terah’s clan was from a place called Ur, a neighboring city to Babylon located in the Mesopotamian region. 

If you look at a historical map, it was quite a journey from Ur to Haran where Terah and his family initially settled. From there God called Abram (Genesis 12) to distance himself further away to the land of Canaan (which includes present day Israel). 

So what’s behind this cross-country move?

God was accomplishing separation for Abram and his family. Babylon and nearby cities like Ur were a highly cultural and political mecca with flourishing arts and commerce and ideas… and rampant worship of a host of gods.

Centuries earlier Babylon suffered God’s judgment for its “Tower of Babel” experiment. God dispersed its inhabitants across the earth to slow down their “progressive” but erroneous ways of thinking.

Just like “progressive” cultures today, being on the cutting edge of culture often means being on the cutting edge of sin. 

Throughout scriptures, Babylon is the symbol for just about everything that Eden initially was not - SIN. 

Whenever God calls out evil and gives it a figurative reference, He frequently mentions “Babylon.” In the book of Revelation, an angel from heaven describes  “Babylon the Great” as a “dwelling place for demons” (18:2). 

Another reason for getting away from Ur was the practicality of space. God was preparing to birth a new nation. Fresh land was needed to support the growing nation of fathers in the line of the Seed. 

Getting Abram out of Ur (and away from Babylon) and situated in a new land was very purposeful. 

For the next two thousand years, Biblical history would be focused primarily on the land of Canaan and, at times, nearby Egypt. And what little town was located in the heart of Canaan? Yes, Bethlehem!