Origins: The Beginning (Genesis 1–11)Sample

By Pastor Dan Hickling

“This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot.” Genesis 11:27 (NKJV) 

Do you know what a stinger is? It’s a term used in the world of entertainment to describe a teaser at the end of a movie. It’s usually included for humor or to set up a sequel.

The Marvel movies have perfected this technique in their post-credit stingers. When a new Marvel movie comes out, you can’t just leave when the closing credits roll. You need to watch to the very end because there will be one or two stingers in the credits that create anticipation for their next film.

We have a stinger in the closing verses of Genesis Chapter 11. Just as we’re wrapping up another list of Shem’s descendants, we’re introduced to a man named Abram. 

This man, who God re-names Abraham a few chapters later, will become the central character in the Book of Genesis. Not only that, his life is so significant that he will be cited centuries later throughout the New Testament; he will be upheld as the ultimate example of faith. 

Abram may seem like just another name here in the closing credits of Genesis Chapter 11, but the importance of his life cannot be exaggerated. Isn’t it just like God to take what seems small and insignificant and use it to change the world? 

When you pull back and look at God’s way of effecting change on earth, He doesn’t use the means and methods that man would assume He would. God doesn’t go to the centers of worldly power and might. He goes to the lowly and least likely to alter the course of history. Paul put it perfectly when he wrote, “God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. . . . This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:20-25 NLT).

Nothing notable stood out about Abram at first, and the world may look on at your life and say the same thing. But in God’s hands and in God’s plans, your life has the power to make an eternal impact as you bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus. Let your life serve as a spiritual stinger for Christ’s saving power in people’s lives. 

DIG: Who are we introduced to at the end of Genesis Chapter 11?

DISCOVER: What is so significant about his life? How does his life reflect your life?

DO: Spend time praying about God’s plan for your life and how He wants to use you for the advancement of the gospel.