THE BLACK PRESENCE IN THE BIBLE
Why Study The Black Presence Of The Bible?
Acts 17:26. And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
1) The Bible is the inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God; it is the only place we can go to receive a totally accurate and objective understanding of race.
2) When a person understands the glorious presence of African people in God’s drama of the unfolding of human history in general and redemptive history in particular, it becomes clear that Scripture should be the primary source of legitimate Black pride.
3) Since race has played such a vital role in social development and the functioning of American society, it behooves one to discover the divine response to this topic.
4) A study of race rooted in the Bible links the pride and understanding of race with eternal purpose
WHY STUDY THIS TOPIC?
To understand the progression of thoughts, attitude, and behavior. Behavior does not simply happen; it is a result of one’s attitude, which is impacted by the thoughts that enter into a person’s psyche. From where we obtain our thoughts is very important. The only place we find complete truth is the Word of God. To insure that your thoughts are consistent with the Lord we must examine the Word of God. Our search begins with Genesis the tenth chapter, known as the "Table of Nations". After the flood there were eight individuals on the face of the earth, Noah, his three sons; Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their respective wives. The names of these young men indicate their skin complexion. Ham translates black or dark, Shem, dusty, and Japheth, light. Our focus will be on Ham as we seek an understanding of the “Black Presence in the Bible”.
Ham was the father of four sons, Cush, Mizriam, Phut, and Canaan. Cush’s son Nimrod was one of the first leaders recorded in scripture. (Genesis 10:10, Genesis 11:9) He was described as “a mighty hunter before the Lord”. He oversaw the building of the Tower of Babel, a project that was of such magnitude it gained God’s attention. Consider for a moment the various skills that were necessary to build such a tower; engineering, architecture, mathematics, pulleys, gears, and much more. Besides the ability to organize and direct the multitude he needed to accomplish this goal he also had to possess an understanding of the skills needed to build. His followers included the sons and grandsons of Noah. He led Shem’s children, Japheth’s children, as well as Ham’s.
Do you know what countries Hams four sons came to be?