THE CHILDREN OF EBER
Genesis 10:21 ¶ Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.
The name Eber is spelled Heber in 1 Chronicles 8:22. And therefore it is easy to see how the name Hebrew came from it. In the Greek listing of the genealogies, Shem is spelled Sem. Noah is spelled Noe. And Eber is spelled Heber. (See Luke 3:35,36.)
The first mention of that word Hebrew, is seen in Genesis 14:13. There we read, And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
And in our text verse we see that Shem was the father of all the children of Eber. He was the father of the line of the Hebrews.
When all the lives of the human race were taken by the flood, Noah’s life was left to him. For he found grace in the eyes of the Lord! (Genesis 6:8). And when the languages were taken from all men, Eber’s language was left to him. For we read in Genesis 10:25, And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.
Why is that significant? It is significant because it states that in these days when the peoples of the earth were divided by the confounding of their languages, Eber gave his son a Hebrew name, Peleg, which meant, division! So Eber, the father of the Hebrews kept the language which the Lord God had first put into Adam’s tongue.
And we know that God spoke Hebrew! It is so recorded when the Lord spoke to Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road. Acts 26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And that was not the only language in which the Lord could have spoken to him. For in 1 Corinthians 14:18 we hear the apostle state, I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Historians state that the Apostle Paul spoke five different languages.
Let us now attempt to set forth some of the names of those who were of The Children of Eber in order to see some of the works which were finished from the foundation of the world. (Hebrews 4:3). To do so, we must begin with Adam, the first man. The name, Adam in Genesis 2:19 is the exact same word, translated the man, in verse 18. He represents all the children of Eber in their unregenerate state; in their physical life, with only a natural beginning. For as compared to the last Adam – our Lord Jesus Christ – he is described as only a living soul. 1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening (or life giving), spirit.
And being only born of the earth, he had no helpful involvement in the temptation of his wife. For the unregenerate man has no ability to be helpful to the church, Christ’s Bride. 1 Timothy 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
Adam knew that animals could not talk! He had extensively studied them all in order to give them their names. Genesis 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. Therefore he should have intervened when the serpent began speaking to his wife.
But that which is of only a natural birth has no spiritual qualities to assist the spiritual woman, the Bride of Christ – the church! 1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. For it is only these which are spiritual who can assist those overtaken by deceptions! Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Next we come to see the man Abel. He represents the elect sinner, quickened to spiritual life, but not yet come to the birth. He had an inner revelation of God, for nowhere in the scriptures can we find a written, or spoken command for him to sacrifice a living animal as he did! Yet, we read: Genesis 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Hebrews 11:4 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. 1 John 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
But he has no wife, and therefore no fruit from her womb. The quickened soul has an awareness of God within himself, but still has no particular relationship for the benefit of the church! For he is like the little sister of the Song of Solomon, who hath no breasts, (Song 8:8), and therefore cannot produce, or sustain life.
Next we come to Noah. He too was quickened, as was Abel, for there cannot be a birth from the womb, except there first is a conception within! And we also read of his sacrifice to God, for which we can again, find no outward command. Genesis 8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake;
And as in the natural birth, we find him in an entirely new realm after the waters break. He is birthed forth into a vast new world, there to begin an entirely new life. Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 8:15 And God spake unto Noah, saying, 16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The birth by the Holy Spirit is the one thing which every individual has in order to make him a believer! John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
And notice how Noah was to be birthed forth from that ark. He was to go forth of the ark with thy wife! Noah, the picture of the regenerate soul, goes forth into the new world with such fruit from his wife as to effect the entire world! Genesis 9:18 And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. 19 These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.
The regenerate souls of the redeemed of God, by the Spirit of fruitfulness (see Galatians 5:22, 23), go forth to have the greatest effect upon the world’s population. Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Next we come to Abram, later to be named Abraham. For his name was changed from just, high father, to father of a multitude. In him we see the believer, by his faith, walking in the Spirit. For whereas, Noah’s faith is listed as saving, Abraham’s faith is concerning with his going out. Hebrews 11:7 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.
All true believers have faith. But each believer has a different issue of that faith. And the walk of faith will always separate! It will both separate “from,” and separate “unto!” Abram was instructed to separate from his father’s house, and his kindred. And in this way he would be separated unto God! Therefore we find him separated from the land of his birth into the land of God’s promise. And there his only fellowship is within the temporary, transit housing of tents, with only the promised fruit of his loins. Hebrews 11:9 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:
The promised land, to him, at this outset of faith’s walking in obedience, seems strange! Whereas, by the time of Stephen’s martyrdom it is simply spoken of as the land of Israel. For as he preached to the Jewish people, it was this land, wherein ye now dwell. For faith has a gradual progression. Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Acts 7:2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. 4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
We have much to attribute to this great man, an uncircumcised Gentile, as we now acceptably walk by faith in that which was once strange to him. But our faith is still today fashioned like unto his. Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Now we come to Isaac. And as Abraham is the picture of faith, this offspring of his pictures hope. Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
His birth was a miracle. And after he was born, he was required to be a sacrifice to God! In this he greatly pictures our Lord Jesus Christ! For Christ’s birth was a miracle of the Spirit from a virgin womb. And Isaac’s birth was a work of the Spirit from Sarah’s dead womb. Hebrews 11:11 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.
And as Isaac, the seed wherein the line of Messiah came, so the Lord Jesus is the seed which fell into the ground and died, in order for the church to be planted, to bring forth much fruit unto God! John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Lastly we come to Joseph. If Abraham is faith, and Isaac represents hope, most certainly Joseph reveals love to us! He is most beloved of his father – just like Christ! He is despised by his brothers and sold into bondage – just like Christ. His brothers put him into a pit – just like we did to Christ as our sin sent him into the pits of Hell! The blessings of God came upon everyone who received him – just like Christ. He is called forth to stand before the highest ruler to be exalted – just like Christ. Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And then he provided bread and a special place for his family – just like Christ, our Bread, who went to the cross to prepare a place for us!
Joseph’s life reminds us of the summary our Lord gave of his own life. He summed up the entire Old Testament by his suffering – the cross – and his glory – his crown! Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Every person and every event in every written word of the scriptures are there to bring us to the revelation of Jesus Christ! John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. Seek the Lord, dear soul, not religious order!
Pastor Gene Breed
