The Self Importance Of Man Series

Have you ever done something that you regretted? I mean really felt stupid about? You know those construction workers who direct traffic around road projects? Well when I was 5, 6, of 7 years old - somehow I got it into my head that I wanted to be one.

Instead of just playing in my backyard, though, I made up a STOP sign, put it on a broomstick and went out to the head of my street and starting showing it to cars. Now this was all well and good until one of those cars actually started to stop.

I dropped that sign and ran as fast as my little legs would carry me back home!

Sometimes we do things that make us feel so self important - like we can accomplish the world - and we don’t need anyone’s help. Mankind is kind of in that mindset these days - that we know where we came from and we determine where we are going - that science and rationalism and the good hearts of men are all that’s needed - that technology will supply all the answers we need - and we certainly don’t need some ancient God to order us around.

We forget who made us and what we were designed for - fellowship with God. So we go our own way thinking we can actually affect things - and God must just laugh.

That’s the situation we find in Genesis Chapters 10 and 11 - as man repopulates the earth he decides that rather than obey God he will serve and worship himself. God puts a quick end to that and continues on focusing down to one who could restore the fellowship lost in the Garden of Eden.

There is a lot left out of these accounts - again because it is not a complete account - but it is God’s story. He leaves things out we want to know - and gives us things we don’t want to know - like all the names in Chapter 10!

We are reading it wrong if we demand to know all the answers to our questions - we need to let God set the agenda of what we need to know. There is a God - that is assumed. Maybe we don’t know what we do need if we come to the Scriptures from a critical viewpoint. Come to Him instead of come at Him.

God keeps starting over: Seth (only 1 family left), Noah, through Shem - all (almost) eventually turn away.

He divides their unity by inhibiting their ability to communicate.

Then he takes hold of one human and creates a whole nation so that God can bless the whole world through Abraham’s descendent: Jesus Christ.

The genealogies mentioned here are not a complete listing of all Noah’s descendents. Instead, Moses - the author - is showing how Noah’s sons re-colonized earth after the flood - and how some of those people eventually became nations around the land of Canaan which they were about to inherit.

It also shows how God began immediately to drill down - from Noah, then from all the sons to one son’s family - Shem - and from that son he continues to draw a line directly to Abram, from whom will come the Savior.

Was God really thinking this far in advance - is there really a tie from Noah to Jesus? Yes!

Isaiah 54:8-10

I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer.

9 "To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. 10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

God is planning permanent redemption - not just for one man and his family, but for everyone who will get on the ark of salvation in Jesus Christ.

The Table of Nations

Japheth (not the oldest)

Went north and west - furthest away - (verses 2 - 5)

Ham

Nearer Israel - and almost all enemies - (verses 6 - 20)

Shem

Included the Hebrew nations (verses 22 - 31)

God wants us to focus on Israel. It doesn’t say where all peoples came from - it doesn’t matter because God wants us to ask - what is the most important nation? Israel.

Verses 1- 5

Japheth’s descendants

Verse 6 - 10

Nimrod: legendary hunter

In his time he was a famous leader - in his time he started Babylon (very important in Chapter 11)