Noah and his family were told, “Be fruitful and multiply.” They did. Rather than a genealogy of births father to son, this is an account of the nations that descended from Noah. This section is significant (even if full of names that are hard to pronounce) because this is the only account that shows how all people descend from Noah.
There were some names that are familiar in the list.
Nimrod – The text says he was a mighty man. He was the first major political leader after the flood. The cities he built would become foundational for Babylon and Assyria.
Egypt and Cush have significance for Africa.
Canaan fathered Sidon, the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites and others. These are all names that will be important when the Israelites return to the Promised Land (called Canaan) after their time of slavery in Egypt.
Peleg is another name that has significance because the text says, “in his days the earth was divided.” Some have concluded that this refers to the separation of the continents. I am not convinced that is the best interpretation of what is being talked about here. In chapter 11 we will read of the Tower of Babel and the confusion of languages. That, to my mind is a very important division, and more likely what happened when Peleg was around.
So, why does this matter?
Once again the scene is being set. The nations listed here are the descendants of Japheth and Ham. Japheth’s is very short, and their story will be abandoned. Ham’s children will be significant as his descendants will become the primary enemies of the people of God. The goal of this chapter is to display the growth of mankind in the world, showing that once again warriors like Nimrod are needed because there is not peace, moving us to the account of the Tower of Babel and the confusion of language.
Notice that Shem’s descendants won’t be mentioned until the next chapter to set the scene moving us from Babel to the call of Abram. The world is being displayed as a place that is need of judgment and salvation again. That salvation story will play out in Shem’s descendants.
What does this all have to do with us?
Look around you when you go to work or school or the grocery store. We are all one people. We are all one race. Really, we are all one family. God wants His family to be drawn back together, so He worked through history to bring a man mightier than Nimrod into the world – our Lord Jesus, true God and true Man to lead and save us. In Him we can be adopted into God’s family again and be united. We have the privilege of being bearers of that message to a divided world.
Father, help me to see how you are at work in the world, and share the hope I have in Jesus. Amen.
There were some names that are familiar in the list.
Nimrod – The text says he was a mighty man. He was the first major political leader after the flood. The cities he built would become foundational for Babylon and Assyria.
Egypt and Cush have significance for Africa.
Canaan fathered Sidon, the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites and others. These are all names that will be important when the Israelites return to the Promised Land (called Canaan) after their time of slavery in Egypt.
Peleg is another name that has significance because the text says, “in his days the earth was divided.” Some have concluded that this refers to the separation of the continents. I am not convinced that is the best interpretation of what is being talked about here. In chapter 11 we will read of the Tower of Babel and the confusion of languages. That, to my mind is a very important division, and more likely what happened when Peleg was around.
So, why does this matter?
Once again the scene is being set. The nations listed here are the descendants of Japheth and Ham. Japheth’s is very short, and their story will be abandoned. Ham’s children will be significant as his descendants will become the primary enemies of the people of God. The goal of this chapter is to display the growth of mankind in the world, showing that once again warriors like Nimrod are needed because there is not peace, moving us to the account of the Tower of Babel and the confusion of language.
Notice that Shem’s descendants won’t be mentioned until the next chapter to set the scene moving us from Babel to the call of Abram. The world is being displayed as a place that is need of judgment and salvation again. That salvation story will play out in Shem’s descendants.
What does this all have to do with us?
Look around you when you go to work or school or the grocery store. We are all one people. We are all one race. Really, we are all one family. God wants His family to be drawn back together, so He worked through history to bring a man mightier than Nimrod into the world – our Lord Jesus, true God and true Man to lead and save us. In Him we can be adopted into God’s family again and be united. We have the privilege of being bearers of that message to a divided world.
Father, help me to see how you are at work in the world, and share the hope I have in Jesus. Amen.
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