February 19, 2006

The Separation of Sin
Genesis 10:The Table of Nations 1 -32
Genesis 11 Babel

I want to note one major thought today in our study, and that is this: Sin Separates! Sin Separates people from God and from each other.

We will look briefly at a parenthesis in our narrative, a bridge between Noah and the rest of the history, then move on to continue our story in chapter 11.

In Genesis 10 we find what is referred to as "The Table of Nations", a partial list of nations made after the Jewish manner of numerics.

The names in this chapter are names of individuals, some of which later were used as names of nations. The chapter is designed to provide a table of the principle races and peoples known to the Israelites. They are arranged in order of seniority except that the chosen Semite line comes last according to the usual Hebrew pattern even though they are traced along side and the Hebrew race.

Now this is not a complete and exhaustive list of all the descendants of these three sons of Noah, rather is done in typical Hebrew style. You may notice if you had investigated, that the descendants total a convenient seventy: common in Jewish genealogies, skipping less noted ancestors.

Now there are some reasons to study this, one because it’s there and two, because it provides us with some verifiable information as to Biblical accuracy.

William Albright, an Archaeologist says," In view of the inextricable confusion of racial and national strains in the ancient near east...the table of nations remains an astonishingly accurate document."

Most of the names of the Table have been made clear by archaeology, confirmed in their accuracy.

Now Moses goal here was not just history, but to zero in on the nation of Israel , and to show the relationship of Israel to the countries of the world. Therefore the outline is in typical Jewish fashion: It starts with the material of least concern (Japhetic people), then moves to the descendants of Ham, finally deals in detail with the people of greatest concern, the Shemites, or Semites.

The lists, as I have noted, are not comprehensive, rather selective;

vv. 2-5 are the Northern mountains, v7 Arabia , vv8-10= Babylon ( Shinar ) vv13-14 = Africa , then vv 15-18 the land of Canaan .

The choice of numbers seems to be intentional as I have mentioned, SEVEN: Japheth has 7 sons listed; his descendants are 4 plus 3. Cush has 7 sons and grandsons, Mizraim ( Egypt ) has 7 descendants, and there are 7 from Heber to Abram.

There are 12 for Canaan and his tribes

14 for Joktan, 10 for Shem’s all favorite Hebrew numbers in genealogies. You'll note many times they balance their genealogies off with 7s and 14s.

II There are some problems with these lists as well...

1. Archaeology and history haven't yet verified the link between Canaan and the Amorites and Hittites.

2. Also the boundaries of Canaan 1n 16-19 are questionable.

But this document is very accurate in defining the nations of the ancient near east. Now that is only a sketch of where these people all went. Why they began to go is found in the next chapter and, having put even the most alert among us to sleep, I continue with the saga of the rebellion of God's creation. Man's separation.

As chapter 11 begins we see that a great deal of time has passed and there are many inhabitants on the earth once more. Also we note that the population center has migrated easterly from Turkey back into the warmer and more familiar territories, back into what we call "The Fertile Crescent". Here we find the focus being in a -place called SHINAR . Babylon ?)

Now note the clear and rebellious statement of God's creature in verse 4: Let us build a city and a tower whose top may reach to heaven and let us make a name (NOW here it comes) LEST WE BE SCATTERED UPON THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH. Why is that rebellious? Because God's instruction in His covenant was specific,” be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth." Fill the whole earth. The tower they would build and the city were just emblems of the old sinful "ME" spirit.

The one that caused the downward progression into judgment. You know it today by watching the magazine titles; "It was LIFE, then US, then Self, and ME magazine; same thing as they had in those days. Same result too, they wanted to build a Great society, a New World Order, and just like the ones who would build a new world today, they too would make man its center and oust God.

Why do I say it was self centered? Look at verses 5-9. "Let US make brick...Let US build a city...Let US make a name...Let US- US- US...

Now God hears this and HE counters with this...LET US GO DOWN AND Confound their speech. We will see this thing more than once. For instance in Chapter 18 we will see God saying the same thing.

Ge 18:21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

When God comes down then stuff happens. You recall the parable of the vineyard in Matt 21: 33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

39 And they caught him, and cast [him] out of the vineyard, and slew [him]. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out [his] vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

In this story, The Master sends various servants to collect what is due. Each is summarily beaten and finally he sends his own son who is murdered in cold blood under the false assumption that the evil doers will now be the owners.

Are they daft? Now what happens? The owner shows up and LISTEN and listen well, when the owner shows up the price will be paid and paid in full.

YOU MAY JUSTIFY YOUR SIN TO YOURSELF AND HIDE IT, BUT WHEN GOD COMES DOWN TO TAKE A LOOK, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HIDE. ILL

Jer 23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Job 5:12 -13 He disappoints the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform [their] enterprise. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

God always knows what we are up to. He didn't have to "come down" at all. He just told us He fills everything, but the expression is for our benefit.

So God comes down and takes a gander around and what does He see? He sees that these feeble self sufficient beings are the same as they were before the flood. They still think that God either doesn't exist or that He will wink at sin. They probably say,"Well, I don't think a loving God would punish sin".

But God isn't swayed by man's ideas. God isn't deterred from righteousness by man's bent thoughts and deeds. JUSTICE will prevail and God is the only one who can see that it does. Note verse 7 I better do something about this. Men are very intelligent and if I leave them all alone there will be nothing to stop them from advancing technologically beyond their times. Nothing will be held back from them.

You see God knows the extent of MAN's capabilities and he is not at all as interested in technology and our accomplishments as we are. What HE wants is faith. He wants us to trust Him (Heb 11:6) Oh, He isn't averse to technology, but He is averse to total self sufficiency. He made us to be dependent on Him and He wants us to realize that. SO He puts a monkey wrench in the works and stuff happens.

8-9 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel ; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Have you ever been in a room where you were the only one speaking your lingo? Oh, there may have been a few who attempted to speak.

I have been there and it is disconcerting trying to get your point across. The biggest problem here was probably the attitude that we have today. Especially we Americans who think we can make "them" understand by speaking louder. I have no idea why we do it. Multiply that by 3000 and what do you have? Confusion.

(Families spoke the same language we assume, except some husbands and wives seem to still have a different dialect quite often)

But God had to deal with their sin and their arrogance and their idea of self determination. And a great migration took place.

So we see that God came down for Judgment and that sin separates men from men and from God.

But people, God came another time in the scriptures for judgment, and that was as a man, a living breathing able to feel pain and temptation man. And that time He came not to mete out judgment but to become the absolute payment for it. Jesus Christ came to take your place in judgment (John 3:16 )

And you know what? He is coming back one more time, and this time it will be not to take anyone's place, but to deal with those who refused Him, the Owner will show up and those who rejected His Son will pay the price.

Yet There are still people who say, Oh there is no God, or if there is and He's loving He won't judge us".

Funny thing though, God is not any more affected by man's ideas today than He ever was and those who reject His Lordship today will suffer for it and be separated just as they were all those years ago. Only this time it will be the final fix, eternal separation from God.

You have a choice today, what will it be? Surrender to God and His authority, His demands for faithful obedience, or decide to go your own way and take your chances that the all seeing eyes of God might just miss you, the only person in the history of the earth who ever was missed by God's gaze... I hope you aren't that foolish.

Come to Jesus, come today while He stands and asks admission.

Have you any room for Jesus?

He who bore your load of sin

As He knocks and asks admission

Sinner will you let Him in?

Room for Jesus King of Glory

Hasten now His word obey

Swing your hearts door widely open

Bid Him enter while you may.