From Gen 8:15-11:9 Length 427 Years. From the time of the flood to Abrahams
call. See Gen 11:10-32 for genealogical record of years and Abrahams call at
the age 75 Gen 12:4.
The Encarta Dictionary says that Government
is the management or control of something. In the dispensation of conscience
God dealt with Cain who murdered his brother by putting a mark upon him. In this dispensation man is given
the authority by God to manage there own affairs with righteous judgment. In Rom
13:1-7 Paul describes human government as it aught to be, calling the
officials ministers of God who bear the sword against those who do wrong. In
the covenant God made with Noah begging this dispensation God grants Noah
and his descendants the authority of capital punishment
Gen 9:3-6.
In verse 6 we read Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be
shed: for in the image of God made he man.
We find in this dispensation that government usurped it's authority above
God in rebellion under the leadership of Nimrod at the
tower of Babel. In the N.T (2 Dan 8:23-25,
2 Thess 2:4,
Rev 13:16-17Rev
17:8-14) we see this will happen again under the
leadership of the Antichrist. Notice verse 13 of Rev 17 the phrase and
these have one mind, speaking of the Nations unity and purpose with the Antichrist.
Nimrod chose the land of Shinar to build
his city and tower, to be the place of his world government headquarters, and some believe it may be the
place the Antichrist will establish his kingdom moving the United Nations to
the rebuilt Babylon,
see Rev
18:8-20 as to her
future
existents in these last days. According to Easton and Parson Dictionaries Shinar is
Babylonia or Southern
Mesopotamia, and extends almost to the Persian Gulf. Here the tower of Babel
was built (Gen.
11:1-6), and
the city of Babylon. The prophecies in the O.T. and N.T. of Babylon's utter
destruction has not yet been fulfilled,
but will be in Gods judgment on mystery Babylon in Rev 17.
Our biggest problem is pride it's been said the sky is
the limit and literally we find the whole world gathered in one spot as a
central point of unity and purpose to make a name for themselves building a city and
tower even reaching into the heavens but God shows man who's in control. We
live in the age of space exploration along with an explosion of knowledge
and luxury but when Christ comes back man will be humbled not exalted, accept
for those who chose Christ as Lord and Savior for God has given Him a name
above all names that every knee should before Him of things in heaven, earth
and under the earth (Phil
2:10).
This dispensation like others will overlap into the future
as we see governments rise and fall but it's ultimate fulfillment is in
Christ who will reign 1000 years then offer up the kingdom to His
Father and together they will reign forever in true righteousness and holiness.
In the dispensation of conscience we are not told what happened to the
Garden of Eden but surly it was swept away by the flood and the first thing
we read now is Noah building an altar for sacrifice offering up prayers
toward heaven. No doubt Noah was giving thanks to the Lord for protection
and mercy in times to come and gratitude for grace received. The sons of
Adam did not build an altar, but now God would deal with man from heaven
paradise had been lost Adam an Eve being expelled because of sin then it
being destroyed through the flood (paradise now being in heaven
Luke 23:43,
2 Cor
12:4 and
Rev 2:7).
In the New Testament we read of walking in the Spirit, but before the flood
we read of Enoch and Noah walking with God. What a mystery to dwell upon as
to how God manifested himself before the flood and even how God spoke to
Noah giving His covenant in chapter 8. Someday paradise will again be here
on a new earth in the new Jerusalem and new heavens with a literal access to God's throne for
surely paradise could not be paradise without God and His son Jesus Christ.
In this new beginning God gave forth new laws and conditions as if to say
try again and here are some things that will help you but the amazing
statement God makes after smelling the sweet savor of Noah's sacrifices God said
in his heart (Gen
8:21) I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the
imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I
again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. 22While
the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and
winter, and day and night shall not cease. It's amazing statement because
simply put God is saying even though mans heart is bent on evil from his
youth he would not destroy the earth in the same manner. God sees sin
as the New Testament teaches, man is depraved and hopelessly bound by sin
without hope and cannot change on our own. As Billy Graham put it sin
is the cause, sins are the effect. Sin is the tree, sins are the fruit.
Sin is the disease, sins are the symptoms. Something is radically
wrong with us and that's something is sin. Through self-discipline we
might get rid of some of our sins, but our basic problem of sin remains
untouched and untouchable, lurking just beneath the surface and ready to
strike at any moment. Every dispensation only brings us closer to see the
need of grace which is, Christ and His finished work on the Cross for only
God can change us and He has made a way.
The
terms of the covenant are these: (1) God will not destroy mankind with a
flood of waters; (2) man may eat animal flesh, but not blood (see Lev.
17:10);
(3) there is fear and terror between man and beast; (4) human beings are
responsible for human government, seen in the principle of capital
punishment (see Rom.
13:1-5).
I believe the blood of the sacrifices was the means of the covenant made
with Noah and his seed reaching even us today. Just as in the New Testament
we find the blood of Christ as the means of our covenant with God and a
rainbow found in
Revelation chapter four
at the Judgment seat of Christ.
The rainbow in Genesis chapter 8 speaks of mercy that God will not again
bring a flood upon the earth to destroy it. The rainbow at the Judgment seat
of Christ in
Revelation 4:3 speaks of mercy for all who
make Christ their Lord and Savior. Back to Top
In spite of man's new beginning, there was soon evidence of failure.
Noah, the preacher of righteousness, became drunk and disgraced
himself in the eyes of his own son. Ham, acting in complete disrespect for
his father, also failed Gen 9:20-27. This is the third failure on the part
of man. He had disobeyed in Eden, resulting in his expulsion; he had
corrupted the earth, resulting in the flood; and now he had become a
shameful drunk! When Noah realized what had happened, he pronounced a curse
upon Ham, and, prophetically, a blessing upon Shem through which our Savior
was to come, and it is a line that is traced throughout Genesis.
The
curse
(This is the third curse in
Genesis. See 3:14-19
and 4:11.)
The fact that he curses Canaan, Ham’s youngest son (10:6),
suggests that the boy was involved in the sin along with his father and that God
would punish the sins of both the father and the son. Canaan and his descendants
(nations named in 10:15-20)
were to be the lowest of servants to their brethren. It is easy to see that they
were ultimately made slaves by the Jews and Gentiles. Of course, the Shemites
(Semites) were the Jews. Their tribes are listed in 10:21-32,
and 11:10-26
traces the line to Abraham. The descendants of Japheth are the Gentiles (10:1-5).
The enslavement of Canaan’s descendants is mentioned in Gen.
15:13-21
with 10:15-20.
Acts
17:26
teaches that God made all men of “one blood.” I believe that it's important that
we understand that any descendents of Canaan who turned to God would receive the
blessing of Shem and Japheth. We see this in the faith of Rahab who was a
Canaanite, Josh 6:22-25 and Heb 11:31. Also in any descendents of Shem and
Japheth who departed from God would experience the curse Jer 18:7-10.
Back to Top
Nimrod was a
grandson of Ham through Cush, and his name means “rebel.” He was a mighty tyrant
in the sight of God, the first dictator. The word “hunter” does not refer to the
hunting of animals, but rather to the hunting of men. He was the founder of the
Babylonian empire and the organizer of the enterprise that led to the
construction of the tower of Babel. History informs us that Nimrod and his wife
devised a new religion built around “the mother and child.” For details, read
Alexander Hislop’s book The Two Babylons (London: S.W. Partridge, 1956).
“Babylon” in the Bible symbolizes rebellion against God and confusion in
religion. We see Babylon opposing the people of God throughout the Bible,
culminating in the “Great Babylon” of Rev.
17-18.
B. The
rebellion
God had
commanded men to replenish the earth (9:1, 7, 9),
but they decided to settle down on the plain of Shinar where Babylon was located
(10:8-10).
This was deliberate rebellion against God’s Word. They journeyed “from the east”
which suggests that they were turning their backs on the light. They decided to
unite and build both a city and a tower. Their purposes were to (1) maintain
unity in opposition to God, and (2) make a name for themselves. This entire
operation is a foregleam of the final opposition of man (and Satan) against
Christ, centered in the Babylon of Rev.
17-18.
Men will unite then in a world church and world political organization; they
will be led by the Antichrist, the last world dictator; and their plans will be
frustrated. It is interesting to note that today the world is rapidly moving
toward the “one world” concept, thanks to the United Nations and other
international alliances.
C. The
judgment
God knew the
designs of the rebels and judged them. The Godhead held another conference (see 1:26
and 3:22)
and decided to confound the languages of the workers, thus making it impossible
for them to work together. This was really an act of mercy as well as judgment,
for had they persisted in their plan, a more terrible judgment would have
followed. The name “Babel” comes from a Hebrew word which means “gate of God.”
It sounds like the word balal which means “confusion.” The description of
God’s action here explains the origin of the languages of mankind. It has often
been pointed out that Pentecost was a reversal of Babel—there was true spiritual
unity among God’s people; they spoke with other tongues but were understood; and
their work glorified God, not men.
After the people were scattered over the face of the
earth, God set the boundaries of their habitation Acts 17:26, which determined
the placement of the nation's.
The dispensation of human government began with bright
promise as Noah sacrificed to God and the Lord smelled a sweet savor. Now,
427 years later, the dispensation closes in idolatry and rebellion. The
evidence of God's judgment on Babel is with us still, in the nearly 3000
languages and dialects spoken by a man today.
Helps were Warren Wiersbe
and John G. Hall Back to Top
