Chapter 17 of 1163

Genesis 10–11

From Noah’s three sons, God made a new beginning in human history. He set apart Shem to be His special channel of blessing, and it was through Shem that Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, was born (11:10ff.).

Sin always separates: man from God (chap. 3); brother from brother (chap. 4); family from family (chap. 9); and now nation from nation.

Note the name of Nimrod (10:8–10). The phrase “mighty hunter” implies that he was a rebel against God and a tyrant against his fellowman. He founded two cities important in Bible history: Babylon and Nineveh.

Man seeks unity and notoriety, and he tries to accomplish these things by his own wisdom and strength. Lucifer wanted to be like God (Isa. 14:14), and man wanted to make a name for himself. But only God can make a person’s name truly great (Gen. 12:2; Josh. 3:7).

Babel means “confusion,” and “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Cor. 14:33; see also James 3:16). Babylon will appear often in the biblical record as the enemy of God’s people. Wherever there is confusion, the spirit of Babylon—the world and the flesh—is at work. Ultimately, the whole “Babylonian system” will be destroyed (Rev. 17–18).

The confusion of tongues that began at Babel was reversed at Pentecost (Acts 2:7–8). A descendant of Ham, an Ethiopian, was saved in Acts 8; a descendant of Shem, Paul, was saved in Acts 9; and the gentile descendants of Japheth were saved in Acts 10. Unity is not worked up by man; it is sent down by God (Ps. 133; Eph. 4:1–6). As we share the gospel with others, we are helping to unite what sin has torn apart (Eph. 1:10–11). Christians are indeed the peacemakers of the world.

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