January 15, 2019

God’s Concern for the Nations

Genesis 10

Craig Hardy
Tuesday's Devo

January 15, 2019

Tuesday's Devo

January 15, 2019

Central Truth

Why would God include this genealogy here, right in between two very important stories, instead of in footnotes or something? It's important. He's always been concerned for every person, by name.

Key Verse | Genesis 10:32

These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

Genesis 10

Nations Descended from Noah

These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.

The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.

The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 1 10:8 Or he began to be a mighty man on the earth He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom 2 10:14 Or from where the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

15 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, 16 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. 19 And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, 3 10:25 Peleg means division for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan. 26 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

Footnotes

[1] 10:8 Or he began to be a mighty man on the earth
[2] 10:14 Or from where
[3] 10:25 Peleg means division

Dive Deeper | Genesis 10

Genesis 10 is a genealogy, and it sits right in the middle of some amazing stories. On our first pass, we can get bogged down in the details of the 70 people mentioned, wanting to skip them and return to the story line, the great acts and stories of God! 

Thus far in the chronology, God has created the world, and man has struggled in his relationship with God—so much so that the Lord has destroyed the world by a flood. Yet one righteous man and his family were saved. This list of families in chapter 10 is the product of those generations since the flood, since the cleansing. God said, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." (Genesis 9:1) And 700 years and 70 family units later, there is a satisfying completeness.

We see the Lord pausing here, demonstrating His concern for all the nations. He names them and counts them. He knows all the world, all genealogies that exist today, even yours. He knows our stories, families, neighbors, and friends; and His care extends to each of them, by name. 

The thought may overwhelm us, but the Lord has intimate knowledge of every person in all of history. He’s concerned with every individual before Shem and since. Jesus knows everyone, and He calls us to go out to "every town and place" (Luke 10:1) to tell the world of His love, to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19).

The Lord is concerned with the nations and always has been. Believers, let’s thank Him for being so concerned with us that He included us in His royal love-line, the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Let us respond to His love and grace by going to "every town and place" that we normally go to and preparing the way of the Lord by telling others about Him. He knows them already, by name, and will graft them into His royal line, just as He has always done.

Discussion Questions

1. Israel sat geographically right in the middle of the nations discussed in chapter 10, literally surrounded on every side. Being located in the midst of these nations was an implicit way of calling Israel to the vocation of being God’s light to the world. We’ve been called to be God’s light to the world, as well. Do you see your family, neighbors, and locals at the gym and grocery store as strategically placed by the Lord? 

2. John Wesley said, "I look upon all the world as my parish; thus far I mean, that in whatever part of it I am, I judge it meet, right, and my bounden duty to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation." In what ways are you making manifest God’s love for the nations?

3. Are you being a witness to God’s glory? From the beginning, God was concerned there be a witness to His glory for all the nations. This chapter sits immediately before the revelation of our Creator’s glorious plan to bless the whole world through Abraham and his seed. How are you being that witness to God’s glory in 2019?