January 3
The Aftermath, New Beginnings, and Spread of Nations
Genesis 8-11 describes the aftermath of the flood, humanity’s new beginning, and the spread of nations.
Genesis 8 describes the receding of the floodwaters. After 150 days, the waters begin to subside, and the ark comes to rest on Mount Ararat. Noah sends out a raven and then a dove to check for dry land; the dove eventually returns with an olive leaf, indicating the waters have receded. After waiting seven more days, he sent the dove out again, but this time, it did not return to him.
Once the earth is dry, God commands Noah to leave the ark with his family and to bring out every kind of living creature that is with him—“the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it” (v. 17). Noah obeys and comes out of the ark with his sons, his wife, his sons’ wives, and all the animals. He then builds an altar and offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving, which pleases God. In response, God promises never again to curse the ground or destroy all living creatures with a flood, reaffirming His commitment to the continuing cycles of nature.
In Genesis 9, God blesses Noah and his family, telling them to multiply and fill the earth, just as He had told Adam (1:28). And Noah, like Adam, was to have dominion over the animals. God gives humans permission to eat animals, with one prohibition: He commands them not to consume blood. Following his comments about the killing of animals, God addresses the issue of taking a human life. For the taking of a human life, God will demand an accounting. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image (v. 6)”. This covenant shows that life is sacred and that man is not to destroy man, who is made in the image of God. God reiterates the covenant with Noah and his family, promising never to destroy the earth with a flood again, and gives the rainbow as a sign of this promise. The chapter concludes with Noah’s sons, focusing on an incident where Ham dishonors his father, leading Noah to curse Ham’s son, Canaan, while blessing Shem and Japheth.
Genesis 10, often called the “Table of Nations,” lists the descendants of Noah’s sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and shows how they spread out to form the nations of the world after the flood. Japheth’s descendants, including Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras, settled primarily in coastal regions. Ham’s descendants include Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. A prominent figure within Ham’s lineage is Nimrod, described as a mighty hunter before the Lord and the founder of several powerful cities. Many of Ham’s descendants, such as the Egyptians and various Canaanite groups, later become significant adversaries of Israel.
The descendants of Shem are recorded last in the ‘Table of Nations.’ Shem’s lineage is especially significant because it leads to the Semitic peoples, which include the Hebrews. Notably, the lineage includes Eber, from whom the term ‘Hebrew’ is traditionally derived. Many of Shem’s descendants can be identified with various Near Eastern tribes or kingdoms that played significant roles in the ancient world. Among them is Abraham, a key figure in Israelite history. The chapter concludes by emphasizing how these families eventually spread out and formed distinct nations, each with its own language, thereby fulfilling God’s command to repopulate and fill the earth.
Genesis 11 details two significant events: the Tower of Babel and the genealogy from Shem to Abram. First, humanity’s pride and rebellion against God are highlighted in the story of the Tower of Babel. Originally, as people migrated from the east, they settled in the land of Shinar, and all spoke one language. They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens” (v. 3). The people came together to strengthen themselves and, in their pride, “to make a name for themselves lest they be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (v. 4). This action was in direct opposition to God’s command to spread out and fill the earth.
God recognized the potential danger of a self-unified, self-confident humanity; therefore, what they would not do in obedience, He did for them in judgment (v. 8). God intervenes by confusing their language, making it impossible for them to understand one another. This led to their dispersion across the earth and the abandonment of the city, which was called Babel, meaning “confusion.”
The chapter transitions to the genealogy of Shem, tracing his descendants to Abram (later Abraham) and highlighting the lineage through which God’s covenant promises will be fulfilled. This genealogy serves as a bridge between the story of Noah and the story of Abram. The chapter concludes with the introduction of Terah, the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran dies in Ur of the Chaldeans, leaving behind his son Lot. Terah takes Abram, Sarai (Abram’s wife), and Lot to journey toward Canaan, but they settle in Haran, where Terah dies. The stage is now set for God’s call to Abram in Genesis 12.
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