In this session, we looked at the Table of Nations. Jen helped us to make sense of why these names are in chapter 10 and the way they are listed.
Jen said that using the maps in our Bibles is something we need to familarize ourselves with. We don't understand them from the ancient times, but we need to develop these ancient map skills.
In Genesis chapter 10, we worked through the Table of Nations. We also looked back at the prophetic curse that was spoken by Noah over Ham, Shem and Japheth. After this, we moved through the story of the Tower of Babel.
The Tower of Babel is placed after the Table of Nations. This to our thinking seems backwards. The Tower of Babel study explains what the Table of Nations came to be. The Table of Nations describes a dispersal of people into different regions, but then the Tower of Babel comes back and says this is how they all got dispersed to those regions.
Notice in the Table of Nations it does not say "and he died." This list is looking forward and pointing towards things that are to come.
Genesis 10:1
The first part of this verse we have seen before, but it introduces a new part of the text with the descendants of Noah.
Genesis 10:2-5
The first grouping we get next are the sons of Japheth. See how these names tie into some modern places we are familiar with. Do any of these names help us? They were in the Indo-European part of the ancient map region.
Scholars can identify that all Indo-European languages have a common ancestor dating to the stone age.
"Madai" traces to the Medes.
"Javan" traces to the Ionians or Greeks.
"Tubal" and "Meshech" correspond to the two rivers in Russia which are Tobol and Moskva. The city of Tobol on the Tobol river.
The city of Moscow on the Moskva river.
"Tiras" traces back to the Etruscans.
Genesis 10:3
"Gomer" relates to the area of Germany. "Togarmah" - the Armenians and Turkey are linked to that name.
Genesis 10:4
"Tarshish" - this is where Jonah flees to. Considered to be in modern day Spain. There's a city in Spain known as "Tartessos".
"Kittim" is the island of Cypress. "Dodanim" also translated "Rodanim" and believed to be tied to Rhodes and the Rhone river.
It's fascinating how we can see some clues of how these ancient names still endure into modern times.
Genesis 10:6-9
We will come back to this. You can see the rhythm was interrupted with an explanation.
Genesis 10:10-14
You've read a lot of these names and probably thought "I don't know who any of these names are." But then we see "philistines" and we need to be aware that we are reading a list of the enemies of the nation of Israel throughout history. Verse 6 gives us also a clear reference that we can pick up on regarding the enemies of Israel.
What Moses is doing here is signaling his original audience that this is about to go somewhere where you are going to meet a lot of scary people, and this is why they're scary - because they are descended from Ham's line.
Back to verse 8
In verse 8, it speaks of Nimrod a "mighty man." Remember in Genesis 6:4 that passage that discussed the mighty men of old, the nephilim, giants? Basically, there were righteous that married with the unrighteous and there was an unholy offspring. These are the giants who later appear in the narrative of the spies. Apparently, Nimrod is one of those first evil offspring of these unholy unions.
Back to verse 9
In verse 9, we read he's a hunter (Nimrod). Well, that's nice, you may think; but his name means "we shall rebel." He's a mighty man, which can be translated as a giant but also a tyrant.
We find in verse 10 more about him. The first place he sets up camp is in Babel. Babel will become Babylon in the plain of Shinar.
If you're familiar with the story of the nation of Israel, it runs like this:
1450 - Exodus from Egypt
1400 - Conquest of Canaan after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness
930 BC - Northern and Southern kingdoms split. Israel in the North. Judah in the South.
721 BC - Northern kingdom falls to the kingdom of Assyria.
Genesis 10:11
Look at the next place Nimrod goes after Babel: Assyria, Nineva and built on from there. 587 BC guess who the Southern kingdom Judah falls to? Babylon.
These are the major enemies of Israel. Babylon in the Bible is an arc-type of disobedience, pride and rebellion.
Genesis 10:15
We find out about Canaan's line. Remember what we saw in the previous lesson? This is the line that is cursed by Noah in his prophesy.
Genesis 10:15-18a
These catchy words in verses 16-18 occur 19 other times in the OT accounts. It's the most familiar list of the enemies of Israel as they go in to take over the land of Canaan.
Canaan's descendants are sort of on the top most wanted list of those who come against Israel. Jebusites are in the city is Jerusalem all up until 2 Samuel 5 where the city is at last captured by David. For a very long period of time the most sacred city is inhabited by the most wicked tribe.
Genesis 10:19-20
"Sodom" and Gomorrah". These come later in the book of Genesis. In verse 20, these are the people who settled in the African, canaan region. She asked us to read Leviticus 18 and see some of the things God is forbidding people to do as they enter into the promised land. A pretty shocking list. Why is God thinking that any of His people would ever engage in these activities? We know why. Because this is exactly what is going on in the land of Canaan. The land to which they, the Israelites, are going and often in the land from where they have come.
Genesis 10:21
We see the line of Shem. Notice the linguistic connection to the semmites - the line of promise. This is the Jewish nation coming through this line. "Eber" root name for the term "Hebrew".
Genesis 10:25
We have a break in the rhythm in this verse. What does this mean "for in his days the earth was divided?" It's a time reference for the listeners. Think about the story that is coming next: the Tower of Babel, at which time the world is divided. The sons of Shem settle in the middleeast - Persia area.
On the ancient map, you can see how it was an organized re-telling, giving geographical reference points for the audience Moses is writing to.
Genesis 10:32
You can hear in this verse an echo of be fruitful and multiply language. This list is made up of 70 names of people, regions or clans. Do you think that was an accident? We've already seen a geneology of a line that had 7 names. Then a geneology of Seth with 10 names going back to Adam. Here in the Tower of Nations we see 70 names in which 7 and 10 signify completeness.
This is not an exhaustive list. Moses is making a point, telling a story in a particular way. He wants us to know what is going on when Noah speaks his prophetic word over his sons.
Looking back at Genesis 9 let's look at what Noah said. Verse 25 is effectively fulfilled when Joshua leads Israel into the promised land. Canaan becomes a servant to the children of Israel. In verse 26 do you notice that when he speaks the blessing he doesn't say "blessed be Shem?" He says "blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem." This signifies that Shem's line is the righteous line by whom the name of the Lord will be held high. In verse 27 it's very clear here as well that Canaan will be a servant.
What about Japheth? Shem is the line of promise, which means that Japheth's descendants and Canaan's descendants are not Hebrews. Canaan's descendants are pagans.
Who are Japheth's descendants? Verse 27 is essentially saying "may God enlarge Japheth and may it be as if he were an honored guest enjoying all the wealth of Shem." Japheth is to be invited into the tents of Shem and be treated as though he is family. Think back on the map in your homework. Japheth's descendants all settled in that Indo-European region. If you were to overlay that map with a map of the world at the time of the writing of the gosepl of Acts, this was when the gospel was preached first to the Jew and then preached to the Gentile. It is preached to the descendants of Japheth. This is our story.
Genesis 11:1-3a
They are in that whole region where Babylon will be. "Come, let us make bricks." This is familar speech. The way God spoke in the creation account when He creates human beings.
Genesis 11:3b-4
They keep saying "Come, let us" - do what we want. Human beings here taking counsel with one another or in the manner that God takes counsel with Himself in the original creation account.
What do they want to do? A building project: make a city, make a tower, make a name for themselves. They were willing to make their own bricks - determined.
Notice "let us make a name for ourselves." The Hebrew word for "name" is Shem. God is jealous for His name and His glory, but humans are now wanting to make their name great.
"With its top in the heavens" - NIV translation "a tower that reaches to the heavens." Tower really does not describe it here, but it's actually a ziggerut. This looked like a pyrimad and had stair steps up the side, less of a tower and more of a stairway to heaven.
Remember in Isaiah 14:13-16 it says "I will ascend to the heavens" description of lucifer's words? That's what we see playing out here. The city is a representation of self-sufficiency and wrong motives.
Genesis 11:5
God came down to see.
Genesis 11:6a
They are way too able to get together and collaborate - look what's happened to sin - Adam and Eve individual act, but now a growing sophistication of sin - figuring out ways to sin together.
Genesis 11:6b-9
"Come, let us go down." God re-establishes Himself as creator God and the one with the right to rule. Dispersing them is a gracious act of God.
"Babel" in Babylon means "gate of God" but in Hebrew it means "confusion." God ensures by confusing their language and dispersing them they will do what He's told them to do - to be fruitful and multiply. God's plans will not be thwarted.
What partner story do we see? Pentecost. Acts 2:1-13. Many different languages and the people need to hear one message. God sends His spirit down on His sons and daughters and they merge speaking in the tongues of the known world to all who need to hear it.
For Us
We love to build "cities". We love to build "towers." We are called to not build our own habitations (I Peter 2:5).
The Last Creation Act
Revelation 21:1-7. Notice: God's final word is to us "make all things new" and "it is done."
Jen ends praying the words of the elders as they cast their crowns before the throne in Revelation 4:11.
