Rev. Don Campbell
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, JANUARY 3, 2019: THE BEGINNING OF NATIONS [Gen 8-11]
God had destroyed all inhabitants of the world in the flood except Noah and his family. From his three sons would come all the nations of the world: “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” (Gen 10:32). Ham fathered Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Cush fathered Nimrod, who was “the first on earth to be a mighty man” (10:8). The text goes on to say that he was a mighty hunter, but he was much more. “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel…From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh and three other cities” (10:9-12).
The tower of Babel, from which the city got its name, was the site of the first revolt of the created against the Creator who had commanded, “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (9:1), but they wanted a one-world government and set out to build a tower to bind them together. God confused their language and dispersed them over the face of the earth (11:9).
Babel became the city of Babylon and the name eventually applied to the entire province. The name comes up often in the Scriptures. One of special interest is in Ezekiel 23:17: “And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, she turned from them in disgust.” Throughout history, God’s people have either been seduced by Babylon or persecuted by her. “The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Rev 17:4-6).
All human governments are corrupt because that which makes governments necessary also makes them flawed: Humanity is sinful, so human governments will also be evil. Some are better than others, but none are the kingdom of God. In our own nation which to some degree was founded on biblical principles has been plagued with political scandals. There is not a single administration that did not see a scandal either in the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, or the Judicial Branch. [Wikipedia uses 74 pages to list these scandals. There are 685 references in the article.]
Those who seek to wed politics to the church, so “We can once again have a godly nation,” do not know our own history or they are blinded by politics.
CONNECTIONS
One of my FB friends has suggested that I include some questions that might promote further study and greater understanding of God’s scheme of redemption. I will do this each day. The questions will not be fact-oriented but thought-oriented. Facts are essential, but until we connect the facts with our will, understanding them is of little value.
1. In his high priestly prayer, Jesus said, “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:14-17). Combining this truth with today’s reading, what should a believer’s relationship to the world be regardless of the political system under which one might live?
2. Is the greatest threat to God’s people today persecution or seduction?
