From Shem to Abram: Not by Nimrods but by God

It’s implicit in the very notion of revival that it is preceded by a decline in the obedience of God’s people, and in episodes or periods of betrayal.

After sharing the Flood event, Genesis sets out the line of descent that flowed through Noah’s sons. In the line of Ham we come to Nimrod. On the surface Nimrod presents a positive figure, as one who is called “a mighty hunter before the Lord” [Gen 10:9]

Here, however, we need to recall that though God cleansed the earth externally of evil in the flood, He did not cleanse mankind internally from the capacity to be evil. Hence Nimrod sets up a kingdom, firstly in Babylon on the Shinar plain and secondly in Nineveh, Assyria; two cities and kingdoms which become infamous centres of antagonism to God and His Kingdom. It is quite possible, maybe even very probable that it was Nimrod who called to the people together to make bricks, bake them well and build “a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that [they] may make a name for [them]selves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” [11:4] An ambition that flows from the ambition of Lucifer, who said in his heart “I will ascend to heaven.” Like him, did Nimrod hope to raise his “throne above the stars of God” and “sit enthroned... on the utmost heights … [and] make himself like the Most High”? [see Isaiah 14:13f].

Even while Nimrod was walking proudly in the Eden sin of seeking to become like God, the Lord God humbled Himself to come down from heaven to see what people were doing. In a hint of the Trinity [as also in Gen 1:26] speaking plurally to Himself, God says, “Let Us … confuse their language so that they will not understand each other.” Then He over-rules Nimrod, scattering the people over the earth.

Now Genesis, in referring to Nimrod and Babylon, is not simply explaining the comment in c10v25, that two “sons were born to Eber. One was named Peleg, [which means ‘division’ ] because in his time the earth was divided…” geographically. Genesis is pointing to the universal spiritual division of all people, between those who walk in the counsel of the wicked and those who delight in the law of the Lord [as Psalm 1 expresses it.]

This division is a challenge to our human desire to be good in our own eyes. Being “clever in [our] own sight.” [Isaiah 5:21] leads us firstly to reduce being ‘wicked’ to those who do monstrously bad things in our eyes. And secondly to render ‘wickedness’ as subjective and relative and therefore open to change so we may in our wisdom come to call yesterday’s evil good and today’s good evil.

For us the understanding of wisdom belongs to those who capture the culture. But in Scripture wickedness represents a God determined absolute. The wicked being all, who, in the way of Lucifer and Nimrod, choose to ignore, set aside and to attempt to overthrow God’s way for our life. And from saying out with His way we say out with Himself. This is presented as a goodness of human wisdom, a wisdom that generates a better life for all people. A world view that scripture sees as humanity’s ultimate folly, for the way of the wicked will perish. [Psalm 1].

This division is summarised in the Gospel purpose as expressed for example in John 3:16:

“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in Him (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. [Amplified Bible, Classic Version; (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John 203&version=AMPC)

As Genesis leads us through the wickedness of Nimrod, we see the sovereign will of God working to achieve His purpose and through the line of Shem we come to Abram and his wife Sarai, through whom God will raise a righteous people, for the blessing of the world.