One Blood, one Brand (Genesis 9:28-10:32) ~ Richard L Rice, Bethel Baptist Church, Torrington, WY

SERMON SUMMARY NOTES Without Scripture, people live in error and uncertainty because we have no idea where we came from. Genesis 10 is another long list of names in a genealogy known as the Table of Nations serving as proof that God made one race on earth, the human race (Acts 17:26). God drew the lines on the map of the earth, dispersing people by tongue, tribe, and nation for His great work of redeeming fallen mankind. I. The Common Origin of Humanity (Gen 9:28–10:5). Noah lived 950 years, and while he survived the greatest storm in history, he couldn't escape the curse of death empowered by sin (Gen 9:28-29). His life was the bridge to the new world, and from his three sons, the entire earth was repopulated (Gen 10:1). Everyone on earth bears our Maker’s Mark (the likeness and image of God) as well as the sin nature passed to all of Adam’s descendants through Noah and his three sons. By these three sons spreading across the earth, God determined the boundaries of our dwellings so that we might seek Him and be saved from our sin (Acts 17:26-28). II. The Rising Spirit of Rebellion (Gen 10:2–20). The sons of Noah’s firstborn, Japheth, spread to the coastlands of Europe and the grasslands of Russia (Gen 10:2-5). The line of Ham settled in North Africa and Canaan, producing many of the nations that became enemies of God’s messianic promise and chosen earthly people Israel (Gen 10:6-7, 13-20; Jer 47:4; Ps 73:10, 15; Is 11:10-12; Micah 5:5-6). In this family tree, we meet Nimrod, the world’s first tyrant (Gen 10:8-12). His name means "let us rebel," and he was a hunter before the Lord, meaning he stood in open, violent defiance against God's face. He built Babel and Nineveh to glorify himself and rule through fear. His line (with Japheth) are the ungodly lines of man building kingdoms in the dirt, fueled by pride and finished in petty rebellion. Babylon stands as a constant symbol of the antagonist to God and God’s people throughout Scripture (Is 14:3-8; Dan 4:30-33; Rev 18:2-3), but we rest in the fact that one day the spirit of rebellion will be abolished when the Lord God omnipotent reigns (Rev 19:6). III. The Sovereign Grace of God's Election (Gen 10:21–32). The focus of the chapter is the line of Shem (Gen 10:21-31). Shem is named first in the records because he's the son of Noah through whom Jesus, the promised Seed of the woman, would come (Gen 5:32; 7:13; 9:18; 10:1; Gen 3:15). Seth highlights the Doctrine of Election: God’s sovereign choice to save a people for Himself based on His grace, not our merit (Deut 7:6-8; Jn 6:37-44; Rom 9:11-16; Eph 1:3-6; 2 Tim 1:9). Salvation doesn't depend on our "willing" or "running" but on God's mercy (Rom 9:16; Jn 1:12-13; Eph 2:1). While the world was being divided by language at Babel during the time of Peleg (Gen 10:25; 11:1-9), God was preserving a line through Eber, whose name is the basis for the word Hebrew (Gen 10:21; Lk 3:35). The Table of Nations list, showing mankind’s dispersion across the earth, contains 70 names. These 70 people groups eventually lead to the 70 disciples Jesus sent out, symbols of the Gospel being for all peoples everywhere (Lk 10:1; Rev 5:9-10; 7:9-10). What sin divided at Babel, the Saviour began uniting at Pentecost, breaking down the wall of division between Jew and Gentile as we take the whole Gospel to the whole world (Mt 28:19-20; Eph 2:14). .