The Genesis Site - Thoughts about Nations

Genesis 11

Babel was abandoned. People were scattered all around the world, like Genesis 11:8 makes very clear.
So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face off all the earth, and they left off building the city.
Sooner or later they would all settle down somewhere, and grow to tribes or nations. Probably they were not aware, but they were watched and guided all the way. They were not going just somewhere, but they were on the road to their destination. All went according to plan.

Paul says in Acts 17:26 that God made from one [Adam] every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth,
having determined alloted periods
and the boundaries of their habitation,

that they should seek God,
in the hope that they might feel after Him
and find Him.
Have you ever thought of this, that you are living where you live, because God wanted it that way?
However, from one tribe in particular the borders of their country is described. You can find this in Numbers 34:1-29.

It started about 270 years after the disaster of Babel [1] when God was searching for a man down here on earth who was able to obey Him. He found one in Abraham (Genesis 12:1-2, compare with Hebrews 11:8). With this man and his descendants God had a special plan. Out of these people the Saviour of the world should be born. In Matthew 1:1 the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ starts with Abraham.

Meanwhile, as we e.g. may conclude from Acts 17:26, all nations did have their responsibilities towards God. They should seek Him, to receive His mercy and love. But what if they forgot all about God? Is there any excuse for them? In Romans 1 and 2 Paul explains twice that men have no excuse. First in Romans 1:18-21, where he says that God can be known out of the creation:
Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse;
And oncemore in Romans 2:1-3 Paul explains that our attitude against one another judges us:
Therefore you have no excuse, o man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who do such things. Do you suppose, o man, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God?
So all nations (and not only in the past!) have their responsibility towards God. But there is one more thing. Not only how they are acting against God is important, also their attitude against His people, the apple of His eye, is influencing their life.
In Deuteronomy 7:6 we read how Israel is chosen by God to be His own possession out of all the peoples that are on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 32:10 says that He cares for them as the apple of His eye.
He encircled him, He cared for him,
He kept him as the apple of His eye.
Israel, the descendants of Abraham, is important to God! It is so important that it is also influencing the borders of other countries! Deuteronomy 32:8 says (and compare this verse with what is said in Acts 17:26):
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.
It may be clear now that acting against Israel and its people is acting against God. Negative acting will receive a curse, positive acting will receive blessings. Take for instance Isaiah 43:4, talking about the returning of the Jews to their own country (what we see happen today!):
Because of your value in my eyes, you have been honoured, and loved by me; so I will give men for you, and peoples for your life.
God is seeking the best for Israel and when other men try to stop Him, they have a big problem. An example is found in the exodus from the Jews out of Egypt (Exodus 5-15).
The pharaoh tried to stop his slaves, but finally he was killed. And before this happened all the Egyptions were aware of God's acting because of Israel. They all felt the ten plagues!
When Israel was on the road to the promised land, it met several other people. And what do we read? (See Deuteronomy 23:3-4.)
No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their people to the tenth generation may come into the meeting of the Lord's people: because they gave you no bread or water on your way, when you came out of Egypt: and they got Balaam, the son of Peor, from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to put curses on you.
In fact this is the realization of what was promised to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 12:3:
To them who are good to you will I give blessing, and on him who does you wrong will I put my curse: and you will become a name of blessing to all the families of the earth.
Putting all quoted Bible verses together we find three important warnings to all nations: I believe the nations of the world still have a lot to learn....


[1] 270 Years is found by taking the year of birth from the ancestors in Genesis 11:18-12:4 in relations to their father and by starting with Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided (Genesis 11:25).



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