Man's Quest is Nothing New


Genesis 10:8–12 (ESV) Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.

 The first use of the word, "Kingdom" is found in these verses. It is interestingly not refefring to God's kingdom. It refers to that of Nimrod, the first mighty man on the Earth. Three times the passage refers to his "mighty" characteristics and he is the prototypical human warlord that will follow humanities history even up to the present day. 

 Barnhouse renders the Hebrew description of Nimrod as follows:

He was an arrogant tyrant, defiant before the face of the Lord; wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod, the mighty despot, haughty before the face of the Lord. And the homeland of his empire was Babel.

For Millenia, there have been men who have defied God's kingdom to build their own. Usually on the backs of other men (Nimrod will found the area where the tower of Babel will be built). This is the kingdom of man. It is competitive and oppressive leading to slavery and subjugation all for the glorification of some ONE person's massive ego. 

 Nimrod was the first, Pharaoh would follow, then Goliath, Ahab, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Herod, Caesar... you get the point. 

 What we must remember is that these kingdoms are history. They are history. They are blips on the map of human existence and they all met their devastating end. God's kingdom is here, inaugurated by a poor carpenter in Nazareth 2000 years ago. Even today, the kingdom doesn't have the notoriety or fame of places like New York, Hollywood, Harvard, or the White House. But for 2000 years, it has been growing and stretching around the World. It is God's unobtrusive, ever expanding Kingdom. 

 Instead of competition, God's kingdom mantras servanthood.
Instead of oppression, liberation.

Other mighty men of the Earth put others to death, enslave the living for their self-glorification.
The True Mighty Man came and washed feet, laid down His life, and truly died but was raised again.

One more interesting thing from this very long list of nations in Genesis 10. The total nations listed is 70. When Genesis ends (which some consider the preamble to the Pentateuch), there will be 70 descendants of Abraham. God's number for totality is 70. The image is certain, from this one man (Abraham), all nations (all 70 so to speak) will be touched and changed. Ultimately, this finds fulfillment in the True Son of God, the Seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ.

 Nimrod is now a slang term for a fool.

Christ is the Name that changes nations are changes and scatters demons.

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