… the day that Noah entered into the ark,
and the flood came, and destroyed them all…”
Our Lord’s Words
in Luke 17:27
Human Government covers the period of time from the Flood to the Dispersion at Babel. While many people refuse to believe the reality of the flood, the fact is substantiated not only by biblical account in Genesis, but by Job 22:15-16, Isaiah 54:9, and numerous New Testament accounts, such as Matthew 24:38-39, II Peter 2:5, and I Peter 3:20.
There are many physical definitive accounts through the ages confirmed by geological evidences that there took place upon this earth a great and sudden violent disturbance that swept over the earth and overcame all existing life. We who are saved have no problem believing God’s Word. Someone once said – “If God said it, that settles it whether you believe it or not.” I fall into that category of human beings. I find no difficulty believing God!
For you non-believers who do not search the scriptures for any reason, try reading about some of the archeological excavation activities at Ur of the Chaldees that turned up a layer of “deposited clay eight feet deep and beneath it the remains of a civilization older than Ur” (The Expanded Panorama Bible Study Course by Eade, Fleming H. Revell Co., New Jersey.) And this is just one example. Space does not permit elaboration.
God’s invitation to all the people of the earth at that time was to “come into the Ark” which symbolized His marvelous mercy and grace. Only Noah and his family took God at His Word and “came into” the mercy and protection He offered. The Patriarch believed God, took Him at His Word, and landed safely after the waters subsided (Genesis 13). Before beginning a new life after disembarking the Ark, Noah built an Altar and offered sacrifice to a Holy God, which pleased Him. God covenanted with Noah in Genesis 9:1-19, giving the human race a new beginning. Did this make them perfect? No! “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Even Noah, who had found grace in God’s eyes, after having planted a vineyard, partook of the fruit of the vine to the extent that he became drunk and was naked in his tent. His youngest son, Ham, dishonored his father by looking on his nakedness and then calling to his brothers, Shem and Japheth. The two older brothers, with compassion and pity, backed into the tent and covered their father instead of humiliating him.
Eades encourages us to have that same compassion on our Christian brothers and sisters. Instead of criticizing and exposing them for who we think they are, we should follow the example of Noah’s older sons in protecting integrity, for “love covers a multitude of sins.”
So in all of this, God had to deal with Ham’s sin. He did not curse him directly, but his son Canaan was cursed of God because of Ham’s actions. Read it for yourself (Genesis 9:24-27). He then blessed Shem and Japheth. Something you should also read and understand is that Japheth was blessed with a physical (material) blessing and Shem received the spiritual blessing. It would be through Shem’s line that Messiah would come.
The Dispensation of Human Government ends with the Tower of Babel. God had formed the earth to be populated, not desolate of people. Because of man’s disobedience, things changed. Genesis 11:1-4 says the earth was of one language, and sinful men once again found a way to defy God. They built a city and a tower. Their cry was “let us!” We all know when men and women who know not God try to usurp God’s plan, things just go wrong.
The city was called Shinar, then Babylon. Read about Nimrod, the great warrior, the great builder, in Genesis 10, who used his power to lay the foundation of Babylon.
Men have always tried to “work” or “build” their way to Heaven. Genesis 11:15 says “…the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.” God is all-powerful; there is not a human on the face of the earth that can thwart His decisions and plan; and there is no way we can work our way to Heaven.
“So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth” (Genesis 11:8-9).
Hence, God’s judgment fell and man was scattered, ending the dispensation of Human Government. God’s Word never fails. We must trust Him in everything.
May you walk with the Lord in the Light of His Word.
Victor W. Baugh, Sr., Th.D., Ph.D.
Pastor, St. Luke AME Church
Havana, AL
Author of The Anchor Holds, Victor’s Story
http://www.thatgracemayabound.blogspot.com/ ©2012
That Grace May Abound Ministries International ©2014
