TWU The Descendants Of Noah

Welcome back to “The Word Unfolded.” I hope you’re having a great day. Having left off in our last episode looking at Genesis 9, we pick up today examining Genesis 10. This is another one of those chapters that focuses on genealogies and because of such, most people either ignore it completely or just skim over it. However, as I have stated before, there are always gems found in these, if we are willing to study them.

Now before we dive right in I want to address what some critics say concerning Genesis 10 and Genesis 11. Some try and say that there is a contradiction between the two chapters because we have various languages mentioned in the genealogy and we don’t see that taking place until Genesis 11. For something to be an actual contradiction one must prove there is no possible harmonization and if there is any rational harmonization, then there cannot be any contradiction. So, can these two chapters harmonize in any way, of course they can.

We already know that the book of Genesis is not “fully” written in a chronological order. We see this starting in Genesis 2 when it gives more details about what took place during the events mentioned in chapter one. We also see this in Genesis 38 where several of the events mentioned in this chapter occured while the things recorded in Genesis 39 and later took place. So, Genesis 10 is not meant to be chronological, but simply a snapshot of “certain events” through the various lines of genealogy that were significant.

We must not be hasty to either suggest or believe those that mention supposed contradictions. The reason people suggest them is because they either don’t believe the bible to be inspired or they don’t accept God is perfect, cannot lie, and therefore cannot inspire a perfect book. Both of these attitudes are sinful and irreverent towards God’s holy word, because God himself has said he inspired every word (2 Timothy 3:16) and has said he cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). So either there are zero contradictions or the bible is not inspired by God. You can see then the significance of understanding what a true contradiction is then.

Now, getting back to Genesis 10, there are a few “nuggets of information” that I want us to consider today.

First, we read in Genesis 10:5 and Genesis 10:25 this…

Genesis 10:5 ESV

5 From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.

Genesis 10:25 ESV

25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan.

Both of these clearly point to the next chapter and demonstrate that (1) this chapter is not in chronological order and (2) that the flood had to be universal for “one” language to be on all the earth as everyone came from “one family”, Noah’s family.

Second, we also read in Genesis 10:8…

Genesis 10:8 ESV

8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man.

Here we have a clear indication to the devastation of the universal flood as well. There were mighty men before this, as Nimrod was not the “very first mighty man” as we see in Genesis 6:4. However, he is the “first mighty man” after the flood to live. This term “mighty man” simply means exceptionally skilled in the area of weaponry usage, in Nimrod’s case hunting.

All of these little bits of information help bolster not detract from the reality of the universal flood.

So, the next time you come across a genealogy don’t skip it or skim over it, search out these little nuggets of information and grow in your faith (Romans 10:17) do to them.