The Dispensation of Government

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Lucas van Valckenborch: The tower of Babel (1568)

Lucas van Valckenborch: The tower of Babel (1568)

The study of astrology was a renouncing of God’s control as the ultimate and only Creator. One outcome was that the Mazzeroth or God’s message of the stars in the heaven (see the posting of the signs in the heaven) was being corrupted by astrology. Since astrology was a repudiation of the worship of the One God, man started to worship the occult and other demonic entities including the stars of heaven instead of the creator.

Samyaza The Fallen Angel by Hawkwood

Samyaza The Fallen Angel by Hawkwood

The symbolic purpose was to deliberately disobey God’s command to spread all over the world. The purpose of the Tower of Babel was to serve as a meeting center to attract many people, to keep humanity together so that they would not spread out. Basically, their intent was not to move outside of the Babylonian area, which lies between the Euphrates and the Tigris Rivers which is in modern day Iraq.

Instead of using government properly, they tried to build empires as the story of Nimrod points out. Nimrod was a mighty hunter against God, but he was also the first occultic anti-God empire builder. Instead of seeing each kingdom as being independent, he tried to unify all kingdoms under his authority. Rather than separate kingdoms as God had originally intended, the nature of empires is to try to consolidate them.

The dispensation of human government resulted in judgment upon the plain of Shinar (Babylon) of the confusion of tongues and the dispersing of the population to other parts of the earth. (See Genesis 9: 1, 2; Genesis 11: 1-4; Genesis 11:5-8.) With the languages confused the people had less reason to commingle in Babylon and sought others who might speak the same language. People tend to congregate with others which whom they are able to communicate.

God’s 
Grace was displayed in the way He preserved His Remnant. The particular people whose names are listed after the Tower of Babel incident are known as the Genealogy of Shem. These names in Genesis 11 trace the genealogy of Noah’s son Shem, all the way down to Abraham.  Abraham would be the chief person in the next dispensation. God did preserve a Remnant, and they were followers of the only True God during this period. God maintained the Seed line. The promise He made concerning the seed of the woman 
continued to be preserved in spite of man’s failure and judgment.

The Toldot of Shem

Genesis 11: 10-25 These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old, and begat Arpachshad two years after the flood. and Shem lived after he begat Arpachshad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Arpachshad lived five and thirty years, and begat Shelah. and Arpachshad lived after he begat Shelah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. And Shelah lived thirty years, and begat Eber: and Shelah lived after he begat Ever four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: and Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: and Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug: and Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: and Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah: and Nahor lived after he begat Terah a hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran (ASV 1901).

Daniel E. Woodhead Ph.D.