GENESIS 10 THE COURSE OF FAILURE It is possible for us to misuse our privileges and that will lead us to spiritual failure. Grace that has been shown toward us, and even grace in us, if misused, can make us forget ourselves and expose our spiritual weakness and nakedness. By failing to control our thoughts and the rule of our minds, if we give our minds the opportunity to show what is in us, we set ourselves up for failure.
Noah found grace and experienced the blessings of grace, but got side-tracked by his work. Shem represents the mind that loves contemplation and meditation, but that can be led astray if we allow ourselves to think and meditate on things that are wrong. Japheth speaks to us of those who are active in service and deeds and are successful. Those people can stumble if activities are linked to the wrong things. Materialism can quickly bring a person down spiritually in spite of their material success, or maybe because of it. Ham teaches of the results of knowing what is right and deliberately not doing it. Knowledge seeks to claim the place of authority in our lives, rather than living by faith, and it will soon lead to confusion.
All of these, even though grace has brought us into the blessings of the new birth, can bring failure in the lives of believers, and sometimes even evil can lift its ugly head in a Christian. “Self” still remains in us and if we start to glory in anything but the cross of Christ, we are bound to fail our Lord. Evil people have an eye out for evil in others to excuse the evil in themselves. Righteous people look for ways to engage in helping others to avoid evil as well as to avoid the contamination of evil in themselves.
Noah fell because of misusing the blessings he received. Ham’s exposure to Noah’s fall was because of the lack of love. Every test that Christians face, has a potential for failure, but it is also an opportunity for victory. A test can be an occasion for love and self-sacrificing grace to do their work of blessing for the benefit of others. Circumstances, and how we deal with them, prove what kind of person we are. The same trial that shows the carnality of the carnal, can show the grace of the gracious.
A consequence of evil is that evil follows evil. Noah misused blessings and exposed himself, and injured his character and reputation. Later, Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, exalted himself and sought to lord it over other people as if he was a god. Like many today, they want the gift of God, but they don’t want God. Christ’s rule, truth, and authority over us, is to make us free indeed. Man’s rule places people under the bondage of men like themselves.
In assemblies of God’s people, if we are careful and those who lead us commit themselves to following God’s word, not the opinions of people, we can be preserved from the downward stages of departure. Nimrod “began to be a mighty one.” Instead of being “examples to the flock,” it is possible for some to seek to be “lords over God’s heritage.” The second downward step is to find and pay someone to do for the people what they should be doing themselves. We should all be doing what God has gifted us to do for the benefit of others. When faith in God and communion with Him fails, then we are in danger of wanting what God does instead of wanting God Himself. The third downward stage is confusion, as in “Babel.” That leads to scattering what had been united. Then comes departure from the truth of God, and the rise of self-glory. That in turn leads to apostasy.
Building for the glory of man or the “success” of the local church leads to an imitation of what is true, instead of what is the truth of God. The longer the imitation is allowed to continue, the more divided people become. They begin to walk by sight, not by faith. The only remedy for such a result is the grace of God. The Holy Spirit can convict us of sin and move us to reject those downward steps when we repent and put our faith in the word of God alone for guidance. God Himself will guide us into all truth. Zeal for God, sanctification, and putting to death the sins of the flesh, will lead us forward to peace, joy, and satisfaction. The Shepherd and Bishop of our souls will be there to protect and guide us when we yield in true faith to Him. How wonderful the rediscovery of the unsearchable riches of Christ! In grace, He is always the same and receives all who come to Him in faith.
LESSONS TO LEARN FROM GENESIS 10 All nations are of one blood. “He hath made of one blood all nations of men” Acts 17:26. All men and all people are of one race and are of the same rank and with the same destiny. In the human sense, we are all relatives. So, it is impossible to really discern where missionary work begins and ends. There is much need in home missionary work and in missionary work abroad. All nations have one need. The whole problem of sin is implied all the way through this account of the forming of nations. Common difficulties are everywhere in the world. Diseases are common to all people. All have sinned – there is no difference, so death has passed upon all men. Deep-seated sin cannot be eradicated by human efforts. That is the common lot of all people everywhere. Repentance is necessary for all people and faith in the living God is expected from everyone. The living God has revealed Himself in many ways, leaving people without an excuse for not believing in Him. All mankind has one and the same need. We all need forgiveness for our sins. All nations have one way of salvation. God’s mercy is extended to all the descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the Jews, is the only Savior of all the sinners of the world.