FEB 11
Genesis 10:1-32
Memorise Psalm 22:27-28
“And by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood”

From the three sons of Noah, we see three households emerging, which would be the beginnings of nations, races and peoples. Genesis 10 gives us a listing of the descendants from each of these three sons, the nations and people that resulted out of them, and also of the lands which they settled in. This particular chapter of the book of Genesis, though seemingly meaningless to many of us, is actually lauded by many Bible scholars, archaeologists and historians as an incomparable accurate record of ancient nations, unparalleled in its antiquity and comprehensiveness.

After leaving the ark and the unpleasant experience in the previous chapter, the three sons of Noah probably went their separate ways to establish their own homes. In the genealogical record in Genesis 10, each son is detailed one after another, starting from Japheth the oldest, then Ham, and then to Shem. Whilst it would be hard to trace each and every single descendant of each son to a high degree of accuracy, enough detail is given to us in these records to help us have a general idea of the vicinities to which each son ended up in. It is generally understood that the sons of Japheth were the ancestors of the Indo-European people branching off to regions of Europe, India, and possibly even North Africa. The sons of Ham would give rise to the Canaanites – the inhabitants of the Middle Eastern region, and also to the Cushites who moved to Ethiopia and other parts of Africa. It is possible also that the Sinites (Genesis 10:17) were those who travelled to the Far East (Isaiah 49:12), giving rise to the Oriental, Chinese people. The sons of Shem, of course resulted in the nation of Israel. Other descendants would include the Syrians and other tribes around the Arabic region.

Of course these are but well-researched educated guesses that should not be taken as gospel truth. Nonetheless what we do realise from this list is that all the inhabitants of this earth did originate from a common ancestry. There may be many different races and nations in the world, but we are all the sons of Adam and Noah, created by God for His glory. Yet man in his sinful pride continues to fight and war, all seeking to put himself up above the rest. As long as sin continues to plague mankind, there can be no peace. Only when Christ returns, would “all the ends of the world remember and turn unto the Lord” (Psalm 22:27).

Thought: Red and yellow black and white they are precious in His sight.

Prayer: Lord, may I see all men equally, as sinners in need of Thy grace.