Human nature has a propensity to return to sin, to backslide into dysfunction and to live apart from God. Noah lived for 350 years after the Great Flood. His son Shem lived for 398 years after the Great Flood.
Genesis 11:10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
Genesis 11:11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
These men were living testimonies to warn against the sins and evil of the antediluvian (pre-flood) world. With survivors of the Great Flood, yet alive, the people started to turn back to their evil ways.
Noah was the father of Ham, grandfather to Cush and great grandfather to Nimrod, who became a mighty hunter and a king over four kingdoms in Shinar. The land of Shinar was near what would be the modern day area of the Persian Gulf. Nimrod is the first king to be mentioned in the Bible.
Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. (9) He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. (10) And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Fausset Bible Dictionary, in an article on Nimrod, states:
The Septuagint (a Greek version of the Jewish Scriptures) translates “before the Lord” as "against Jehovah." The Hebrew name Nimrod means "let us rebel," given by his contemporaries to Nimrod as one who ever had in his mouth such words to stir up his band to rebellion. Nimrod subverted the existing patriarchal order of society by setting up a chieftainship based on personal valor and maintained by aggression.
Nimrod erected a great tower and tried to reach heaven. The whole world at the time spoke only one language. This allowed them to work together. Unfortunately, they did not work for good.
Genesis 11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
Genesis 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth
God was not pleased with Nimrod and the people. United for evil purposes, there would be nothing to keep them from doing all that they could imagine. So God divided the people by giving them different languages. The tower became known as the “Tower of Babel,” and the city as Babylon; because it was there that God confounded the language of the people.
Genesis 11:5-9 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. (6) And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (7) Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. (8) So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. (9) Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
Nimrod led the people of his kingdom away from God in rebellion. His influence continued to live on after his death through the pagan religions and heathen nations that continued to disobey God.
Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews Book 1 Chapter 4
Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God… He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it was through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness… He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power. He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers !
There are a lot of myths and legends that surround Nimrod; but it is conclusive, that he was a mighty leader who led his people against God; being the first of many heathen kings. The city of his rebellion, Babylon, became synonymous with pagan worship of the highest apostate form that would continue until the End Time as identified in Revelation.
Revelation 17:1-6 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: (2) With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. (3) So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (4) And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: (5) And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (6) And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Prayer: Thank you Heavenly Father, that you have called me out of this world into your marvelous truth and light. Help me LORD, to walk in your precepts and to serve truth, turning away from the world and all that is corrupt. Renew your Holy Spirit within me, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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