DISPENSATION OF HUMAN GOVERNMENT Lesson- 4

References: Gen.8:15-11 ,19

Memory verse: Psalms 127:1

Objective

To understand that human efforts apart from God are doomed to failure.

Introduction

The reason for all frictions in the world today is man's desire to rule others. The man was originally endowed with the power to rule but lost it because of his fall. This explains why the tendency still prevails.
Commonly, we love those who are yielding and hate those who are otherwise. This dispensation was when man vainly thought that he could make the earth plentiful and prosperous by his own government and worked there too. So it is called "The Dispensation of Human Government." It is not true of the present human societies? But the history of the past period proves that man's attempts apart from God are liable to failure. This dispensation spans from the flood to the call of Abraham about 427 years.

WELL BEGUN:

How many had survived the great flood? Who were they? Noah, His wife, three sons, and their wives stepped onto the new earth. What did they do then? Noah built an altar to the Lord and offered sacrifices on it. The Lord was pleased (Gen.8:20, 21) in him and entered into a covenant (agreement) with man. The covenant consisted of the blessings, promises, and commandments God gave to man.
They are summed up in the following conditions (Gen.8:20-9)

1. That God would never again destroy the earth by flood because of man.
2. That all living creatures would never again be destroyed.
3. God blessed man to be fruitful to increase in number and fill the earth.
4. Dominion of man over all living creatures was established.
5. The man was permitted to eat flesh.
6. Flesh must be eaten without blood in it.
7. Warned man against shedding the human blood.

As a token of this covenant, God showed the Rainbow in the sky. Thus, the new dispensation of Human Government began with government entrusted to man and great promises and blessings given to him. It was well started in every way.

HUMAN FAILURE:

1. Noah planted a vineyard that yielded abundant grapes. It happened that he was over drunk with wine, which led to his son's curse. Notice how the wrongs of the parents adversely affect the generation!
2. Noah's descendants disbelieved God. They thought that God might break the covenant that he would never destroy the earth by flood. This led them to decide to build a Heaven-reaching tower to be safe in the event of another flood.
3. God gave the blessing and commandment to increase in number and spread across the earth (Gen.9:1). But instead, they decided to build a big city on the plains of Shinar so that they might not be scattered over the face of the earth (Gen.11:4). That is the beginning of Babel (Babylon). Thus they rebelled against God's covenant.
4. Their pride and self–boasting knew no bounds. Their aim was to make a name for themselves or earn a big reputation instead of glorifying the name of God. That is how the city of Babylon was built.
5. Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, was a Hero of ancient times who gave leadership to the people. It was Nimrod who included the people to reject the true living God and worship idols and other creations. Thus it marked the beginning of what we call Babylonian worship.

PUNISHMENT:

Although man knew about God's judgment through the flood and the covenant made to Noah, they rebelled against God. The man also prepared plans and projects to make life secure and prosperous apart from God. But they failed in their attempt. God confused their language so that their communication was crippled. They began to use many languages. This confusion of language scattered the people all over the earth. The name 'Babel' means confusion. This is how all the diverse languages spoken in the world originated.

All efforts,  projects, vogues, and cultures despise God and are doomed to utter failure and destruction. Let's desire and pray for God's presence and help in all our affairs.