Events in Genesis Capture the Imagination
But Defy Credibility Yet Nimrod Was as Cain
Historians, scientists and even religionists reject the truth of the first eleven chapters of Genesis. A six-day creation, worldwide cataclysm {Flood}, survival of mankind on an unguided ark and the astounding story of how languages came into existence sound more like Tolkien’s fantasy than factual historical events. Even Christians teach this section of Genesis as stories and thus as not real events. However, I beg to differ. Using the normative hermeneutical interpretive technique I will show that not only was Nimrod very real but the danger he posed would have undone the reason for the Cataclysm: preservation of the Gospel and hope of salvation of people past, present and future.
I chose the above graphic to represent Nimrod and his wife Semiramis, according to other sources, because its cartoonish and unreal presentation accords to the expectations of most people acquainted with Nimrod. Unfortunately, the usual English translations do nothing to dispel this conceptualization. A mighty hunter, build an ascending pathway to heaven along with the paucity of information tell us nothing meaningful of this person who became the eye of the storm that erupted into God taking direct action and develop languages which caused the various language groups to divide and populate the earth. Why do the Bibles maintain these confusing concepts when the Hebrew is clearer. The early translators had little knowledge of Hebrew and of biblical culture. They did well with the little knowledge they obtained. However, by the 20th century archaeology and other disciplines had developed extensive lexicons of the various original languages of the Bible, other languages extant with the events of the Old Testament and historical and cultural appreciations that the early translators could only dream. So, why do our modern translations read essentially the same? I believe it is because of tradition, the same enemy that throttled Judaism into missing Messiah when He came. Bibles are commercial products that need to sale to produce other translations. Who will buy a bible that suddenly reads so much different from previous translations? The ever ongoing KJV controversy is an example of people resistant to changes in their Bibles. But let us begin near the beginning of the Bible, with Noah after the Cataclysm.
Noah’s Ark Settled at Mt Ararat
The Animals and Eight People Survived
When the Ark settled on Mt Ararat, wherever that was, God told Noah to release the animals; in addition, Noah, his sons and the wives were to also leave the ark. Noah performed the first Ascending Sacrificial Offering in the Bible; this will be important later (Ge 8:20). God continued His command of telling Noah and his sons that they and their descendants were to multiply and inhabit the earth (Ge 9:1). Of special significance to our discussion, Noah planted a vineyard, harvested the grapes, fermented wine and got drunk (Ge 9:20-21). Ham saw his father naked which means what in the Hebrew? Scholars have debated that this varied from just seeing his father naked to sodomy with his drunk father. Whatever the issue Ham disrespected his father by not covering him and telling his brothers; i.e., not protecting Noah’s privacy but belittling his father, their leader, before others. Upon awakening Noah realized what had occurred and gave a prophecy concerning his three sons: Canaan, son of Ham, would be a slave to his brothers; Shem’s God would be a blessing to mankind; and Japheth shall be enlarged and dwell in the tents of Shem {enjoy the salvation of God} (Ge 9:22-27). Canaan was probably not any darker skin than his brethren and this was never a justification for slavery and many taught in the Antebellum South to justify their Negro slaves as being in the will of God. Yes, Cush means black; however, the richness of the genes of this time meant that parents could produce several children of various skin tones, as does occasionally occur today.
People Settled East of Mt Ararat in Shinar
Plains Between Two Rivers to Build Babel
The people moved out of the mountains and into the well-watered plains between two rivers. They developed a system of cities and within a short time the grandson of Ham, Nimrod, came to power (Ge 11:1-9). Now there is a significant problem; Noah’s prophecy was that Ham, and his descendants, would be slaves to his brothers, repeated three times for emphasis. Yet, here was a descendant of Ham ruling over everyone in defiance of his great grandfather, Noah. In the Old Testament names usually tell something of the person’s character; Nimrod’s name means rebellion and he was rebelling against the prophecy that he would be a slave to anyone. Instead, they would be his subjects under the absolute rule of his government! The description of Nimrod earlier in Genesis gives us a very different perspective of this man if taken from the Hebrew (Ge 10:8-10).
Babel Was Center of Regional Complex
Religious-Government HQ Over Region
Though the English Bibles read that Nimrod was the first on earth to be a mighty man, this is incorrect! There were many mighty men on earth pre-Flood; the Nephilim who were the government’s military force overcoming the godly line of Seth (Ge 6:4). So, if Nimrod was not the first then what does the Bible mean? Nimrod was evil, profane and he modeled himself after the Nephilim, the mighty men whom he must have heard about from Ham. Nimrod was determined not only to not be a slave to the tribes of Japheth and Shem but he also rejected the God of Shem; i.e., gospel of the true God and his grace and mercy on those who believed. No, Nimrod was a mighty hunter against the Lord; but, what was he hunting? Men! He would force all mankind who spoke one language, had one culture and lived in one place, against God’s command, to bow to him and his government which was probably in the likeness of Cain’s. He was the epitome of the god-king, religion and government combined in one person to which all others would pay homage directly to him; that is, Japheth’s and Shem’s descendants would be his slaves. His tribesmen would be the mighty military force keeping everyone in line, and obedient, or else.
The Ziggurat, Ascending Temple,
Platform for the Ascending Offerings
The ziggurat or Tower was not to reach God, Nimrod had no interest in God against whom he was rebelling. He was building an ascending platform placing him above all people and offer sacrifices for the people as their intercessor to the other gods beyond the skies, Lucifer in reality. This was exactly what Cain’s government was doing when God interceded with the Cataclysm. He swore an oath to never flood the earth again; thus, He miraculously and immediately, instilled at least two other languages in peoples; probably along tribal lines: Japheth, Shem and Ham. Sin hates differences and all people being sinners left the company of those who were immediately different. This continued with further subdivision of ethnic, religious, lingo and outward physical characteristics.
Today, technology has brought mankind together with common philosophies, governmental forms and humanistic religions centered on the goodness of man, for the most part. People benignly force groups into their sphere of influence vying for influence in the coming one government slowly growing under the umbrella of the United Nations. Tyranny is ever the face of government whether benign or totalitarian. Governments blatantly use religion to promote their agenda of unity though violence and degradation increase in all lands. Truly, the time of Nimrod is upon us again when profane people rise up to enforce their tyranny on others rather than submit to the truth of God and His Gospel which He extends to them if they would only repent (Ro 10:13).