DISPENSATIONS

Third Dispensation: The Age of Human Government

This age began after the flood, so it is also called Postdiluvian which means after the flood. It ended with the destruction of the tower of Babel. Gen. 8-11. Man's responsibility during this age is found in Gen. 9:1. "...God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."

There was a definite change after the flood, a new beginning, a new age. The first thing Noah did after the flood was to build an altar and offer burnt offerings unto the Lord, Gen 8:20. "And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth (in other words he can't help it); neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done," Gen. 8:21.

It was a wonderful way to start, but it didn't last that way very long. The next thing we read, "...Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent," Gen. 9:20,21. It wasn't long before sin became exceedingly sinful in this new age. Chapter 11 tells us, men became independent of God, wanting to be big, they were lifted up with pride. This is what happened in the Age of Human Government, man was leading man and again man failed. They went from the altar and sacrifice to the doctrine of Cain (self effort). Jude verse 11 tells us what God thinks of the doctrine of Cain, "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain..."

God divided the nations according to the three sons of Noah, Gen. 10:32. Japheth had seven sons and they became the northern countries and most of us are descendents of Japheth. We know this because we are not of Ham or of Shem. "By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands," Gen. 10:2-5; Ham became the southern countries. He had four sons, Gen. 10:6-20. Cush is the same as Ephiopia. Mizraim is the same as Egypt. Phut is the same as Libya. Canaan was cursed (Gen. 9:25); Shem had five sons (Gen. 10:20-31), the Shemites is the race Abraham came from, Gen. 11:26.

"...Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth...a mighty hunter...and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel..." Gen. 10:8-10. "...the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and...all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do...The name of it was Babel (which means confusion by mixing), 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," Gen. 11:6-9. God had to judge and so this dispensation of human Government end with the destruction of the tower, different languages and men scattered abroad. Man had gotten too big in themselves and tried to reach heaven by their own effort. Today we see man trying to build a tower to heaven again in a high handed manner against God.

Next issue: The Age of Promise

by E. J. Davis