How does Genesis 10:1 connect to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19? Opening the Text “This is the account of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who also had sons after the flood.” “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Why Genesis 10 Matters to Matthew 28 • Genesis 10 records the birth of the nations; Matthew 28 commands the blessing of those same nations. • In Genesis, God sovereignly populates the earth through one family; in the Gospel, God sovereignly redeems the earth through one family of disciples. • The exact phrase “all nations” in Matthew 28:19 echoes the Table of Nations birthed in Genesis 10 (cf. Genesis 10:32). From One Family to Many Nations • Genesis 10 is literal history. Every name represents a real descendant of Noah, placing the origins of every people group in a single family tree. • Acts 17:26 affirms this: “From one man He made every nation of men.” • Because humanity is one extended family, the Great Commission addresses relatives scattered by language and geography, not strangers. God’s Global Heart Always in View • Genesis 12:3—“in you all the families of the earth will be blessed”—flows directly out of the list in chapter 10. • Psalm 86:9; Isaiah 49:6; Luke 24:47 all point to nations worshiping the Lord. • Revelation 5:9; 7:9 show the ultimate fulfillment: every tribe, tongue, people, and nation gathered around the throne. Matthew 28:19 is the hinge between Genesis 10 and Revelation 7. Mandate, Not Option • Genesis 9:1—“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”—sends Noah’s family out physically. • Matthew 28:19 sends Christ’s disciples out spiritually: “Make disciples of all nations.” • The earlier mandate populates; the latter mandate evangelizes. Together they reveal God’s unbroken purpose: earth filled with people who know and honor Him. Practical Takeaways • Every nation listed in Genesis 10 still matters to God today; none are beyond the scope of Matthew 28:19. • Evangelism is family business—reaching distant cousins with the news our shared Creator has provided a Savior. • Missions is a continuation of God’s ancient plan, not a modern invention. The nations exist because God intended to bless them through the gospel. Closing Thought The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 is more than a genealogy; it is the stage on which the Great Commission plays out. What began with one family after the flood finds its climax in Jesus’ call to reach every nation, completing the circle of God’s redemptive plan from Genesis to Revelation. |
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