Connect Genesis 10:25 with Acts 17:26 on God's role in setting boundaries. Peleg’s Birth and the Dividing of the Earth • Genesis 10:25 records, “Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.” • “Divided” points to a real, historical event. Whether it refers to geographic separation after the Flood, the dispersion at Babel (Genesis 11:8-9), or both, the verse underlines that God Himself superintended a physical and social partitioning of peoples. • Peleg’s very name (“division”) immortalizes God’s deliberate act of carving out distinct groupings of humanity. One Man, Many Nations • Acts 17:26: “From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.” • Paul ties every ethnic group back to Adam, confirming a literal, shared ancestry. • God governs two spheres: – “Appointed times” – historical epochs, rises and falls of kingdoms (cf. Job 12:23). – “Boundaries of their lands” – the very real lines on maps (cf. Deuteronomy 32:8; Psalm 74:17). God’s Hand on History and Geography • The division in Peleg’s era and the boundary-setting in Paul’s sermon are one continuous thread of divine sovereignty. • Babel’s scattering (Genesis 11) provides the mechanism; Peleg’s generation experiences the result; Acts 17 explains the purpose: nations filling the earth yet remaining accountable to the one true God. • God’s rulership is active, not passive—He “makes nations great, then destroys them” (Job 12:23). Why Boundaries Matter • They restrain human pride (Genesis 11:4-8) by limiting the reach of any one culture. • They foster diversity while preserving unity in Adam—and, ultimately, in Christ (Ephesians 2:14-18). • They create appointed contexts in which people “might seek Him and perhaps reach out and find Him” (Acts 17:27). Living within God-Given Limits • Recognize national borders as part of His providence, not accidents of history. • Honor civil authorities (Romans 13:1-7) while remembering their mandate is delegated. • Celebrate ethnic heritage without elevating it above our shared identity in Christ (Galatians 3:28). • Pray for and support efforts to bring the gospel “to every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9), trusting God to use both the distinctions and the unity He established. |
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