In Genesis 11:9, we read, “From there Yahweh scattered them over the face of the whole earth.” Twice now, Yahweh instructed humanity to fill the earth, both before and after the flood. However, in the land of Shinar, all the people of the earth were gathered to build a tower to the heavens instead of filling the earth as God commanded. When someone hears the words Tower of Babel, they normally think only about God, confusing the language of the people. But I want to suggest to you that just as consequential as the confusion of language is His action of scattering the people.
In Genesis 9 Yahweh promised He would never again judge all the earth by flood. He now judges the earth for sin in two other ways. First, He confuses the people by changing their native tongue. Second, He scatters humanity over the face of the whole earth. According to Deuteronomy 32:8, this is when ethnic (national) divisions occur—“Yahweh divided mankind.”
Then, in Genesis 12, Yahweh starts over for a third time with Abram. In Genesis 12:2, Yahweh promises to make from Abram a great nation. Previously, this nation did not exist. Yahweh is creating this new nation by means of a descendant of Abram. Through a miraculous birth, Sarai (Abram’s wife) will give birth to Isaac. Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, will give birth to twin sons, Esau and Jacob. A nation will come from each son. Yahweh chooses Jacob over Esau and gives Jacob the new name Israel. Israel will be Yahweh’s nation.
But what about all the other nations from Genesis 9? Has Yahweh forgotten them? No. In the same promise about a nation coming from Abram, Yahweh promises that in Abram, all the families of the earth will be blessed. Then, in Genesis 17, Yahweh changes Abram’s name to Abraham because he will be the father of a multitude of nations. How will Abraham become the father of the ethnicities (nations) scattered before his birth in Genesis 11? Even after scattering (dispersing, ESV) the nations over the face of the whole earth, Yahweh has not forgotten the non-Israelites whom He created.
Fast forward 2000 years to the days of Christ on the earth. In John 10, Jesus mentions other sheep He has that are not of this fold—other sheep. Who are the other sheep? Then, in John 11:51-52 we read:
He [Caiaphas] did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation [Israel], and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
Did you see it? Christ is not dying for only the nation of Israel. He also died to “gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” I believe the language of scattered abroad establishes a clear connection all the way back to Genesis 11. Wow! Christ’s death on the cross is the means by which Yahweh is going to gather His children, whom the NT calls Gentiles.
The mission Christ gave us—the Great Commission—is how lost sheep are gathered into the one flock of God or the body of Christ. We proclaim Christ and His gospel to the nations, those children who were scattered abroad, so that those whom God has elected unto salvation will repent and believe the gospel. Berean, we are fishing in a stocked pond.
