Chapter 15 - Dispensation of Human Government

A. The scriptures which covers this dispensation are Gen. 8:20 through chapter 11.

Scriptures: Gen. 8 through chapter 11.
New Beginning: The pronouncement of God's pending punitive judgment to full operation when Noah comes off the Ark.
 Setting: The whole earth.
 Dealings: with the whole human race. [key people: Noah and his family,
 Failure: The Tower of Babel: Gen. 11:1-3,7
 Judgment: Changing of the languages and scattering man over all the earth, Gen. 11:9b.
 Transition (the beginning transition), into the Dispensation of Conscience: Adam and Eve's sin to the expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
Transition (ending transition) into the Dispensation of Promise: From the false worship and the building of the tower of Babel, the call of Abram (Abraham) to the last glimpse of the old dispensation by the account of Balaam (Numbers 22) being asked to cures Israel. This is the last time any Gentile is call a prophet of God.

B. The Dispensational (Administration) rules: The Noahic Covenant, (Gen. 9:1-17).

1. The reason this dispensation is called Human Government is because of mankind's direct involvement in the judgment and punishment of men for wrong doing.
2. The administration (dispensational) rules are found in the Noahic Covenant, (Gen. 9:1-17). Remember that many rules or laws were passed on from one dispensation to the other and only certain ones were changed and/or new ones given.
3. God gives animals for food now, were before only vegetation was allowed, Gen. 9:2,3 cf. Gen. 2:16, 3:18. There is no restriction as to clean and unclean animals as there will be in future dispensation with Israel. 
4. In Gen. 9:5,6 when an animal or man caused the death of a man, capital punishment was to be carried out on either of the guilty. Man is responsible to govern God’s Creation correctly.
5. God states the importance for man to produce and have children, Gen. 9:7. (Children created in the image of God, Gen. 9:6 and the killing of human life forbidden.)
6. This covenant was made with Noah and his seed after the destruction of all other men.
7. It was established that the creatures and earth would not be destroyed again by a universal flood. This would run through all future programs (dispensation) of God, and God sealed the covenant with the rainbow, Gen. 9:8-10.
8. There was a development of a priesthood which God did not reveal the specifics to latter generation and dispensations, (as the Dispensation of Promise is coming into full operation they were there and operating during the transition), Melchizedek - Gen 14, "He was priest of God Most High", and Moses fled to Midian and before a priesthood was developed in the Dispensation of Promise, Exodus 2:16 - "a priest of Midian ", and God used him in giving advise to Moses - Gen 18 , Moses farther-in law offers sacrifices to God in praise and worship for the report of God's working in his son-in-law. v. 12, and then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law - verses 12-27.
9. Also, there were prophets which little is revealed as to their development and their specifics, (During the transition they were passing away as the Dispensation of Promise is coming into full operation.). The account shows a corruption by giving an account of a corrupt prophet Balaam, Num. 22. 

Judgment:

Mankind scattered across the world experiencing a change in their languages which God determined and possibly the change in skin color and features we see in different people groups today. They formed nations and communities which fell into scriptural silence except when they came into contact with God's chosen people. In Genesis 10:25 the meaning that the earth was divided is a reference to God's judgment of the former people in the dispensation of Human Government. We see in Genesis 10 references to different languages and the scattering into other areas 10:5, 10:18, 10:20, .  Genesis 11 The language and the earths scattering was a result of the sin of the Tower of Babel and the transitioning into the Dispensation of Promise.

The people during the Dispensation of Human Government leading to the Tower of Babel seems to have lack the faith showed by their adding to the revealed way of worship and building a city and tower of their own imagination. We see the judgment of God coming upon people who do that which is right in their own eyes or their imagination, Genesis 6:5-8, 11:1-6, Proverbs 16:2, 21:2, 30:12. The people became gods unto themselves by telling the true God how they are going to worship Him or approach Him. This shows they contrived an imaginary approach to God in their own imagination and imposing on God an attitude of, 'God you except our creation and approach and give us the hope we expect', Genesis 11:3-4.

 

Mankind scattered across the world experiencing a change in their languages which God determined and possibly the change in skin color and features we see in different people groups today. They formed nations and communities which fell into scriptural silence except when they came into contact with God's chosen people. In Genesis 10:25 the meaning that the earth was divided is a reference to God's judgment of the former people in the dispensation of Human Government. We see in Genesis 10 references to different languages and the scattering into other areas 10:5, 10:18, 10:20, .  Genesis 11 The language and the earths scattering was a result of the sin of the Tower of Babel and the transitioning into the Dispensation of Promise.

The people during the Dispensation of Human Government leading to the Tower of Babel seems to have lack the faith showed by their adding to the revealed way of worship and building a city and tower of their own imagination. We see the judgment of God coming upon people who do that which is right in their own eyes or their imagination, Genesis 6:5-8, 11:1-6, Proverbs 16:2, 21:2, 30:12. The people became gods unto themselves by telling the true God how they are going to worship Him or approach Him. This shows they contrived an imaginary approach to God in their own imagination and imposing on God an attitude of, 'God you except our creation and approach and give us the hope we expect', Genesis 11:3-4.

Latter we see in the transitional period before the dispensation of Human Government completely closes glimpses of the last reference of God's working with men from this dispensation.

In the transition period the King of Salem who's name was Melchizedek, Genesis 14:18, Hebrews 7:1-2  he was a believer Priest and used of God during the transition between the two dispensations. We also see priest who were not believers but false priest, seen in the account of Joseph in Egypt, Genesis 47:22,26.

In the Transition God chooses a people group through Abraham they will be the new dispensers or ordained stewards of the Dispensation of Promise and they were to be God's messengers of His message to the world.

We also know there was a priest named Jethro, a priest of Midian and the father-in-law to Moses during the transition to the new dispensation, Exodus 3:1 18:1. We do not see him appear in scripture until Moses' escape to Midian from Egypt and his marriage of Jethro's daughter Zipporah. We do not see any negative in his character that is revealed in scripture in fact we see him being helpful to Moses and the children of Israel. We have to assume he was a priest as revealed, and sense he was used of God to further the deliverance of the children of Israel. Jethro must have been a priest of the former dispensation and a priest in relationship with God and not corrupted. We do not know any Gentile priest after him mentioned in scripture which occupied the same relationship with God or being used in a unique capacity.  Exodus 4:17-19. You can see more of his life under the chapter on salvation.

Another examples of the people living at this time in regards of the Tower of Babel, Genesis 11:1-9. We see the heart of the disobedient prophet Balaam who comes from this dispensation and lived in the transition time. It is hard to believe Balaam was a believer but remember every dispensation end with the failure of men and the failure of believers to do as they were to be responsible to fulfill.

If we look at Balaam in the light of the dispensational failure as we do with the tower of Babel people we can understand better his apostasy and yet how God could speak to him latter and the corruption which he represents. We also can understand the choosing of the promise people in the light of the transition of the old being laid aside and the new dispensation beginning, Numbers 22, 22:8-13. In the New Testament we see Balaam being contrasted to believer not unbelievers, 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 1:11. you can learn more of the transition of a dispensation in chapter 10. Balaam always wanting to twist what God tells him and a desire for personnel gain instead of doing right. He could not have loved God with the devotion God required but can see the same kind of compromise which the people showed at the tower of Babel - imagining God would not see his deception of devotion and his imaginary belief God would over look his infractions or he was hoping he could bend God to do it his way. We again can say God showed him love by having the covering for sin as revealed earlier still open for him and not ending his life immediate on his disobedience. With the event of Balaam's life the transition comes to an end and the Israelites take the promise land as God promised, and from here no mention of a Godly relationship which had came from the former dispensation appears.

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World Wide Outreach Ministry Inc.
 By: Theodore D Pestor/ President/Pastor BTH

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