Theme 1
Creation of Nations and Israel
UNIT 1 : GOD´S ´PEOPLE IN THE HISTORY OF NATIONS
Video Lectures
Class 1
History of the People of God in the Transformation of the Nations
THEME 1
Class 2
Class 3
History of the People of God in the Transformation of the Nations II
History of the People of God in the Transformation of the Nations III
Reading
In this first reading, we will explore how nations are born and the idea of a "model nation" according to God. We will see how countries are formed and what makes them unique, reflecting on the role God has played in their development.
Introduction
Chapter 1 The Beginning of Nations and God's Model Nation.
Activities
RECOMMENDED MOVIE TO REFLECT ON:
Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machines
Jewish commentaries state that Nimrod wanted to build the Tower so high that if God destroyed the world again with a flood, he could survive on top. It expressed a defiant, in-your-face, attitude toward God. In response, God confused the languages and the people were scattered, migrating as far as Egypt, Indus Valley, and China. This is the beginning of a recurring theme — fallen man's desire to concentrate power without God, and God's plan of separated power. It is as if each generation has its own version of a "Nimrod" who wants to concentrate power and rebuild the Tower Babel.
An allegory can be seen in a popular sci-fi movie, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), where a killer robot T-X is sent from the future to assassinate the main character John Connor. In one scene, T-X is destroyed, but to the dismay of the audience, the scattered metal pieces melt into little shiny droplets, which roll together into a molten pool, out of which the hand of the T-X begins to rise, then the entire T-X robot re-emerges and begins chasing John Connor again.
In like manner, people were scattered from the Tower of Babel, but each generation has a 'Nimrod' trying to rebuild it, conquering ever larger areas, with an ultimate goal of a global one world government. Though the succeeding centuries of pharaohs, emperors, Caesars, czars, sultans, kaisers and khans, dictators, tyrants, kings - POWER inevitably concentrated Into the hands of one person.