Nimrod

Genesis 10:7-12 - The sons of Cush: Seba, Hav'ilah, Sabtah, Ra'amah, and Sab'teca. The sons of Ra'amah: Sheba and Dedan.  Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man.  He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD."  The beginning of his kingdom was Ba'bel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar.  From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nin'eveh, Reho'both-Ir, Calah, and  Resen between Nin'eveh and Calah; that is the great city.

As soon as I read the name Nimrod…my brain started to giggle. It could not accept the mighty warrior part of this story that I was reading…because I had heard myself and others called this name for different reasons.  People use this label ‘nimrod’ when others around them have been particularly stupid…or do something really dumb….or act like a total jerk. It has become a term to describe someone ‘unmighty’ at best….a name I sure did not enjoy being called….a name I probably fell in the trap of calling someone else at some point in my life….for sure a name I will need to think twice about using again after rereading this part of Genesis.

God has a purpose in inserting this diversion from the genealogy of Noah in the bible …I think to remind us to be careful with the talents he gives…to not let pride and peer pressure drive us to levels we cannot handle without a Godly dose of humility…..for if you flip to 1 Chronicles 1:10 …you read, “Cush was the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth.” Do you see that word began…he began to be mighty….and his skills drew crowds of people to him so that they made him King…not God. He was the first Earthly king…the first person to sit on a throne here on Earth…the first to mislead people into thinking that a man could ever do for us what God intended us to rely on him for.

Maybe we do use that term ‘nimrod’ correctly today….for Nimrod sure was dumb to leave God out of his life…and all those people that followed him sure did something stupid when they left God to follow a mere man….even if he was mighty….even if he did have the skills needed to protect them.  I need to do a lot more research to be totally sure of my theory…but I am thinking that many of the nations King Nimrod ruled became evil….and prideful…and eventually fell in the process of the Israelites move into the promised land.

Father…I thank you for the double reminder today that I need to be more careful to follow just you.  Thank you for reminding me that the skills and talents you have placed in me…were given to me to be used to bring people to you….not to build any fame or following for myself.  Help me to work for only you…and never be tricked into using them for Satan’s evil.  Help me father to see that I have only to please you...and do not need man’s approval or following to know that I am living my life for you. I also need your help to be more positive in what I say and do.  Satan tricks me daily into using a negative word…or complaint…or falling into the trap of thinking I am not loved.  Send godly people into my life that will help me to feel loved and used as a vessel of your truth….so that every word out of my mouth will be encouraging and reflective of what you truly want me to be…your love and your grace and your mercy overflowing from every action and word I say. Amen.