The structure of Genesis narrative allows for a “google earth” view of the landscape of the history of redemption interrupted by a 'zoom in' feature to record particular events in the lives of individuals who will figure prominently in the family line and legacy of the Messiah. This overview/biographical approach helps us appreciate the context setting the stage for the call of Abraham. Corruption of the world's peoples had welcomed full scale destruction in the great flood, Noah’s account ends in shameful disgrace. Man's self-styled salvation attempts crumbled at the tower of Babel leading to further loss of monolithic cultural identity and multi-ethnic fragmentation, leading many to, no doubt, wonder: was the messianic hope also disintegrating?
Was mankind, hopelessly lost following Babel, condemned to aimless wandering like Cain for his sin? No. The line of Shem is preserved in the confusion of a broken and fallen world. The elect line lives on. God has predestined a people and a plan even as a judgement page is turned in the history of the post-fall, post-flood, post-Babel world. Furthermore, the early pages of Genesis lay out a paradigm or shape of sovereign history with regard to Yahweh's redemptive promises – realizing and recognizing this pattern encourages the church even today awaiting our Lord's second coming...