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Bible Question: I was taught that the Africans and Asians were descendants of Ham (one of Noah's sons), but I do not see why their skin is black.
Bible Answer: The descendants of Noah and his sons are found in the "Table of Nations" in Genesis 10. The oldest son was Shem, followed by Ham and then Japheth. The table below uses ancient records and archaeological data to determine which countries the descendants of Noah occupied shortly after the flood. The exact geographical areas into which they moved are not precisely known.
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Father |
Sons |
Countries |
Passage |
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Noah |
Shem, Ham, and Japheth |
The World |
Genesis 9:19; 10:1 |
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Shem |
Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram |
Eastern Countries:
Assyria, Chaldeans, Iran, Lydia, Persia, Syria |
Genesis 10:22 |
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Ham |
Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan |
Southern Countries:
Arabia, Canaan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Sudan |
Genesis 10:6 |
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Japheth |
Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras |
Northern Countries:
Armenia, Europe, Russia, Turkey, Wales |
Genesis 10:2 |
From this information we conclude that Ham's children did not go to Asia but to Africa. Scripture tells us the world's languages were changed at the tower of Babel.
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. . . the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth. (NASB) Genesis 11:6-9 |
How this occurred may be as simple as the fact that a people's language normally changes with time. So as various groups did not talk with other people their languages would drift apart. The change in skin color was a miracle of our God. He changed the genetic fabric of the races. Culture and geography cannot do that.
God changed our language and our skin color to hinder us from uniting as one nation for the purpose of pursuing evil. This was a judgment on all of us. God treated each of us equally, fairly and righteously. We must also never forget that each one of us is a pearl of His creative power. God makes each of us just as He wants us to look. He chose our language, skin color, gender and physical appearance. He even likes our mouth according to Exodus 4:11. He is the designer of each of us!
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. . . Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? (NASB) Exodus 4:11 |
Conclusion: The tower of Babel was a serious action on God's part. He did this because of man's pride. Some day God will pull nations, tribes and kingdoms back together again in His Kingdom. Then we will all have new bodies (1 Cor. 15:53) and we shall be His people (Rev. 21:3). We shall belong to Him. A glorious future awaits us as we will be with Him.
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. . . and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain (NASB) Revelation 21:3-4 |
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