The Family Dispensation: Understanding God’s Early Dealings with Humanity

The Family Dispensation: Understanding God’s Early Dealings with Humanity
As we dive into the history of God’s dealings with humanity, we are taken on a journey through time that reveals His intentions, His plans, and His patience with His creation. The Family Dispensation, rooted in Genesis 1-11, marks the first era of human history, starting from the creation of Adam and extending to the calling of Abraham. This era, though distant from our time, contains profound lessons that resonate deeply within our spiritual journey today.
The Foundations of the Family Dispensation: From Creation to the Calling of Abraham
The Family Dispensation begins in the Garden of Eden with Adam, the first man created by God. Genesis 1 and 2 describe the perfect environment God created for Adam and Eve. The first humans were placed in a paradise where everything was good, and the relationship between humanity and God was intimate and pure. The dispensation ends with the calling of Abraham, marking the beginning of a new chapter in God’s redemptive story. The Family Dispensation lays the groundwork for all that would follow in God’s unfolding plan of salvation. From the innocence of the garden to the rebellion of humanity, this period reveals both the potential and the fallibility of mankind.
The Age of Innocence: Humanity’s Original State
In Genesis 1:28, God blesses Adam and Eve with the command to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” In the Age of Innocence, humanity was in a perfect state of communion with God. There was no sin, no corruption, and no suffering. God gave Adam and Eve dominion over the earth, tasked them with stewardship, and provided everything they needed. This period reflected God’s original design for creation: harmony, purpose, and closeness with the Creator. However, this innocence was fragile, and it would not last.
The Fall and the Introduction of Sin
Genesis 3 tells the tragic story of the fall of mankind. Adam and Eve were given the free will to choose obedience to God, yet they were deceived by Satan. In their disobedience, they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and sin entered the world. The fall not only fractured their relationship with God but also marred the entire creation, leading to the curse of sin that would affect all of humanity.
The introduction of sin brings death and suffering into the world. The Age of Innocence ended as Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. Their sin brought a necessary separation from the Creator and inaugurated a period of sorrow and struggle for all humanity. Yet, in the midst of this, God promised redemption. In Genesis 3:15, God spoke of a future Redeemer who would crush the serpent’s head, pointing toward the ultimate victory over sin and death that would come through Jesus Christ.
The Age of Rebellion: Humanity’s Decline
After the fall, the trajectory of humanity rapidly shifted into what can be called the Age of Rebellion. Genesis 4 to 8 chronicles the further moral decline of humanity. Cain’s murder of his brother Abel marked the first murder, symbolizing the corruption that had taken root in the human heart. The spread of sin through Adam’s descendants led to an ever-deepening spiral of violence, immorality, and separation from God.
The Corruption of the Earth
By the time of Noah, the earth had become so corrupt that God regretted creating humanity. Genesis 6:5 tells us that “the Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” This corruption grieved God’s heart and led to His decision to bring judgment upon the earth in the form of the great flood.
However, Noah found favor with God. God instructed him to build an ark to save himself, his family, and the animals. The flood wiped out all of humanity except for those aboard the ark. In this judgment, we see both the justice of God and His mercy. While He had to deal with the consequences of human sin, He also preserved a righteous remnant through Noah, establishing the possibility of redemption for humanity.
The Covenant with Noah
After the floodwaters receded, God made a covenant with Noah, promising never again to destroy the earth with a flood. This covenant was a sign of God’s faithfulness, even in the face of humanity’s rebellion. He gave Noah and his descendants the command to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 9:1), echoing the original blessing given to Adam and Eve. In this new era, God introduced the concept of human government, declaring that anyone who sheds human blood would have their blood shed (Genesis 9:6), emphasizing the value of human life.
The Age of Nations: The Spread of Humanity and the Tower of Babel
The Age of Nations, spanning from Genesis 8:21 to 11:32, follows the flood and focuses on the repopulation of the earth. After Noah and his sons were given the command to multiply and fill the earth, humanity once again began to spread out. However, rather than scattering across the earth as God had commanded, the people of the world united in defiance. In Genesis 11, we read about the Tower of Babel, where the people sought to build a tower to the heavens, a symbol of their pride and self-sufficiency.
The Rebellion at Babel
The building of the Tower of Babel was an act of rebellion against God’s command to spread out across the earth. Instead, the people sought to make a name for themselves and consolidate their power. In response, God confused their language, causing them to be scattered across the earth. This event led to the formation of the nations, as humanity was divided by language and culture.
The confusion of languages at Babel highlights a key theme in the Family Dispensation: humanity’s tendency to rebel against God’s purposes. Whether in the Garden of Eden or at Babel, humans sought to assert their independence from God, with disastrous results. However, even in judgment, God’s mercy is evident. He did not destroy humanity entirely but allowed for a fresh beginning with different nations, which would later serve as the context for His redemptive plan.
Key Characteristics of the Family Dispensation
One Language and One Race
In the early days of humanity, there was a unity that allowed for a single language and a single race, the Gentiles. Genesis 11:6 describes the people’s unity: “The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.’” This unity, while seemingly advantageous, ultimately led to their prideful rebellion. After the confusion of languages, humanity was divided into many nations, each with its own language and identity.
No Written Scripture
During the Family Dispensation, there was no written scripture as we know it today. Divine revelation occurred through direct interaction with individuals, visions, and oral transmission. It wasn’t until much later that God gave written laws and commandments, beginning with Moses. In this dispensation, faith was expressed through direct encounters with God or through patriarchal leadership, such as that of Noah or Abraham.
No Formalized Missionary Agency
In the Family Dispensation, there was no formal missionary agency or organized evangelistic movement. Instead, the responsibility for passing down knowledge of God fell upon the heads of families. Fathers were entrusted with teaching their children about God, His commands, and His promises. The patriarchal role was central in ensuring that God’s truth was passed from generation to generation.
Salvation Through Faith
Despite the absence of the written law, the principle of salvation through faith in God’s promises remained constant. Romans 4:3 reminds us that even in this early dispensation, faith was the means of righteousness. Abraham’s faith in God was counted as righteousness, a truth that underscores the consistency of God’s redemptive plan across all dispensations.
Satan’s Attacks During the Family Dispensation
Satan, ever the adversary of God’s plan, wasted no time in attacking the foundational institutions established by God. In the Garden of Eden, he sowed the seeds of rebellion by questioning God’s word to Adam and Eve. His attack on humanity’s free will through deception set the course for humanity’s fall. But Satan didn’t stop there. He continued his efforts to undermine God’s divine order throughout the Family Dispensation.
Free Will and the Fall of Humanity
Satan’s first attack on humanity’s free will came in the form of deception in the Garden of Eden. He twisted God’s command to Eve, leading her to doubt God’s goodness and sovereignty. The fall of Adam and Eve resulted in the loss of innocence and the introduction of sin into the world. Free will, given by God as a gift, was misused, and the consequences of that misuse reverberated throughout human history.
Marriage and Family: The Corruption of the Human Lineage
Satan’s next attack targeted the sacred institutions of marriage and family. In Genesis 6, fallen angels intermingled with human women, resulting in the corruption of the human gene pool. This unnatural union led to widespread wickedness, and by the time of Noah, the earth was filled with violence and corruption. God’s judgment in the form of the flood was a direct response to this assault on marriage and family, reaffirming the sanctity of these divine institutions.
Nationalism and the Tower of Babel
Finally, Satan attacked the concept of nationalism and human government. In Genesis 11, humanity’s attempt to build the Tower of Babel was a direct act of rebellion against God’s command to disperse and populate the earth. Satan’s influence led people to unify under the banner of human achievement, seeking to build a monument to their own glory. This defiance led to God’s intervention, scattering the people and creating the nations. Through these attacks, Satan sought to distort God’s order and frustrate His plan of redemption.
The End of the Family Dispensation and the Call of Abraham
The Family Dispensation concludes with the calling of Abraham in Genesis 12, marking the beginning of a new dispensation. God’s promise to Abraham would establish a new covenant, beginning with one man and expanding to a great nation, Israel. Through Abraham, God would reveal His plan of redemption in a more specific and structured way, culminating in the coming of Jesus Christ.
The Family Dispensation, with its foundational institutions, its challenges, and its failures, sets the stage for the unfolding drama of salvation history. Through the mistakes and rebellions of humanity, God’s faithfulness shines through, reminding us that even in the face of human weakness, His plan moves forward, bringing redemption to all who believe.

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