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Intro

Welcome back to The Morning Meditation. Each day we walk through Scripture, sometimes in places that feel dry, sometimes in passages filled with names, and sometimes in stories that leap off the page. But every part of God’s Word has truth for us.

Today we begin in 1 Chronicles 1. At first, it looks like a long genealogy — Adam, Seth, Enosh, all the way down through Abraham, Isaac, and Esau. But tucked inside this list of names is one man whose legacy shaped kingdoms and rebellion alike: Nimrod.

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Scripture Reading

1 Chronicles 1 (KJV)

1 Adam, Sheth, Enosh,
2 Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,
3 Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech,
4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

5 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
6 And the sons of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
7 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

8 The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
9 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.

11 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
12 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (of whom came the Philistines,) and Caphthorim.

13 And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth,
14 The Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite,
15 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
16 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.

17 The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.
18 And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber.
19 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg; because in his days the earth was divided: and his brother’s name was Joktan.

20 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
21 Hadoram also, and Uzal, and Diklah,
22 And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
23 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,
25 Eber, Peleg, Reu,
26 Serug, Nahor, Terah,
27 Abram; the same is Abraham.

28 The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael.

29 These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
30 Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema,
31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael.

32 Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.
33 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these are the sons of Keturah.

34 And Abraham begat Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau and Israel.

35 The sons of Esau; Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.
36 The sons of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek.
37 The sons of Reuel; Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

38 And the sons of Seir; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezar, and Dishan.
39 And the sons of Lotan; Hori, and Homam: and Timna was Lotan’s sister.
40 The sons of Shobal; Alian, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon; Aiah, and Anah.
41 The sons of Anah; Dishon. And the sons of Dishon; Amram, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.
42 The sons of Ezer; Bilhan, and Zavan, and Jakan. The sons of Dishan; Uz, and Aran.

43 Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
44 And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.
45 And when Jobab was dead, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead.
46 And when Husham was dead, Hadad the son of Bedad, which smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.
47 And when Hadad was dead, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
48 And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.
49 And when Shaul was dead, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.
50 And when Baal-hanan was dead, Hadad reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pai; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

51 Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, duke Jetheth,
52 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,
53 Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,
54 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram. These are the dukes of Edom.

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The Story

From the line of Cush came Nimrod. The Bible says he was a mighty hunter before the LORD — and in Hebrew, that phrase literally means “in the face of God.” Some see that as God recognizing his greatness, but many understand it as open defiance — a man who lived his life in God’s face, daring Heaven itself.

Nimrod was more than a hunter of animals. He was a hunter of power. He built some of the first great cities of the ancient world: Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar.

• Babel, later Babylon, became a center of empire and rebellion.
• Erech, or Uruk, is called the first true city by archaeologists, with temples, writing, and kings.
• Accad gave its name to the Akkadian Empire, one of the earliest known empires.
• Calneh remains uncertain but was likely another strong city-state.

From Shinar his rule spread to Assyria — to Nineveh, Calah, and Resen. These became centers of culture, trade, and power, but also monuments to pride. At Babel, men said, “Let us build a tower to reach heaven. Let us make a name for ourselves.” And the Lord came down, scattered them, and confused their languages.

Nimrod’s story reminds us that human strength without God turns into rebellion, and human kingdoms rise and fall under His authority.

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Reflection

Nimrod’s name only appears a few times in Scripture, but his legacy echoes through history. He represents human ambition in the face of God. His cities were mighty, but his story ends not in glory, but in confusion and scattering.

How many times do we stand “before the LORD” — in His face — not in worship, but in pride? Nimrod’s life is a warning. No matter how high we build, no matter how far we stretch our reach, only the Lord rules the nations.

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Outro & Next Episode

Thank you for joining me for this first episode of The Morning Meditation. If today’s meditation blessed you, share it with a friend and subscribe so you don’t miss the journey.

Tomorrow, we’ll open Ezekiel 40 and meet the sons of Zadok — men chosen to come near and minister before the Lord when others could not. Their story is one of faithfulness and holiness, and it will challenge us to consider our own walk with God.

Don’t miss Episode 2 — The Sons of Zadok.