Genesis 10-11 The Lord Still Reigns - Even if we seek to live without Him

Our God reigns

Youtube video – Forever reign

In our study of Genesis we have seen that the Lord Reigns.

He reigned before creation

He reigned in creation

He reigned when all was in order

He continues to reign in the midst of disorder

He will continue to reign throughout eternity

He reigns if we align ourselves with Him

He reigns even when we don’t

Pray

I. The Lord Still Reigns: Though the world drifts into opposition

The Lord had shown grace. He delivered a remnant people through the flood. He recommissioned them to fill the earth and reign with Him.

But again it moves in opposition to Him.

A. A great potential for God Gen 11:1

NKJV Genesis 11 1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.

B. No intention to do God’s will Gen 11:2a

NKJV Genesis 11 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.

1. Put off God’s commands

A nice place – Shinar = all of Mesopotamia – fertile crescent – between Tigris and Euphrates – flooded, fertile, water

2. Feels good – must be okay

C. A pattern of neglecting God’s will Gen 11:2b

NKJV Genesis 11 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.

1. Became a life style

Neglect -à Drift away

(NKJV) Hebrews 2 1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.

D. LeftGod out Gen 11:3

NKJV Genesis 11 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, …

1. Self focused

Self seeking

2. Self pride

E. ReplaceGod Gen 11:4a

NKJV Genesis 11 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, …

1. Seek for ourselves

On our own terms

2. Make God in our own image

Try to fill the need for God with one of our own making

3. A god we can satisfy in our own effort

A god who makes no demands

4. A god who we can rule

A god who responds to our will

5. A god who is not real

A god who is really ourselves

F. Resist God Gen 11:4b

NKJV Genesis 11 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

1. We will not do what God says / make plans that help us resist what God desires

Actively resist what we know God desires

II. The Lord Still Reigns: The Lord always wins

But in spite of man’s opposition / regardless of what happens in politics / regardless of a culture that opposes Him / He wins

A. The Lord shows up Gen 11:5-6

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

1. God sees our attempts to replace Him

God knows if unchecked we will never come to Him

2. Ultimately God intervenes /God shows up

B. The Lord defeats opposing plans Gen 11:7

What are man’s foolish plans before a mighty God – He destroys man’s plans

7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

C. The Lord accomplishes His plans Gen 11:8a

8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth,.

He accomplishes His plans – won’t do what He wants? – He compels them to what He wants.

D. Man’s attempts become chaos Gen 11:8b

8 … and they ceased building the city 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroadover the face of all the earth.

E. The question: Was this a Blessing or a curse

1. Yes

Trouble came – not able to accomplish our plans

2. Trouble also brings blessing

a. Inhibits our sin

Forces trust in God

3. Lesson: We can participate with Him and enjoy blessing or resist Him and live in chaos

III. The Lord Still Reigns: He works His bigger plan

A. At work in Noah’s family Gen 10:1-32

(NKJV) Genesis 10 1 Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to themafter the flood.

1. The section marker again.

The flood is over – God has established a fresh covenant with Noah and his family

It’s time to move on

Well what happened?

Chapter 10 gives us a God’s eye view of how He continues to carry out His plan in the world

2. At work accomplishing His plans

God’s plan for Noah and His descendants

(NKJV) Genesis 9 1 So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

3. In blessing / multiplying

(NKJV) Genesis 10 1 Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to themafter the flood.

a. – son’s were born to them – receivers not actors

4. In filling the earth

2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

5 From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.

6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. …

20 These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations.

22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.

… 31 These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations.

32 These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

B. At work over the nations / powers Gen 10:1-32

(ESV) Genesis 10 1 These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. … 2 … Magog, … 6 Egypt, … Canaan. …10 … Babel (Babylon) …2 … 11 … Assyria … Nineveh …14 …Philistines ... 16 … Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, …. 19 … Sodom, Gomorrah, ... 22 … Aram (Syria)

1. Reads like a who’s who of Israel’s later enemies

Even before the problem arises, the Lord is in control

2. His plans are bigger than our problems / His plans include our problems

In spite of resistance Gen 10:8-10

(NKJV) Genesis 10 8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty oneon the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,

a. means “We shall rebel”

Tyrant / aggressor

b. Hunter rather than shepherd king

Before the Lord – superlative – to be greatly feared, not his relationship = even in God’s estimation he was a great hunter / tyrant

3. Similar to language of preflood days

But here only hints – The Lord is not slowed in His ability to move forward with His plans

4. In spite of disobedience

A hint that all was not smooth – a forced scattering?

5 From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, …

18 … Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed.

25 … the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; …

32 … the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

C. The unfolding of God’s plan – a person

1. This is what happened to Shem

Gen 11 10 This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood. 11 After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. …(long list) 24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah. … 26 Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

2. The selection of a family

27 This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot.. … 31 And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. …

3. The selection of a man

(NKJV) Genesis 12 1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 … I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. … And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

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4. The plan looks toward the fulfillment of God’s plan in a future seed of Abraham. The Lord’s plan of blessing of the entire world can only be accomplished in the future God/Man. Jesus – the one who will come from heaven and will take on flesh – to die for man’s sin

Then all the families of the earth can be blessed.

Culture, nations and people turn from the Lord. But He still reigns. He will judge the world. But before He does He invites every person in the lost world to come to Him in Christ. To find blessing. To find forgiveness of sin.

He reigns. The question is whether or not we yield to Him while we have the opportunity.

INVITATION

Deacons come forward during the invitation.

A physical way we acknowledge that the Lord Reigns is by taking the Lord’s Supper. It is an act of worship to the worthy king.

Paul writes

(ESV) 1 Corinthians 11 23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is (given) for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

A picture of what it cost to obtain our freedom / our salvation.

His body was broken / tortured / mutilated in our place

His blood was poured out / He died in our place

In our place Jesus was punished. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually.

Remember the cross and what Jesus accomplished there

This is called worship.

As we eat the bread and drink the juice. We remember and worship Him for what He has done for us.

If you have trusted Jesus as Savior and seek to walk with Him, we invite you to worship with us by taking the bread and juice and partaking it with us in a moment. The deacons will pass out the double cup, with bread and juice. Hold it until we pray and we will eat and drink together – worshipping our Savior.

Background music

Pass out the plates to the deacons. They serve and return the plates to the table.

Deacons stand facing the congregation.

Pastor serves the deacons.

Deacon chairman serves the pastor

Pastor sets the plates on the table

XXX give thanks for the bread. Eat together.

XXX give thanks for the juice. Drink together.

Dismiss in prayer