Genesis 11 - The Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1–9 ESV

1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Sermon Goal

To give God’s people hope that the soveriegn Lord is able to break down secular kingdoms in order to restore his kingdom on earth.

INTRODUCTION

Recap

The two lines (seed & serpent)

Last time in Ch10

Noah’s curse on Ham - seed of the serpent

Noah’s prayer for Shem - seed of the woman (the name)

Noah’s prayer for Japheth - open the door for Japheth to dwell in the tent

Today the theme continues in 11, focusing on what happens in the line of Ham in the city of Babel

However the theme is progressing now

The 2 lines - we are going to start talking about as 2 kingdoms

Hinted at in ch 10

Starts coming more in chapter 11

Nothing has changed - sin remains

The line of Ham is like their father Cain

1. Man Desires a Kingdom

2. God Has Established His Kingdom

3. Application

1. MAN DESIRES A KINGDOM

Gen 11:1 “1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.”

Makes sense - same family

same words

mies

spice

slaps

lit

sus

Moses highlights because a significant change in world history is coming

Gen 10:25 “25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan.”

Gen 11:2 “2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.”

Initial obedience

Gen 1:27-28 “27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

Gen 9:1 “1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”

Image bearers are commanded to fill the earth for the glory of God

some settlements naturally develop as they spread

Shinar = territory of Nimrod, grandson of Ham

Gen 10:8-12 “8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.”

“mighty” “kingdom”

indication - Ham’s descendents are gone astray

sin remains, everything is the same

Command - fill the whole earth with God’s glory

Sinful response - man builds kingdoms for himself

God’s fame < man is called mighty

Gen 11:3 “3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.”

new technological discovery

first thing with a universal size

clay + minerals + water + fire

bricks > stone, which Israel used

image of God - man is intelligent, creative, inventive

man uses gifts to oppose God, instead of glorify God

Gen 11:4 “4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.””

Three “let us” statements of intent

let us make bricks

nothing inherently sinful about making bricks - or with human invention

but will they use it to glorify God or oppose Him?

let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens

nothing sinful about settling

fill = spread + settle

language - let’s settle < let’s build a city

like Cain —> Gen 4:17 “17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.”

they’re building a city, but Moses shows the heart through Nimrod - a kingdom

let’s build ourselves a kingdom

not about a place to settle - it’s about sovereignty

Our kingdom - we rule - separate from God’s authority

a tower - Ziggurat of Marduk in Babylon (Iraq)

reaches to the heavens

we don’t need God - we’ll make our own way into the heavens

it’s not just a settlement, it’s a declaration of independence

we will build a kingdom of our own, under our own authority

let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth

that’s the real motivation

Make a name for ourselves

previously names are given by superiors to inferiors

God names Adam, Adam names the animals, parents name their children

Man’s desire is to make a name for himself - like Adam in the garden, this is a desire for autonomy

fill the earth with God’s glory - make His name great

we want OUR names to be great

we want to be known, revered, worshiped

let’s not go out, lets gather and build a kingdom for our glory

God’s mandate is to go out and fill the earth with His glory, build His kingdom on earth

Man wants to sink foundations and build his own kingdom for his own glory

God’s response:

Gen 11:5 “5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.”

See what Moses did there?

“We will build a tower reaching into the heavens” — but God must come down to see it

not literal - God is omnipresent

Moses’ point: man’s attempt is pathetic

Oh, you built a tower into the heavens? Where? Let me come look at your puny tower

Gen 11:6 “6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.”

What Moses says God sees, is what he wants us to see

This is what happens when man comes together and unites and collaborates towards a common goal

Isn’t that a good thing?

Not when man is wicked and the goal is to oppose God

The heart of man is still wicked - sin remains

Man seeks autonomy from God, man wants to rule his own kingdom

lots of sinners conspiring together compounds sin

God is not concerned that man will be able to elevate themselves and discover His secrets

God knows there will be no limit to the extent of man’s sin

The problem is not unity and collaboration

The problem is that man is sinful, therefore unites in opposition to God

Therefore...

What happens next is both judgement AND grace

God makes His own “let us” declaration

2. GOD HAS ESTABLISHED HIS KINGDOM

Gen 11:7-8 “7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.”

Prov 16:9 “9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Man makes statements of intent, but what God declares, He does.

In judgement, God confuses their languages

Imagine the confusion and frustration

How do you collaborate on projects when you can’t understand one another?

German speaking people - It must be perfect

Spanish speaking people have disappeared to take a nap

French speaking people are on strike

The Americans are messing things up because they’re using imperial system instead of the metric system for measurements

The Chinese are quietly building a replica with cheaper materials

Meanwhile the South Africans have taken out all the money

Tongue in cheek - stereotypes

Point is -

God confused man and frustrated his efforts

God’s sees to it that His sovereign declaration is obeyed

So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth

In judgement, God brings division and confusion

In grace, God limits the extent that man can collaborate to sin

Gen 11:9 “9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.”

What man intended to be a marvel of human ingenuity and strength

God turned to confusion and dispersion

Man makes a pathetic attempt at autonomy

Ultimately God sovereignly does all that He wills

And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

3. APPLICATION

God’s mandate is still to go out

The earth is full now of image bearers

tribes, language, people, nation

between 2 kingdoms - this kingdom is judged, the kingdom of God is coming

God’s kingdom has been established forever, and Jesus sits on the throne

2 Sam 7 - David is concerned about building a house for God

but God says you can’t build a house for me. But you know what?

2 Sam 7:8-9 “… I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.”

Just like God promises Abram in ch 12 to make his name great, he makes a covenant with David to make his name great

Then He says:

2 Sam 7:12-16 “12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ””

Ultimately, it all points forward to Jesus, son of Abraham, son of David, the Son of God

Jesus’s kingdom is established forever, and He sits on the throne

He died to ransom sinners from this kingdom, and make them a part of the new kingdom

Matthew 28:18-20 “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

This age will end. All believers are mandated to go out and proclaim

Acts 1:8 “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

We are too busy building ourown kingdoms

The people of Babel prioritized the city and the tower

We are no different

John’s sermon last weekend was challenging - are we putting the Lord first?

Or are we prioritizing our own legacy?

Focus on business, achievement, wealth, fame etc

Ignore our mandate

Not that all people must go - people are needed to hold the rope

God’s kingdom will prevail

Psalm 2:1-6 “1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.””

Ultimately, God frustrates every plan of man to oppose His will

He confused the languages to make them go out

He sends persecution to make the disciples go out

The story comes from Moses to Israel at a time when they needed a reminder that God prevails

Especially at times like the story Moses tells in Deut 1, where Israel was too scared to enter Canaan because the scouts said:

Deut 1:28 “…The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.” ’”

They needed to know that as God confused men and thwarted Babel, so also He will prevail against their enemies

The Church needs to be reminded that God will prevail against our enemies

Israel was too focused on their immediate concerns (they wanted to go back to Egypt)

We are too focussed on our immediate concerns

God’s kingdom is established, Jesus sits on the throne

I read the Bible to the end - Jesus wins

He has already won

A sign of this was the coming of the Holy Spirit on the disciples in Acts 2 - an undoing of the confusion of Babel

Acts 2:4-8 “4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?

God’s kingdom has come in power through the Holy Spirit

He gives His people the power to do what He commanded in Acts 1:8 “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

So Let us be witnesses

Let our focus be on making His name known

Let our focus be on the fact the God has prevailed over His enemies, and He will prevail over His enemies

And let us praise Him for it