God’s Roadmap: From Scattered Plans to Purposeful Paths

Introduction

Many years ago when our girls were little, we went and visited Crystal’s grandma in Florida. While there, the benefit of family being around, we were able to leave our children with them and go on a drive just the two of us.

We got directions to go visit this island that was full of shops and cool things to do. We spent a few hours there and it was time to go back. We got there in about 20min by highway. We were in Venice area South of Tampa. I thought… man lets get off the highway and see the sights on the way back to her grandma’s house.

Little did I know that when strayed from the highway, we entered into the low income projects of the area. We were in this really nice car, looking like we had money, rolling through a neighborhood we had no business being in… and we felt it.

I’m a fairly large guy and I don’t get intimated to easily, but all my fears were realized driving through this neighborhood. It was a cliche as it could be driving through an East Coast major city projects. We blended in about as well as a giraffe at a guinea pig convention. We were about as camouflaged as a circus clown at a funeral. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

There are other experiences where going off the path has been detrimental, but this one always sticks out to me.

There was a time in college where we were in Rome, Italy and the tour bus driver ignored the directions of where the bus could go. We got trapped because of cars parking on the side of the road. About 12 of us big guys got out, picked up this small fiat car and moved it off the road and more onto the sidewalk so the bus could get through.

God offers us His divine GPS - His Word, His guidance, His roadmap for our lives. Yet often, like the people at Babel, we think we know better. We try to chart our own course, build our own towers, create our own shortcuts to greatness or fulfillment.

Today, as we delve into the story of Babel and trace God's continuing plan through history, let's consider: Are we truly following God's roadmap, or are we stubbornly sticking to our own scattered plans? Are we building towers to reach heaven, or are we walking the path God has laid out for us?"

If you have your Bibles or on your devices, you can turn to Genesis 10:1-11:9. If you are willing and able would you stand with me as I read God’s word this morning… this is the word of the Lord… let us pray… amen… you may be seated.

Paths we take

Noah’s family.

This is often called the “Table of Nations” because all nations, or the totality of the nations are expressed here. There are 70 nations listed here.

Like other Biblical genealogies, the list of 70 peoples/nations owes its shape to a kind of numerical symbolism in which the concept of a totality of nations is expressed in the number 70.

There is an intentionality of reminding us of the unity of among human beings.

Bible nerds: Before Abraham, the number of nations is 70 and at the close of the book we’ll see that Abrahams descendants will number 70. So what God is doing is that He is holding Abraham’s line before the reader as a new humanity and Abraham as a kind of second Adam, “the father of many nations” (Gen 17:5). It’s in this chosen seed that God’s original blessing will be restored.

Line of Japheth- Seafaring people who went out to further regions… this is the outer fringe of known world of the author at that time. We don’t really hear about these nations again until we begin to see the scope of God’s universal kingdom, when God’s plan includes all of humanity; Psalm 72:8–10 “May he rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth… may the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him…”

Line of Ham- Move out to Assyria and Babylon (important connection)

Line of Shem- It’s worth noting that we’re being reminded of Shem’s relationship to his brother Japheth. No doubt the intent is to remind us of their connection of blessing by Noah and where Ham was left out of that blessing, but was cursed. We’re going to follow the line of Eber who will become the Hebrews later

Path to perdition

We see that the line of Ham are a people who “move eastward”.

When we see this, it should bring us back to the first few chapters of Genesis. We’re being told that the story of the founding of Babylon is being fit into the larger scheme at work that we’ve seen in Genesis already. It contrasts God’s way of blessing with humanity’s way of trying find “good”.

- Moved East out of the garden (Gen 3:24) - Cain moved further eastward (Gen 4:16) - Lot moves East with great hopes of a land that will provide abundance (Gen 13:11) - When the Israelites set out from Mt Sinai to travel into the wilderness, the Bible specifically returns to the notion that the direction of their travel is “eastward” (Nu 10:5). A few chapters later we learn they wander the dessert of 40yrs (Nu 13-14) and a generation will die in the wilderness and not enjoy God’s goodness/blessing because they “did not believe” in the Lord (Nu 14:11). - It’s a continual moving away from relationship with the Lord

The charachteristic mark of human failure up to this point in the book has been the attempt to grasp the “good” on their own rather than to trust God to provide it for them (Genesis 3, 4, 5, etc).

“The good land is the place of blessing. To leave this land and to seek another is to forfeit the blessing of God’s good provision. It is to live “East of Eden”.

It culminates in the tower of Babel. This is thought to be the beginnings and foundation of the great city that will be later in Babylon.

You’ll remember that the mandate has always been, since creation Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.””

Here in chapter 11 they are seeking to create systems and a place where they won’t be scattered but that they also will “make a name for themselves”.

Fear seems to be driving this decision.

Fear may motivate grand but misguided actions (like building the tower), faith and obedience to God lead to more meaningful outcomes.

Their hope was to reach the heavens… this is indicative of every other faith system and religion on the planet. Nothing is new. If I can be good enough, if I can give enough, if I can be worthy enough, if I can shed as much of this world off of me as possible, I’ll attain heaven.

“I hope I’m good enough”.

Man’s fear reaches for the sky… but God’s love reaches for our hearts.

Ironically, they wanted to keep from scattering over all the Earth, but that’s exactly what happened. This is God’s mercy as well. What God saw was that “that nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” This is a direct reference back to Genesis 6:5 “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.”

Nothing will be kept from them.

Path to promise

What we find in Genesis 11 is Shem’s line leads to Abram. Abram would later become Abraham. He would receive the promise of God in which all the nations/world would be blessed.

We know this now as it is through Abraham that Jesus would come. That all the promises to Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David all culminate in Jesus.

If you remember in Genesis 5, we were given a genealogy that pointed to the hope that God was going to bring though Cain had killed Abel. Here too we see though the nations are scattered, God has a line of hope. God’s promise is not going to be thwarted (THIS IS ALL OVER SCRIPTURE… this should be a great hope for us) even though there is confusion and the scattering of nations at Babel.

God lists a line of ten great men from Noah to the chosen seed of Abraham. Out of the ruin of two great cities, the city of Cain and the City of Babylon, God has preserved his promised people/seed.

In the coming weeks we’ll see how the reaction to circumstance between the sons of Ham and the sons of Shem vary greatly.

Conclusion

In light of Babel, fear scatters; in obedience to God’s word, faith unites.

Where fear whispers survive, faith and allegiance to Jesus calls us to thrive. This is the message of the gospel. This is what it means to let your “light shine before” others.

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”

Humanity's attempt to build their own way to “greatness” required God's merciful and kind intervention to scatter and redirect.

The path of fear and human ambition leads to scattering and confusion.

The path of obedience to God leads to unity and purpose

God's ongoing plan:

Despite human failures, God preserves His promise through the line of Shem to Abraham

This lineage ultimately leads to Jesus, fulfilling God's promise of blessing for all nations

Application for today:

We face similar choices in our lives - to build our own towers or follow God's roadmap

Choosing God's path may not always be easy, but it leads to true fulfillment and purpose

The call to action:

May we examine our own paths

Let us endeavor in the choices before us to choose obedience to God's word over fear-driven decisions

In Christ, we have the ultimate example of obedience and its fruit

Hope for the journey:

God's promises are not thwarted by human failure

OUR HOPE we have is in Christ, who enables us to walk in obedience

Final encouragement:

(Tying back to Matthew 5:16 and 1 Peter 3:15) May we be living testimonies of God's roadmap, shining His light and always ready to share the reason for the hope that is in us, around us, and who holds us.