The Tower
Notes
Transcript
1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 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. 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, 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.”
It makes sense that since everyone descended from Adam and Eve, there was a period of time when everyone spoke the same language. What was this language? We simply don’t know. Most speculate that it was Hebrew or a similar language.
The land of Shinar is another name for Babylon (Genesis 10:10). Babylon comes to represent organized rebellion against God. In fact, it is the first organized rebellion. The concept of Babylon is continued throughout the word of God even in the book of Revelation.
The descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth came together to build a great city and tower in direct rebellion against God’s command to spread out over the whole earth (Genesis 9:1).
What are some examples of ways that our world is in organized rebellion against God today?
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. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, 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 abroad over the face of all the earth.
Perhaps this is similar to how the Lord came down to see what was going on in Sodom and Gomorrah in Abraham’s day. If so, it is possible that this was another pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ (known as a Theophany).
“Let Us” is another reference to the Trinity.
There is really no limit to the evil and wickedness that man can think up and do apart from God.
God scattering the people at Babel is more mercy than judgment. By separating man geographically and linguistically, He put a limit on the power of his fallen nature.
Most modern linguists believe that all languages came from one original language, just like God’s Word says.
As groups separated into various areas across the world, dominant physical traits from those groups became more prevalent over the generations, which accounts for the variety we see today. They also developed their own languages and writing systems.
Think about the baptism in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and specifically the giving of the gift of tongues. What are some ways that we could view Pentecost as a reversal of sorts of Babel?
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. 12 Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah. 13 After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters. 14 Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber. 15 After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters. 16 Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg. 17 After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters. 18 Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu. 19 After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters. 20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug. 21 After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters. 22 Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor. 23 After he begot Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah. 25 After he begot Terah, Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.
The generational line of Shem will become part of the Messianic line in Luke 3.
Nahor and Terah are the grandfather and father of Abraham. Genesis 3:15 would find its fulfillment through this family. The seed war continues.
26 Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27 This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot. 28 And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
Abram (who would later become known as Abraham) is mentioned 312 times in 272 verses in the Bible. He is one of the most well known and influential people in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions.
The book of Genesis covers more than 2,000 years of history over 20 generations. However, one third of the book focuses on the life of Abraham. This highlights his importance in the story of God’s plan of redemption.
Abraham is unique in that he is known as the Friend of God (James 2:23; 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8).
Based on what we know about Abraham from the accounts in the book of Genesis and throughout the rest of the Bible, what was it about Abraham that made him a friend of God?
29 Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Sarai = contentious. She was barren and unable to have children.
Abram = father. Abraham = father of a multitude.
It must have seemed ironic that his name is father but his wife was unable to have children.
Why do you think God might have allowed Sarai to be barren initially?
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. 32 So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.
The story of Abraham begins in Ur of the Chaldeans, which is another name for Babylon. So Abraham’s family came out of the culture of rebellion at the Tower of Babel.
Abraham came from a family of idol worshippers and was probably an idol worshipper himself (Joshua 24:2).
Acts 7:2-4 tells us that the God’s call for Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 came while he stilled lived in Ur.
Abraham was only partially obedient to God in two ways:
He brought his father Terah and nephew Lot.
He stopped for a time and dwelt in Haran and not to where God promised.
Terah = delay.
Haran = barren.
When Abraham was only in partial obedience there was delay and barrenness.
What does this teach us about the importance of complete and total obedience to God?
