Babel

If you take your Bibles and turn to Genesis. Chapter 11 Lord willing. We'll look at verses 1 through 9 this morning. I do when I encourage you to take out a physical copy of the scriptures. If you don't have one with you, there are note provided in your bulletin with the scripture references and space for you to fill in as we go along also encouraged if you're watching online or even if your present with this here, you can go I to the YouVersion Bible app. That's why I owe YouVersion Bible app, you can tap the more tab after you download it and then click the events and there you'll see Mount Carmel Baptist Church click on that and all the notes quotes and references and scriptures will be there. And also there's some maps and pictures that you can view on the Bible app as well. So I really want to encourage you not to always have an Open Bible open minds and Open Hearts and make sure that I am preaching God's word to you.

Genesis chapter 11 verses 1 through 9. I'm going to preach to you a message that I've entitled Babel Babel. Every one of us says Al Mohler live by the light of a story. A story that tells us about the past. Explains the future and situates us in the present. The unbelieving world promotes stories that are inadequate to explain Humanity's origin and establish objectives Transcendent absolute moral values. The unbelieving world right now is restless and wrestling with the question of human diversity and racism. Natural and social evolutionist who fake various groups of people evolved from different groups of animals must admit that human diversity is a pure accident and opinions about racial inferiority or Superior superiority are valid but the Christian worldview prevents the presents an entirely different and totally satisfying alternative story. I want to look at just the definition of racism. The first one is a definition that we use in the world and does it account for the biblical record and write this down in this is this is not a bad definition adequate definition of racism the world defines racism as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits. Capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. And again, I want you to think about this giving some natural and social evolutionary theories racism may be valid.

But what about the Christian worldview the Christian worldview this Bible presents an entirely different and totally satisfying alternative definition. I want you to hear about the illusion HP Smith puts it and then I'll put it into terms that we can really relate to be says this in short racism from the Christian standpoint is a response that violates the egalitarians principal implied in the biblical doctrine of the Imago Dei. What does that mean? And you can write this down. This is my translation of that racism is any response that violates the biblical doctrine that God created everyone in His image. God created everyone in His image and any violation of that Doctrine is racism racism includes not only the oppression of another race, but also the mocking of another race want to ridicule someone created in the image of God is to ridicule soon God. So according to the Bible where do races come from the question where do races come from now in today's text? I want you to understand this first the function of today's passage is not to explain the origins of race as you'll see that's what happens. That's what results in this passage, but it's not the primary emphasis. So let me put you into the mon set of how the original audience would have understood. This. Text Moses is the writer of the Book of Genesis and Moses was not a law for any of the events in Genesis. If you know your biblical chronology, he doesn't appear to Exodus the Nextbook the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to record this history, and there's no doubt that parents would have passed the stories on to their children as well and while Genesis include The origin of humanity in sin, the original audience of Genesis was the nation of Israel whose God just miraculously freed them from slavery in Egypt UniFirst see the Book of Genesis as an introduction to the nation of Israel to the god of Israel. Alright, Genesis is primarily functioning introduced the nation of Israel to their God and describe the origin of Israel special relationship with him cuz this is interesting the Genesis consists of 50 chapter, but the first 11 chapters are dedicated to humanity as a whole in general and then all of a sudden in Genesis chapter 12, the next chapter is zeros in on the nation of Israel. Wow Wow in an answering that question will also be able to answer where did races come from those look at Genesis chapter 1 verses 1 through 4. It says this this is by the way, this is after Noah's flood and the families of Noah. That's the only families on the earth. They're going down from Mount Ararat to populate the Earth notice what happens the whole had the same language and vocabulary. As people migrated from the East they found of Valley and the land of shinar and settle there. They said to each other, let us make oven fired bricks. They use brick for stone and asphalt tar for Mortar and they said, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with it stopped in the sky. Let us make a name for ourselves. Otherwise, we will be scattered throughout the Earth the first scene that I want us to look through even unpacked or act one is Humanity ascending write it down to Manatee ascending. I put that with the? All right. It's important to note that he is settling in the valley or the plain of shinar now John R today. If you have your Bible app Whip and you may see on the screen is located right above the Persian Gulf it's close to Modern-day of Baghdad Iraq moving towards the Persian Gulf the point that you need to take away from just that little bit of map is to know that that sits in a low place on low ground. Why does that matter ancients the people that live during the time of Genesis chapter 11 believe that deities weld in high places, you'll hear that a lot the high places and Associated Gods with heels and mountaintops a mountain with its base planet of the earth and its peak sing me reaching through the skies in the heaven was considered to be a meeting point between Heaven and Earth because of this people viewed the mountain as the place of Devon resident and Activity. Thank you. Think about this throughout the Old Testament. They always talked about the mountain the temple in Jerusalem sets on the temple. Well, okay. It was always Mount Zion. Let us go up to see the Lord there was this association with this elevation and being closer to God. But what happens think about this what happens if you settle in a low place in a valley like Shawn are well, here's what the people thought will build what Cody Temple power. They have a term for an ancient near East. It's a ziggurat. OK d i g g u r a t and it is a substitute Mountain. It's a substitute Mountain the Tower of Babel or this is ziggurat was I step pyramid building with Ash Ron at the top reserve for Devon being was a meeting place from a cigarette stop Kevin Steen closer. It was a Stairway to Heaven using the very latest construction materials and Technology brick and mortar. And what does that have to do with you and I want to tackle is so wrong about building a temple Tower. Number one is this and you can write this in your notes. The first thing that they committed that was sin against God was prod or self-exaltation prod or self-exaltation by building the tower the people sought to make a name for who themselves. Hey, God, will not tolerate you taking Glory away from him. Okay, if you're going to attempt to reach God, it's not going to be by bringing a name for yourself. That's progress self-exaltation in True Religion. We're here to make God's name. Great. All right, the second thing that was wrong is that there was sin or direct Disobedience skin or direct Disobedience, you need to settle this in your mind because this becomes important later God commanded Adam in Genesis 1 and Noah in Genesis 9:1 to be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth note that fill the Earth. The original creation mandate was before the the Sons and Daughters of Adam and then the Sons and Daughters of Noah just scatter all over the known world and notice what they say here. What are the purposes in building? This Temple Tower was so that they would not be what scatter that they could stay in one place. And this was in direct Disobedience to God command. I'm in the third thing is false worship or false religion false worship or false religion attempting to ascend to Heaven associate the sin of the people about think of it like this in Genesis chapter 3 Adam and Eve were tempted to take us to forbidden fruit because the promise was they might become like God knowing good and evil in the interesting and here it's almost a very similar Sim. It's a false worship. It's a false religion. They thought that buy our own power our strength our technology we can get to God Church know you can't doesn't matter what good things. You've done what all you can build while all we can Chief it'll never reach to the height of the glory of God. No water. We share. Is there anything that we share yuasa I'm not building the Temple today Josh. But here's what we do share your the mutual condition we have with the people of the Tower of Babel. We share the sinful conditions with our ancestors were profitable. We have vanity we exalt ourselves over and against God we day after day directly disobey God's commands written on her conscience and in his word, but you know what we do or what we leave undone. And in this eater amounts to one of these things this amounts to prod or we think we can come back to God or admits to guilt going. How could I ever get back to God and that's good news and bad news. I need you to know this every person. None of us can get back to God by yourself. The good news of the Gospel though. Is that God can come down. God can come to you. And he can come to you in Salvation or he can come to you in judgement. But it's his prerogative It's not out. Let's look at the next verse Genesis chapter 1 verse 5 then the Lord. That's the all-caps Lord that the tetragrammaton it stands for the god of Israel. Yahweh. Ben. Yahweh came down to look over the city and the tower that the humans were building. Then you always said if they have begun to do this as one people all having the same language, the nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them come. Let's go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand what another speech from there. Always scattered them from throughout scattered them throughout the Earth and they stop building the city. Therefore it is called Babylon for their Yahweh confuse the language of the whole earth. And from there. You always scattered them throughout the Earth and incredible passage to wear sing to write this down as God descending God descending verse 5 is so ironic. I hope you can pick up almost on the fix sarcasm that's laid down here is these people are building a tower into the heavens and notice what has to happen. Y'all way the god of Heaven and Earth sitting on his phone got I've got to come down to see it. You've got nowhere. Let me come and check out the spinny thing that you've built that's his hope he's coming up to evaluate. He's coming down and judgment. You really think you reach me. Well, let's take a look. So he comes down and he realizes and then again this is being painted in a story that we can understand. Understand all that's going on, but we're seeing the process is that Humanity unimpeded that they can do all things now that does not mean this should show you where are sinful heart is we read that texting thing for us that we can do anything we set our minds to and here's was God's reply and you set your mind on skin. You see what all becomes possible if we work together, we become better Sinners, right you discovered nuclear energy. We could power the world instead. We could destroy yourself over Humanity. Does you get the internet the gospel could go around the end of the world and what happened pornography put on it. As soon as we actually in advance, so we get something new that we can build will use it in for verdict for sin for me. God understands this and so he's going to prevent this. This is not wholly worship. This is not what I desire. So he's going to punish them and impede their progress now got their something interesting. He says let us go down and confuse their language. This is been understood traditionally in one of two ways. Christians has always read back into that text and I understand why the Trinity the three persons of the godhead the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit that they came down and confuse the languages from a Jewish understanding, of course, they would not recognize the Trinity and understand God speaking to the Angelic Council. Okay. It's almost like this and Mom's you're going to have to help me out. But this is what one commentator said if your mom and you better be in the living room with your kid, he says let's make dinner and you're the only one that gets up to cook it. This is what God is doing right there, but I know exactly what you're saying. I want okay, so he's conferring with the Angelic Council but he's going to be the one to do it another reason I mention this is because I was asked a question a couple of weeks ago when I was talking about the spiritual get the speaking in tongues and I reference 1st Corinthians 13 as what I believe is a is hyperbolic Angelic languages and submersible water. They speak in heaven. What's the language of heaven and everyone I want to see all I'm saying is I'm not saying there isn't a language in heaven. I just don't think Tom is an injured language. That's how I understand that but I do want to make this absolutely clear they deliver messages for God all the top. And another interesting part is in the pseudepigrapha. This is writings of Jews under false names way after those people died actually had a story about the Tower of Babel Where Angels came down and talk to 70 families of the earth eat their respective language that and thought that all the languages of the Earth are technically Angelic languages now again. See the figure if it's not your Bible all I want you to know this disk. Is there a Heavenly language possibly? What is it? Don't know. All right going to make it clear. But here's the next part the confusion of languages and races. Where did the races come from now? I want to ask a question. And if you've heard this I am not impugning you I am want to say up front. I heard this when I was a kid. I'm not saying my parents perpetually. I just heard this among believing Christians that some people have said that there is a teaching in the scripture where black Africans descended from a curse on Noah's son Ham. Has anybody ever heard that? Okay. I am not the only one that ham Noah's son Ham means black and that if you follow the descendants of ham they settled in Black Africa. All right, and the other part of this is that Noah cursed ham to be a slave and is descendants and I want to tell you something because Southern Baptist from 200 some years ago Federal that false Doctrine and I want to put it to death today. It's patently false, Give me three reasons why it's made up and it was made up to justify slavery. Okay, never won the name Ham means black in Egyptian in Egypt didn't even exist at the time of ham. Yeah, they didn't live then. So how can he be named after entire work that that whole country doesn't even exist. Number two is this even if his name does mean black. Why does it mean that he is color is his skin color is black. Maybe he just had black hair. We don't know. NF third thing in this is shows you how bad people will twist the text to get them to say whatever they want. Noah doesn't curse ham. If you go back and read Genesis 9 Noah is speaking to him and he curses his youngest son painting. That becomes important the Canaanites are under a curse and we're going to see the nation of Israel that becomes very important cuz their promise the land of food.

But the reason I mention that to you is that you can tell me that shows you how far men of God who stood in southern baptist pulpits went to justify slavery. They made up a doctor. It doesn't exist. If you ever hear anybody say it and squash it is not in the Bible. So where did the races come from? Interesting. So God confuses their languages He miraculously changes their dialects enough that they're in comprehensible to one another and they can no longer cooperate with ease. It is both a punishment and a gracious provision. God punishes their vainglory their rebellious unity and false religion yet. It moves them to obedience. You say well water they are banging. What was the Commandment in Adam and to Noah what was their descendants supposed to do scatter? Stutter what is the saying at the end of the tax once their languages were confused? What do they finally do? They scattered? They obeyed God just note that Bible or Bible on here on this very interesting the Babylonians considered the word Babel or Babble on to be the Gate of God. That's how they understood that word in the Hebrew tongue and language. They see it as a work place and they call it confusion. If there ever was at stories about Humanity, that's yet one group says this is the Gate of God. This is how the way to go and the church but then goes it looks like confusion to me. Absolute utter chaos and confusion. I need you to know this church. This is where we glory in God. We praise His great name. God is not waiting on you or I to make some power. He doesn't need a tower. He has come down and hung on a tree for you and me that's the Glorious Gospel of God. Listen to what it says and acts 2:11. This is at Pinnacle. These are Jesus's disciples who have repented of their sent and they trust Jesus as the Messiah the Son of God that he bled and died on the cross for all of their sins and that God miraculously raised from the dead 2 in mortality and incorruptibility and gave him a name above every name but he's the king of kings and Lord of lords over the whole earth and that he has the power to the spit the full measure of the Holy Spirit upon his church. And after the holy spirit is poured out that begin to speak in tongues. All the dialects that were represented at Pentecost and notice what they begin to do and Acts chapter 2 verse 11 cretins and Arabs were also there it says this we hear them declaring the Magnificent acts of God in our own tongue. What we see by a Spirit-filled church is that God reverses the curse of Babel? He doesn't change races. He doesn't even change languages his what's so amazing. Is that God put the Gospel of Jesus in our own words. So that you and I could come to saving faith in him. That's our God. He kept seeking us out.

I need you to put this into context was thinking about Genesis chapter 11 going into chapter 12, and you may not know the story so far Genesis 1 through 11 has been all about Humanity in general. And then here's what happened as God disperses the families but different languages and they scatter to the ends of the Earth God in his great grace his his judgment is always mixed with mercy and compassion. Here's what I love what God does and the families are kind of walking away in Genesis chapter 12. I don't know if you know this he goes. Hey Abraham come here. What did he do? He calls Abraham Assad. He makes him a covenant promise because I'll make you a land animation in all the families. He come out all the families. I just scattered will be blessed through you. What is The Blessing of Abraham to every family including you it is his greatness in it than one and only son of God Jesus Christ. I need you to see how long his Redemptive plants he has been seeking you out. Coming down to you to bring you back to himself. The Holy Spirit causes confusion at Pentecost, but that's because he's reversing Bible. They understand what the disciples are saying Jesus Christ fulfill God's promise to Abraham God blessing all the families of the Earth by the Glorious Gospel of Jesus at Bible God disperse the nation in confusion at Pentecost Jesus uniforms donations in the church. But we may not have the same language or the same ethnic Heritage. We all have the same Jesus.

Here's what I want you to right now. So why Jesus by the Holy Spirit scatters a unified diverse Church. That's what he wants to do. He still wants us to scatter. I need you to see this God's judgment never was the scattering issue. They were supposed to scatter in Genesis 1 they were supposed to scatter and just is not technically according to the Great Commission you and I are supposed to scattered today. Go to the ends of the Earth scattering is not a punishment. But where to do it in unity with all kinds of people all kinds of people that comprise the church. So where did races come from the Bible is silent.

is an inference his work constant Riddell races result from natural adaptations to scattering. The scattering it's behind the scenes. We make it issue of it. God doesn't this is what's so interesting. I found this absolutely fascinating. And scattering isn't a punishment. God wanted descendants of Adam to go to the ends of the Earth. He wanted to send it to know what to go to the ends of the Earth. Here's what that would have meant. I need you to get this we would have had races whether there was a sinner not. You catch that God from the very beginning had a diverse Church in miles. It was in Autumn. It was in Noah. It was just a matter of getting them to go out. You take people isolate them put them in the one group put them in this particular Lance keep them there for a long enough time. They'll look different at different different Hastings different. Don't have their own culture. And this was always a part of God's plan had unfallen humans obeyed God's command. The result would have still been natural adaptations resulting in race, ethnic cultural and linguistic diversity. It would have happened Bible this catalog the speeds it up. Bible the judgement was intensified

and then at Pentecost right? It's dispersed where the Spurs but we're dispersed in communion not confusion Pentecost did not reverse some curse of race, but the confusion of languages races are not an accident. They are part of God's purpose races are not a problem. They are God's Gift sin is what explains confusion and racism only Jesus the son of God. Can forgive sin change the human heart and Grant eternal life through his shed blood sacrificial death and his resurrection to immortality and incorruptibility church, avoiding diversity of ethnicities does not glorify God embracing them.

Because it's always a part of his plan. I need to know this get this deep in your soul. This is your god is before the foundation of the world was laid he had already of vision in his mind every tribe tongue language and people and Nation gather together in heaven singing his Praises singing a new naat new song and blessing his name forever. That's what he wanted. That's why he won't. Center Nostrand and that amazing natural and social Evolution cannot give you the explanatory power and satisfaction that the doctrine of the Imago Dei and the Genesis mandate to fill the Earth can but not only I need you to catch this Christians cuz you've got the better story. Stop letting them talk about Marxism and all this stuff. You got the better story. You can explain where races come from you can explain where racism comes from an even better. You've got the solution. Do you hear me is why the church needs to get up and speak up. You got the answer the gospel not only makes sense of the world. But I also humbles man more false god makes much of Jesus because of the Gospel we no longer boast In the Flesh we boast in the spirit because the gospel we don't build a gate to God to ascend to heaven in the gospel Heaven came down and Glory fills our soul. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. He is the shepherd and the Gate of all his red yellow black and white shape. blast every head bound every other clothes

I'm going to have a time of reflection.

I don't want to encourage you to do one of two things number one. You're not sure that you're a Christian. But you've repented of your sin and trusted Jesus God Son alone for salvation. As I said today. There's nothing good. You can do to build or get your way back to God that's impossible. He must come down and I don't mean we can't take him down. It's got to be a his initiative. But the good news is what we as Christians have he came down? Give me the perfect lifeblood and dot4 are all orphans all the things that we've done wrong. And then was raised to New Life to point us that it's true. It's real you can be forgiven. I can change you I can grant you eternal life. And if you're ready to receive that today and give your life to Christ. Jesus is not dead. He is Allah. He hears our thoughts and Whispers he is God. And if you're ready to give your life to him, will you call out to him? It says everyone who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved someone to teach you to pray silently to him in your heart to save your Jesus repeat after me do Jesus. I confess that I am a sinner. And deserve all your judgment. But I believe your gospel. I believe that you love me. You came down to this earth. live the perfect life shed your blood. And died on the cross for all my sins. And I also believe God raised you from the dead. Please forgive me. Change my heart. and grab me everlasting life I give my life to you. With every head bowed every eye closed. What I want to say is this if you prayed that prayer and your next step in your walk with God is where we go public with that private commitment and confession and the way we go public has already been demonstrated to you today through baptism baptism is when we identify with the leaving that Jesus died for our sins as we go under the water then as we come up out of nowhere identify that we believe in Jesus's resurrection to forgive us changes and give us everlasting life. And if you've never been baptized, I would encourage you to do one of three things. You can either fill out that trailer panel and drop it in the offering box. You can text Believe Tour texting Church number or visit our website and click on baptism fill out the form. You're not signing up. You're simply get us the opportunity to talk to you about that next step. The last thing that I wanted to do in this time of reflection as Christian again out this this this wonderful Prayer by Steven McGee in his Book of Prayers from Genesis 11, I've used it and kind of adapted it for my purposes today, but I want to read this over you and I'm going to ask you to pray something like it to God today are X Reflection. It says Lord of Heaven and Earth we have sinned against you if you left us without your grace, we would seek only to make a name for ourselves and continue to resist glorifying you. You have granted us great abilities that we should not use to build a little building dedicated to our small desires. You have helped us by the Holy Spirit to see glorifying and enjoying you forever is the most worthy goal in your good plan to save man. You called out from all the families of the earth Father Abraham you brought him and Sarah out of barrenness and idolatry and made them Believers in your Covenant promises that we also hold dear promises, which are all yes, and amen in Jesus Christ Our Lord may all the nations tribes and tongues bless your name to you only is do Old Dominion power and Glory now in our days and forever more Will you play something like that?

Heavenly Father we thank you and we can call upon your name as your children. You think you for seeking us out and adopt and listen to your family, too. But we do pray with for the strife and division to turn our country today. Your, your church not be silent. We have a much better story a much better explanation. How much better solution? Because it's your tree. and or maybe not go about on condor unloving before trees in Grace You know, this is impossible without the help of your Holy Spirit fill us up. Make us courageous and compassionate. Or if there's any sin. In our hearts our minds our reactions are attitudes that violates the Imago Dei we pray that you forgive us of it and change our natures. Lord may we as we said see your vision of a diverse Humanity in a diverse church and celebrate that Embrace that

and board movie scatter. It's never been a punishment. Then maybe go to the ends of the Earth with the gospel on our lips to tell the good news that you come down and we don't have to go up. You've done all the work in Christ. You're amazing. You're worthy of worship honor and praise. Modesto small token of worship today be a blessing to you and to others he thank you for Jesus help us make much of him. We pray this in his strong name and I'll guess people say amen. I got just a couple of quick announcements before we dismiss is Bob and Elaine. Where are you guys at? I want you to come for real quick and give you your baptism certificate. If you don't mind at this time, and you can kind of maybe like come right here on stage where they were they might be able to see you online. I meant to tell you this before didn't tell me if I'll ever get a parade you up here. I do want you know this trick. We've actually already voted them into membership back in March. We were just awaiting the baptism site. They are officially as official a part of the family of Mount Carmel her today, but here's for the Bob Dylan Schultz baptism certificate and Miss Elaine Elaine to the show and we want to give them a round of applause and give God the glory for that. Bob didn't mention this phone was christened and has net was never baptized by immersion. And I just wanted to say that we were talking upstairs is if you have questions like that, like let's talk about them and work through them. All right, and I am very thankful for your courage to go and be baptized by immersion. I just wanted you to hear that from me as your pastor in this church. All right. Thank you for being members are all right quick graduation. Sunday is not next Sunday. But the Sunday after that is July 26th to hear some of this is important. If you're coming to be a part of that graduation service where we celebrate in honor our graduates who weren't able to do this back in May and we want to do this. The 11:00 service is completely dedicated that we will have a car song service but Chief we were going to be honoring our graduates and here's what's important. The RSVP for that hat is now available like right now you can go and reserve your spot. For your family. So if you have graduates and you won't you go to have a bigger crowd with you that day you need to get online ASAP and do that or you can just drop it in the drop the offering box on the way out. Text RSVP. That's the only four letters. I need nothing else no names no numbers RSVP to 706-525-5251 or you can go to empty crumble dimmers. Calm and click preserve. All right in the form of populate there, but I do want you know graduation Sunday is up and you can reserve your spot also outside. Okay, there is now a Dropbox located right next to this entrance but this other entrance here and so if you have any letters applications offerings that you need to deposit for Cindy to take into account and she's not here you can drop that in there. She's she checks it often. Okay, so I want to make sure you're aware of that. And then think that might be everything about all I got to remember this when we dismiss wear the same one last time to be dismissed. We just asked everybody as as much as you can as quickly as you can tell her ship outside because we have to kind of wipe down the pews and all of that and so we would really appreciate your cooperation with it. So thank you for coming and worshipping with us today. I love you guys. I will be online tonight at 6 on her Facebook page and our YouTube channel. We're doing a visual Theology of the Bible. We are in the Book of Psalms and Mike get to Song of Solomon said come back online tonight and then check it out.