Genesis 11.5-6-The Satanic Inspiration Behind the Tower of Babel
Sunday October 23, 2005
Genesis: Genesis 11:1-4-The Satanic Inspiration Behind the Tower of Babel
Lesson # 48
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 11:1.
This morning we will study that Satan inspired the building of the Tower of Babel and the city of Babylon.
Genesis 11:1, “Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.”
Genesis 11:2, “It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.”
Genesis 11:3, “They said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.’ And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.”
Genesis 11:4, “They said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’”
Inspired by Satan, and led by Nimrod, the ambition of the rebels in building the Tower of Babel was to build a one world government and religion that was independent of God and brought glory and honor to themselves rather than God.
The great sin of the builders of the city of Babylon and its tower was evil, which is independence of God and originated with Satan in eternity past.
God wants the human race to be unified in depending upon and worshipping Him rather than independent of Him and worshipping the creature or creation, which the Tower of Babel was designed for.
Therefore, the human race was saying in effect by building this city and tower that “God we don’t trust You, nor do we need you, we will go it alone without You and set up our own government, with our religion and our own ruler to lead us.”
These postdiluvian city builders in Genesis 11:1-4 pick up where antediluvian city builders led by Cain in Genesis 4:17 left off since both built a city to establish security and a meaningful existence independent of God according to a comparison of Genesis 4:17 and 11:4.
Though he is not specifically mentioned in Genesis 11:1-4, Satan is the invisible enemy of God who is behind the scenes instigating and inspiring this attempt by the entire human race to live independently of God forming a one world government in opposition to Him.
In Genesis 11:4, the prepositional phrase “into heaven” expresses the people’s desire to compete with God just as Satan has attempted to in eternity past and the phrase “let us” echoes the five “I wills” of Satan in eternity past that are recorded in Isaiah 14:12-14.
Originally, God created Satan perfect but he sinned (Ezek. 28:13) and he is a person since he possesses the traits of personality demonstrating intelligence (2 Cor. 11:3), emotions (Rev. 12:17, anger; Luke 22:31, desire) and volition (Isa. 14:12-14; 2 Tim. 2:26).
Satan is a spirit being (Eph. 6:12), and he is not omniscient, omnipotent or omnipresent like God but rather he has limitations and is accountable to God and cannot do anything he wants (Job 1-2).
The words "devil" and "Satan" are not names but titles, both of which mean "accuser" or "adversary" as an attorney accuses someone in court and is further evidence for the appeal trial of Satan.
The principle stratagem of the devil is lies and deception.
1 John 5:19, “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
The devil’s purpose for deceiving the human race is to divert worship from the Lord Jesus Christ and to himself.
Therefore, Satan inspired the rebellion against God at the Tower of Babel in order to divert worship from God and to himself.
Isaiah 14:12, “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!”
The phrase “Star of the morning, son of the dawn” is a title, which speaks of Satan's role before he fell in reflecting the glory of God before he sinned.
Isaiah 14:13, “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.”
Isaiah 14:14, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
Satan can be resisted and made to flee (Jam. 4:7), but only by the strength of God made available to believers in Christ (Eph. 6:10-18).
Victory or defeat is gained by the application of power and the withdrawal of the inferior force.
Thus when we apply the Word of God, which is alive and powerful, and appropriate by faith our union and position with Jesus Christ, then Satan and his armies will withdraw because though powerful, their power is inferior to God’s Word and our union and position with Christ.
James 4:7, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.”
To be strong in the Lord means to empower yourself by means of the Word of the Lord, which is accomplished by obedience to the Word of the Lord.
To be strong in the strength of His might means to take possession of by faith, the omnipotence of God that was manifested in the resurrection and session of Christ and that is now your possession because of your union with Christ.
Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”
“Put on the full armor of God” refers to taking possession of by faith your union with Christ, which is accomplished by faith in what the Word of God says about you, namely, that you have been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ at the Father’s right hand, far above all angelic power and authority.
Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12 teaches that the believer’s struggle is not with human beings but against Satan and invisible his army who wage war against the church and are located in the earth’s atmosphere.
Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
The evil day is an extended period of time in human history, which began with the Fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden and extends to the 2nd Advent of Christ when Satan will be imprisoned for a thousand years.
Ephesians 6:14, “Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.”
“Having girded your loins with truth” refers to obeying the Word of truth, which is analogous to the Roman soldier fastening his belt around himself and which belt held his armor together.
“Having put on the breastplate of righteousness” refers to taking possession of by faith the imputed, positional righteousness you received at the moment of salvation.
Ephesians 6:15, “and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
“Having shod your feet with preparation of the gospel of peace” refers to taking possession of by faith the peace with God that became yours forever when you accepted the gospel message to believe in Christ as Savior and is analogous to the Roman soldier strapping on his combat boots.
Ephesians 6:16, “in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.”
“Taking up the shield of faith” refers to resting in your position in Christ in order to fend off the attacks of the kingdom of darkness and is analogous to the Roman solider crouching behind his large door shape shield to fend off the flaming missiles of the barbarians.
Ephesians 6:17, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
“Take the helmet of salvation” refers to taking possession of by faith the deliverance from the kingdom of darkness, which is yours because of your union with Christ and is analogous to the Roman soldier putting on his helmet.
“Take…the sword of the Spirit” refers to applying specific passages of the Word of God, which is alive and powerful in order to stave off the attacks of Satan and is analogous to the Roman soldier taking hold of his machaira, a dagger like sword that gave the Roman military superiority over the barbarians.
Ephesians 6:18, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”
“Prayer” refers to reverential prayer in the presence of the Father meaning we are to worship the Father in prayer, which is adoring contemplation of God as He has been revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Person of Christ and in the Scriptures.
“Petition” refers to making a petition or prayer for a specific need, whether spiritual or material and which is in accordance with the will of the Father.
“At all times” means that the Ephesian believers were to make it their habit to pray “at each and every opportunity.”
“In the Spirit” denotes that the Ephesian believers were to pray while in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, which is accomplished by being obedient to the voice of the Spirit, which is heard through the communication of the Word of God.
“With this in view” indicates the “goal” or “purpose” or “why” the Ephesian believers were to pray.
“Be on the alert” is the verb agrupneo, which means “to keep alert” and thus denotes the concept of watchfulness in prayer for oneself and your fellow Christian soldier.
“With all perseverance and petition” indicates that the manner in which the Ephesian believers were to stay alert in prayer was that they were to persevere in making their specific detailed requests to the Father.
“For all the saints” indicates the Ephesian believers were to make it a habit to stay alert in prayer with regards to all believers since all believers are fellow soldiers and who fight for the same Sovereign, the Lord Jesus, and have the same common enemy, namely, Satan.
Prayer is an invisible weapon that God the Father has provided for the soldier of Christ Jesus, which when utilized in accordance with the will of God as revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God, enables the believer to experience spiritual victory over the kingdom of darkness in spiritual combat (Eph. 6:18).