Sermon Tone Analysis

Pray

The desire of the people who settled in Shinar was to make a name for themselves.

“Come, let us build ourselves a city so that may make a name for ourselves.”

The word for name is Shem.

The people said they want to make a name for themselves.

Is does mean name, but additionally it carries the connotation of renown, fame, well-known reputation.

The people where not simply seeking prosperity in this region.

They wanted to be renown and well-known to others.

They wanted to be credited with success.

Like Josephus writing about Nimrod.

The people of this region wanted to gain the praise from others.

This desire to make a name of renown for themselves was in direct opposition to the directive of God.

Remember God stated after the flood that the people were to go out and fill the earth making known the mercy and glory f God Himself.

We have here in Babel, a people who want the credit.

They want the fame.

Click #1

1.

The people of Babylon wanted to draw others unto themselves rather than promoting the knowledge of the eternal God.

This is why God took this act so seriously.

We have seen a couple of times thus far in Genesis, where God gave a directive, and the people blatantly disobeyed.

V.3.

They made bricks for the tower that they intended to build instead of stone.

This is an interesting detail that I do not want to skip over.

It is subtle, but profound.

How are bricks made?

By human hands.

The fact that God places this detail in the text points to the intention of the people building the city and the tower.

They sought to do it by their own power.

They did not take stone to build the city, the formed bricks constructed by human hands.

Click #2

2. They chose bricks because they wanted every aspect of the building to suggest human ingenuity.

They wanted to cause wonder at the ability of mankind.

Babylon was a massive city.

The city was comparable to the modern day city of Washington D.C.

It was thought to be about 200 square miles.

It was surrounded by a wall made of brick.

The wall was thick enough to have chariots travel on top.

Likewise, the tower was massive.

The estimations for how tall the tower was vary.

7-8 stories high, roughly 300 ft

Other estimations that claim the tower was much higher than this.

The important point to remember is that it was built of brick.

It was conceived, constructed and completed due to the desire of humanity to make a name for itself.

I stated that the builders of the tower of babel chose to use bricks rather than stone.

This is an important realization.

Let’s look

I want to point out the word- Fieldstones

In the NIV the translators chose to use the word fieldstones to describe the type of stone.

Other translations use the word whole, uncut, natural, unhewn stones.

Whatever word is used to describe the type of stone is inconsequential.

All of the various iterations are based upon a Hebrew word we will learn in a moment.

The point I want you to remember is that Moses is telling the people to build an altar with natural stones.

He makes an effort to instruct them not to use bricks

He also says do not alter the stones in any way.

The stones were to be whole, natural and complete.

Moses instructs the people to set the stones up as a reminder.

This account takes place after the people of Israel entered the land.

They began to conquer the land as God had instructed them.

They defeated Jericho.

In this specific account, they were victorious over the city of AI.

Joshua builds an altar to serve as a reminder of the Lord’s provision.

Joshua builds an altar of uncut stones.

Does not matter what word was translated to use to describe the stones, it is based on the same Hebrew word we talked about earlier.

Joshua built an alter made of natural stone not bricks.

The text in this account describes the building of the Temple.

Solomon completed the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Look at verse 7

The stone that was to be used for the construction of the Temple was quarried, but when it was brought into Temple mount, no tools was allowed to touch it.

The word again to describe the type of stone used for the construction of the Temple is the same Hebrew word we have been talking about.

They were to construct the Temple with whole, natural stone, or at least as natural as possible after the stone was quarried.

The word for stone is eben.

We talked about this word before.

But the specific type of stone that I have been working to bring to your understanding is an uncut, whole natural stone.

These are all English words used to describe the stones.

Click #3

3. The word used to describe the stones in constructing an altar or the Temple in Hebrew is the word Salem.

It should sound familiar.

The city that is called the apple of God’s eye has this word embedded with in its name.

Jerusalem.

City of Peace.

More specifically teaching of peace

לֵם (šā·lēm): adj.; ≡ Str 8003; TWOT 2401d—1.

LN 68.22–68.33

completely, fully, richly, i.e., pertaining to what is fully accomplished (Ge 15:16; Ru 2:12+); 2. LN 21.9–21.13

safe, i.e., pertaining to not being in danger (Ge 33:18+); 3. LN 34.1–34.21

friendly, i.e., pertaining to being in a relatively close association, personal or governmental (Ge 34:21; Na 1:12+); 4. LN 72.12–72.22

accurate, i.e., pertaining to that which is true to an accepted norm or standard (Dt 25:15; Pr 11:1+); 5. LN 59.23–59.34

whole, i.e., pertaining to the totality of a collection (Am 1:6, 9; Dt 27:6; Jos 8:31; 1Ki 6:7+), note: in context, refers to towns, and whole, uncut stone; 6. LN 25.33–25.58

fully devoted, i.e., have a great love and zeal, implying obedience (1Ki 8:61; 11:4; 15:3, 14; 2Ki 20:3; 1Ch 12:39[EB 38]; 28:9; 29:9, 19; 2Ch 15:17; 16:9; 19:9; 25:2; Isa 38:3+), note: some sources parse 2Ch 8:16 as 8966

8970 III.

שָׁלֵם (šā·lēm): n.pr.; ≡ Str 8004;—LN 93-place (loc.)

Salem: town or area over which Melchizedek was king, in some contexts possibly related to Jerusalem (Ge 14:18; Ps 76:3[EB 2]+), see also 3731

8971 IV. שָׁלֵם (šā·lēm): v.—1.

LN 34.1–34.21

(qal) be at peace, i.e., be in an agreement of relationship between parties, with a focus that there is a lack of hostility, and a possible implication of relationship or affection (Job 22:21; Ps 7:5[EB 4]+), note: this can refer to political, religious, or personal agreements; note: for a focus on peaceful behavior, see also domain LN 88.102–88.104;

(qal pass.)

peaceful (2Sa 20:19+), note: for another parsing as an adjective, see 8971.5; (hif) make peace, make a treaty of peace (Dt 20:12; Jos 10:1, 4; 11:19; 2Sa 10:19; 1Ki 22:45[EB 44]; 1Ch 19:19; Pr 16:7+); (hof) live in peace (Job 5:23+); 2. LN 25.68–25.79

(pual) committed, devoted, formally, be in a covenant of peace, i.e., pertaining to a feeling or attitude of devotion and earnestness to an object, as a figurative extension of being in a treaty of peace with another (Isa 42:19+)

Salem is often translated peace.

But it also carries the meaning, depending on the context

Click #4