Genesis Chapter 11
This chapter of the Bible is not so much about building a tower or the
capabilities of man. It is about the
corruption of man’s nature.
When Adam chose to disobey God in the Garden of Eden, he immediately
brought upon himself and the entire human race both spiritual and physical death
(Genesis 2:17; Romans 3:23; 5:12; 6:23).
The resident sin-nature is
passed on down through the blood line of the male to every human throughout
history, except Christ Jesus who was born of a virgin without the involvement
of a human male.
The sin nature is the center of
man’s rebellion toward God and is variously designated in Scripture as “sin” (a
singular noun—Rom. 7:13), “flesh” (Gal.5:16), and “old man” (Eph. 4:22).
Whereas the lost person has no resident power to do other than succumb
to his sin nature, the saved person has the ability to choose (or yield to) the
Holy Spirit within himself to overcome it.
Chapter 11:1-4
The Bible here utilizes two distinctly different Hebrew words to
describe the process of communication of the entire human race at this time in
history. One is dabar, which may mean
“the content of what is being communicated” (the mind-set); and the other is sepheth, which is also translated “lip”
or “language” and refers to the actual linguistic signs, symbols and words
utilized in such communication. So not only did man at this stage of his
development use the same language, but all humans were of one accord in their
intent and purpose upon earth.
In Genesis 9:1, God commanded those who were saved from the Flood to
disperse and populate the entire earth. In direct opposition to God’s explicit
direction, they chose to stay together in their “comfort zone.”
The Tower of Babel Outlined:
1. All
nations unite to use technology (bricks) to build a big city.
2. They
build a tower, ostensibly to reach to the gods.
3. God
knows that this city will be a nightmare.
4. In His mercy, God
scatters the people.
The people decided to build a grand tower, which is commonly called the
“Tower of Babel.” They apparently did this in order to establish their
self-identity, to set themselves apart and to demonstrate their pride in
themselves—to “make a name” for themselves.
The tower of Babel was a great
human achievement, a wonder of the world. But it was a monument to the people
themselves rather than to God. We may build monuments to ourselves (expensive
clothes, big house, fancy car, important job) to call attention to our
achievements
Genesis 11:5-9
God confused their language in order that they could no longer understand each other and scattered them over the entire earth.
The provision of languages (“tongues”) at Pentecost (Acts 2:5-11) was a
reverse of the confusion of languages at Babel.
When God’s Word is proclaimed, He promotes union, understanding and
order.
Today, mankind is once again attempting to come together as one race (via the
United Nations, the European Union and other agencies)
16. What is also significant in
this passage is the shortening of the life span of the human race, a natural result
of the curse placed not only on man but upon the earth, which now exposes man
to environmental effects that prove detrimental to his health. This shortening
of the life span is seen in the following life spans of those mentioned in this
passage.
Name Life span in years
Shem 600
Arphaxad 438
Salah 433
Eber 464
Peleg 239
Reu 139
Serug 230
Nahor 148
Terah 205
Genesis 11:29
The name “Abram,” in the Hebrew means “exalted father.” When his name
was changed to
“Abraham,” in chapter 17, its meaning is “father of a
multitude.”
Questions: What have you learned about the character of God in these passages?
What have you learned about God’s love for His creation?
What have you learned about His plan for its redemption?
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