The Tower Of Babel Series

Alpha and Omega, Part 15

The Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1-9

Introduction

- 2023 has been led with “one purpose”: To know there is a God!

-- Continuing our series, “Alpha and Omega”; examining the beginning to the end

- Last time (Gen 9) we discussed the aftermath of the great flood

-- Re: The annihilation of all life on Earth, except for Noah & his family

- Saw that sin weakened our ability to manage the earth (due to corruption)

-- FACT: Our sin ruined our destiny & ability to have sovereignty over the Earth

-- We do have some authority, but it is not how we were orig. created

-- Yes, we have life - but it is to be lived differently than how God intended

-- Very imp that we understand this: Sin changed everything about life

- Saw that God also established law and order for mankind – 1st: to protect life

-- He sets up one of the governing principles of living that preserves life

-- Re: If you take a life, you shall lose your life also … still in effect today

- We also saw God establish a new covenant w/ man, while affirming His orig. one

-- The covenant said that world will not be flooded again because of 1st covenant

-- Re: promise to send a redeemer to rescue all of mankind (Gen 3:15)

-- The covenant of the ages: Someone else will have to come and rescue you

- God’s covenant with Noah is our covenant as well … we will be saved also!

- This morning, we are going to look at a global rebellion to God’s instructions

-- I would encourage you to pay special attention to this today (teaching)

-- APP: We must see ourselves in this scripture and be encouraged also

-- It is in our understanding of how we are that we have opportunity to change

- Let’s dive in and read our passage for today … Read Genesis 11:1-9 / Pray

Point 1 – Mankind is at it again!

- The first thing we see following the flood and Earth’s repopulation is UNITY

-- We see there is common language; a common focus; and a common peace

- The people settled in a land called Shinar, located in Mesopotamia (MAP)

-- For reference: it’s in the valleys between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

-- The region is now home to modern-day Iraq, Kuwait, Turkey and Syria

- So far, this seems extremely picturesque and a great place to live

-- Of course, it’s not the Garden of Eden; but its civilized and is harmonious

- Don’t miss this … this civilized community gets 2 verses of scripture …

-- And then they absolutely trample living for God and decide to go it alone!

- (v3) Can you just imagine the arrogance of the people living here?

-- These were a people just loaded with themselves; and destined to rebel; why?

- They took it upon themselves to decide what their next course should be

-- Not pray to God, not sacrifice/offering and go to Him in worship; just “DO!”

- Naturally, making bricks is not the problem; brick is still used today

-- Notice the key words in v4 and v5 (and see they really lay it on thick):

-- “come, let us”; “ourselves”; “we”; “ourselves”; “we will be …”

-- There is so much self-pride that the results of it must’ve been a stench to Heaven

- The brashness here is NOT that they would want to build to worship God

-- APP: They’ve decided they should build a tower to make themselves known

-- They wanted fame, recognition, reputation, honor, and glory for themselves

-- It is the ultimate ego trip: “Let’s show everyone how great we are!”

- Their intention is simple: Let’s exalt ourselves and marvel at our majesty!

- Yet, they seem to have forgotten what God’s command was for them:

-- They were commanded (Gen 9:1) to subdue the earth and live on it for God

-- But their drive now is to show everyone how glorious / able they are

- We must examine why they are building to understand their thought process

-- Notice there is no mention of God in any of this, just “we are going to do this”

- This building is commonly agreed upon as a religious center (center of town, etc.)

-- It would have stood as a monument to everyone around: “look at us”

-- Hebrew: migdal; a tower

-- Hebrew: rosh; head or the top

-- Hebrew: shamayim; heaven

- In essence, their intent is to build a tower that reaches into the heavens

-- NOT literally TO Heaven … else why start on a plateau and not a mountain?