Fall and Result #5
- Sermon By: William Subash
- Categories: Fall, Result, Redemption, and Restoration
Bible Passage: Genesis 11:1-9
I. Traces of the Gospel in the previous passages
I. Traces of the Gospel in the previous passages
1. Gen 3:9: The Lord God called Adam, “Where are you?”
2. Gen 3:15: … her offspring will attack your head
3. Gen 3:21: The Lord God made garments from skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them
4. Gen 4:25: She named him Seth, saying, “God has given me another child”
5. Gen 6:8: Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord
6. Gen 7:1 The Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark
7. Gen 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth
2. Gen 3:15: … her offspring will attack your head
3. Gen 3:21: The Lord God made garments from skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them
4. Gen 4:25: She named him Seth, saying, “God has given me another child”
5. Gen 6:8: Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord
6. Gen 7:1 The Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark
7. Gen 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth
II. Text
The Babel incident needs to be understood in the background of God’s pronouncement of blessings in the previous passages
1. Gen 1:28 God blessed Adam and Eve “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it”
2. Gen 9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth’” (cf. Gen 9:7)
3. God’s plan is that Adam’s generation will spread across the world and take care of God’s creation
III. Verse 1: After the flood, all [the descendants of Noah] spoke one language—“one lip and one word”
IV. Verse 2: People moved “eastward”—eastward from Mount Ararat (the narrator appears to tell something about “eastward”)
2. Gen 9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth’” (cf. Gen 9:7)
3. God’s plan is that Adam’s generation will spread across the world and take care of God’s creation
III. Verse 1: After the flood, all [the descendants of Noah] spoke one language—“one lip and one word”
IV. Verse 2: People moved “eastward”—eastward from Mount Ararat (the narrator appears to tell something about “eastward”)
1. Gen 3:24 When he drove the man out, he placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life
2. Gen 4:16 So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden
3. Gen 11:2 When the people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there
4. Gen 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled toward the east
5. For the narrator, all ungodly behaviors happen in “east” or “eastward”
V. Verse 2: they found a plane in Shinar
2. Gen 4:16 So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden
3. Gen 11:2 When the people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there
4. Gen 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled toward the east
5. For the narrator, all ungodly behaviors happen in “east” or “eastward”
V. Verse 2: they found a plane in Shinar
1. Shinar is “Babylon”
2. The Bible juxtaposes Babylon and Jerusalem, in which Babylon is portrayed as a city that is in rebellion towards God
3. God desired that Adam and his generation fill the earth and take care of it for Him, but the desire of the people who migrated to Shinar was different from God’s desire
4. But they wanted to be settled and pursue their own agenda in a complete rebellion of God’s agenda for their life (the default instinct in man is to rebel against God, a desire not to do the will of God)
2. The Bible juxtaposes Babylon and Jerusalem, in which Babylon is portrayed as a city that is in rebellion towards God
3. God desired that Adam and his generation fill the earth and take care of it for Him, but the desire of the people who migrated to Shinar was different from God’s desire
4. But they wanted to be settled and pursue their own agenda in a complete rebellion of God’s agenda for their life (the default instinct in man is to rebel against God, a desire not to do the will of God)
a. Verse 2: “they said to one another”
b. Verse 2: Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly
c. Verse 4: Come, let’s build ourselves a city
d. Verse 4: … a tower with its top in the heavens
b. Verse 2: Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly
c. Verse 4: Come, let’s build ourselves a city
d. Verse 4: … a tower with its top in the heavens
5. Their goal was: “we may make a name for ourselves” (verse 4)
a. “Making a name of oneself” is not the objective of an individual
b. It is the work of God
b. It is the work of God
i. Gen 12:2 I will make you into a great nation
ii. Isa 60:15 I will make you a permanent source of pride and joy to coming generations
iii. Jer 33:3 I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about
ii. Isa 60:15 I will make you a permanent source of pride and joy to coming generations
iii. Jer 33:3 I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about
6. Their ultimate goal was not to subscribe to the plan of God but defy Him—“Otherwise we will be scattered across the face of the entire earth”
a. It’s a deliberate deviation from the plan of God (as good as Eve eating the fruit)
b. Self-reliance or independence from God—Gen 3:5 “you will be like divine beings who know good and evil” continue to dominate Adam’s generation
c. Desire to be great—Competing with God—“a tower with its top in the heavens” (Satan’s temptation and Eve’s desire continues in her seed)
d. Pride and self-reliance turned out to be their downfall
e. What they feared, i.e., being scattered, happened to them (Adam and Eve were sent out; Cain moved eastward, and now the people scattered all over the world)
VI. Verse 5 But the Lord came down
b. Self-reliance or independence from God—Gen 3:5 “you will be like divine beings who know good and evil” continue to dominate Adam’s generation
c. Desire to be great—Competing with God—“a tower with its top in the heavens” (Satan’s temptation and Eve’s desire continues in her seed)
d. Pride and self-reliance turned out to be their downfall
e. What they feared, i.e., being scattered, happened to them (Adam and Eve were sent out; Cain moved eastward, and now the people scattered all over the world)
VI. Verse 5 But the Lord came down
1. The contrast “but” changes the direction of the narrative—
2. “The LORD came down” is a direct contrast to “a tower with its top in the heaven”
3. i.e., the building they built can never touch the heavens, the abode of God
4. So, God comes down
VII. Verse 5 to see the city and the tower the people (sons of man) were building—It is the work of human, not gods
2. “The LORD came down” is a direct contrast to “a tower with its top in the heaven”
3. i.e., the building they built can never touch the heavens, the abode of God
4. So, God comes down
VII. Verse 5 to see the city and the tower the people (sons of man) were building—It is the work of human, not gods
1. Many buildings and organizations man (sons of humanity) builds, but has nothing to with God
2. What does not originate from God will not be useful for God’s purposes
VIII. Verse 7 God’s will need to prevail, so God confuses their language that their language, so they won’t be able to understand each other
2. What does not originate from God will not be useful for God’s purposes
VIII. Verse 7 God’s will need to prevail, so God confuses their language that their language, so they won’t be able to understand each other
1. This gives us theological reason for the existence of so many languages
2. When man refuses to do God’s will, He forces Him to do His will
3. Verse 8: the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth and they stopped building the city
2. When man refuses to do God’s will, He forces Him to do His will
3. Verse 8: the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth and they stopped building the city
Verse 9 the Lord scattered them across the face of the entire earth
IX. Verse 9 the place where they rebelled against God is “Babel” or “Babylon”
IX. Verse 9 the place where they rebelled against God is “Babel” or “Babylon”
1. Here is the climax of the account, a parody on the pride of Babylon (NET Bible)
2. In the Babylonian literature the name bab-ili meant “the gate of God,” but in Hebrew it sounds like the word for “confusion,” and so retained that connotation (NET Bible)
3. The name “Babel” (bavel) and the verb translated “confused” (balal) (NET Bible)
X. The children of Adam wanted to “make name for themselves” (Gen 11:4), but God scatters them
2. In the Babylonian literature the name bab-ili meant “the gate of God,” but in Hebrew it sounds like the word for “confusion,” and so retained that connotation (NET Bible)
3. The name “Babel” (bavel) and the verb translated “confused” (balal) (NET Bible)
X. The children of Adam wanted to “make name for themselves” (Gen 11:4), but God scatters them
1. God promises what these people wanted in Babel (cf. Gen 12:1-2)
2. Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you.
3. Gen 12:2 Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing
4. A person becoming big is not the work of the individual, but it is the work of God
XI. In Zephaniah 3:9-11, God says that this [Babel] situation is going to change
2. Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you.
3. Gen 12:2 Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing
4. A person becoming big is not the work of the individual, but it is the work of God
XI. In Zephaniah 3:9-11, God says that this [Babel] situation is going to change
1. 3:9 Know for sure that I will then enable the nations to give me acceptable praise. All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray and will worship him in unison. 3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, those who pray to me will bring me tribute. 3:11 In that day you will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me, for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast, and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill.
XII. To the original recipients, the narrator appears to say:
XII. To the original recipients, the narrator appears to say:
1. Man needs to work within the parameters of God’s bigger plan
2. In other words, God’s plan must be prioritized over their plan
3. The original sin from Adam and Eve has affected everyone, in which, man by default desires to rebel against God
4. Man’s greatness comes only when he advances God’s interest
5. There are times, God asserts His will when it is deliberately opposed
XIII. What God scattered in Babel, He gathered at the Pentecost (cf. Acts 2)!
2. In other words, God’s plan must be prioritized over their plan
3. The original sin from Adam and Eve has affected everyone, in which, man by default desires to rebel against God
4. Man’s greatness comes only when he advances God’s interest
5. There are times, God asserts His will when it is deliberately opposed
XIII. What God scattered in Babel, He gathered at the Pentecost (cf. Acts 2)!
1. 2:5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven residing in Jerusalem
2. 2:9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia,
3. 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,
4. 2:11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs
5. 2:8 And how is it that each one of us hears them in our own native language? … we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great deeds God has done
6. In Gen 11:5 we see the Lord coming down to confuse people’s language and scatter them when they ignored God’s plan for them
7. But, on the day of Pentecost, God the Holy Spirit came down on those who believed in the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus to equip them to fulfill God’s purposes
8. Which is, Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth
9. The Church exists to advance God’s interest and God’s interest alone!
Takeaway:
Yield to the Holy Spirit to advance God’s plan through your local church by not building your own plans
2. 2:9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia,
3. 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,
4. 2:11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs
5. 2:8 And how is it that each one of us hears them in our own native language? … we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great deeds God has done
6. In Gen 11:5 we see the Lord coming down to confuse people’s language and scatter them when they ignored God’s plan for them
7. But, on the day of Pentecost, God the Holy Spirit came down on those who believed in the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus to equip them to fulfill God’s purposes
8. Which is, Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth
9. The Church exists to advance God’s interest and God’s interest alone!
Takeaway:
Yield to the Holy Spirit to advance God’s plan through your local church by not building your own plans