SESSION 6. Scattered! God s purposes cannot be thwarted by humanity s best efforts. DAT E OF M Y B I BL E S T U DY: 2015 LifeWay

Transcription

1 SESSION 6 Scattered! God s purposes cannot be thwarted by humanity s best efforts. DAT E OF M Y B I BL E S T U DY: 61

2 THERE IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING ABOUT OUR SINFUL NATURE THAT DELIGHTS IN SELF-CENTERED PURSUITS. WITHIN A FEW GENERATIONS AFTER THE FLOOD, HUMANITY HAD ALREADY LOST SIGHT OF THE JUDGMENT THAT HAD WIPED EVERY LIVING THING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. People continued to disobey God and instead stubbornly determined to do things their own way. They pursued their own selfish ambitions and sought to find ways to make themselves famous. The builders of the Tower of Babel were certainly neither the first nor the last to insist on doing things their own way. There is certainly something about our sinful nature that delights in self-centered pursuits, in doing things the way we want to do them. Life ultimately is about the choices we make and whether we give any consideration to God and His purposes. 62 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS

3 GENESIS 11:1-9 1 At one time the whole earth had the same language and vocabulary. 2 As people migrated from the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, Come, let us make oven-fired bricks. They used brick for stone and asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth. 5 Then the Lord came down to look over the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The Lord said, If they have begun to do this as one people all having the same language, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another s speech. 8 So from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babylon, for there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth, and from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. Think About It Observe all the instances of the words us and we in the passage. What do these words suggest about the attitude of the people who settled in Shinar? Session 6: SCATTERED! 63

4 UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT Genesis 10:1 11:9 God charged Noah s three sons and their wives with the responsibility of multiplying and populating the earth. The descendants of Noah s sons are listed in Genesis 10, a passage often called The Table of Nations. This list includes the descendants of Japheth (Gen. 10:2-5), the descendants of Ham (vv. 6-20), and the descendants of Shem (vv ). Nimrod, the father of the Babylonian civilization, was a descendant of Ham while the Hebrew people are descendants of Shem. Babylon would become the enemy of God s people. For several generations after the flood, all of the people in the world spoke the same language. Many people chose to settle in the cities of Nimrod in the land of Shinar. Those who settled in the place that later came to be called Babylon decided to build an impressive tower. This tower was a symbol of their arrogance and rebellion against God. While God intended for Noah s descendants to spread across the earth and repopulate the planet, they tried to circumvent God s plan by staying in one place. The tower builders utilized available natural resources to fashion the bricks that would enable them to build a tower so high that the world would take notice. God, however, took notice and concluded that if the people built their tower they would become emboldened to pursue other projects apart from Him. He therefore confused the language of the people, which resulted in their being scattered throughout the earth. After the account of the tower, Shem s genealogy is repeated and expanded to include his descendants leading up to Abram. Abram, later known as Abraham, became the father of the Jewish nation. Beginning with Abraham, the Bible tells the story of God s interaction with this man and his descendants. The Messiah, whose coming was foretold in Genesis 3:15, was a descendant of Abraham. 64 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS

5 EXPLORE THE TEXT UNITED BY A SINFUL PURPOSE (Gen. 11:1-4) 1 At one time the whole earth had the same language and vocabulary No other part of the created world has the power of speech as humans do. We use language to express thoughts and ideas, to forge friendships, and even to communicate with future generations. Differences in language can create barriers, suspicion, and even separation. We don t know what language Adam and Eve spoke or if eventually more than one language was spoken before the flood. However, for several generations after the flood, the whole earth was of one language, essentially the language that Noah and his family had spoken. 2 As people migrated from the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. As the descendants of Noah multiplied, they also began to migrate from the east. Nimrod, one of Noah s descendants, apparently led many people to settle in the land of Shinar. Nimrod was, undoubtedly, an extremely influential man whose fame endured for many generations. Micah, the Old Testament prophet, later referred to the land of Assyria as the land of Nimrod (Mic. 5:6). Nimrod s name means we shall rebel an appropriate moniker since he influenced many to settle in his city rather than to obey God s command to scatter and fill the earth. What other examples can you think of in Scripture where one person swayed a large group to follow or disobey God? What do these examples teach us about the power of influence? 3 They said to each other, Come, let us make oven-fired bricks. They used brick for stone and asphalt for mortar. Those who migrated to Shinar were determined to build a city with an impressive tower as its defining feature. The scarcity of stones in the area did not deter the people from their building project. Instead, they made oven-fired bricks from materials readily available. The adobe-type bricks commonly used at the time in simple home construction were made of mud and water mixed with a binding material and then sun-dried. However, the multi-story building project in Shinar was much more ambitious and required durable, oven-fired bricks. 4 And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth. Session 6: SCATTERED! 65

6 KEY DOCTRINE: Cooperation Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament. CHOOSING TO REJECT GOD S DIRECTIONS LEADS TO ADDITIONAL BAD CHOICES. The phrase let us is used twice in this verse and once in the previous verse, suggesting that the ambition of the people was egocentric. Their desire was to build for themselves a city and a tower. The people were filled with pride and intent on promoting their own fame rather than God s. They were united in their efforts. The passage gives no indication that any person tried to suggest that they consult God before proceeding. The tower is described as having its top in the sky. This was a structure of great height in relation to everything else around it. The tower was likely pyramidal with receding tiers and a flat top. The people thought that the presence of such a tower in their city would make them famous. They likely believed that their tower would serve as a landmark to attract others and to dissuade people from being scattered over the face of the earth. What structures today capture the admiration of people? How can the impressive nature of these structures mislead people into thinking that the greatness of man lies within himself? The tower was a religious structure. The height of the tower suggests a vain attempt at reaching heaven itself. This vanity is consistent with their desire to be like God. It was a place where people hoped to make a connection with the gods or goddesses they worshiped. The tower is an indication that in the few short generations after the flood, humanity had again wandered far from God and neglected to worship Him alone. Choosing to reject God s directions leads to additional bad choices. What dangers exist when making plans that ignore God or His purposes? Which danger would you rank as the greatest? Explain. REVIEWED BY GOD (Gen. 11:5) 5 Then the Lord came down to look over the city and the tower that the men were building. The people who settled in Shinar decided to construct the city and the tower without God s approval. Their plans and construction activity did not go unnoticed. The Lord, in fact, took an interest in what they were doing and came down to see. The expression 66 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS

7 came down is a human way of describing the involvement of God in the matter. God, of course, is all-knowing and did not need to come down in order to see what was going on. The city and the tower that seemed so great in the people s eyes were not great in God s eyes. When we lose sight of how big God is, it becomes easier for us to see our own accomplishments as bigger than they actually are. Our pride always grows in direct proportion to the distance between us and God. Do you believe an awareness of accountability to God would have impacted the efforts of the people of Shinar? How does that awareness impact what people do today? God came down to look at the tower and, more importantly, to hold the people accountable for engaging in this prideful initiative without His approval and without regard for Him. This was one of many occasions in the Scriptures that illustrates the truth that pride goes before destruction (see Prov. 16:18). SCATTERED BY CONFUSION (Gen. 11:6-9) 6 The Lord said, If they have begun to do this as one people all having the same language, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. God was concerned about humanity s inclination to pursue its own ambitions without regard for Him. With a common language to unite them and to facilitate communication, the people were poised to fulfill whatever evil purposes they desired. Filled with pride, they were intent on building a civilization that did not acknowledge God. Humanity was on a slippery slope that would plunge mankind into deeper rebellion against God. God chose to intervene. He frustrated their plans for moving even farther away from Him. 7 Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another s speech. 8 So from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city. God finally had enough and decided to go down and deal with the rebellion. He was not interested in destroying the people but in Session 6: SCATTERED! 67

8 BIBLE SKILL: Use a Bible atlas and Bible dictionary (either print or online version) to locate and learn about places mentioned in Scripture. Find the location of the ancient city of Babel, or Babylon, in a Bible atlas. (Check the atlas index or search on the Internet.) Then use a Bible dictionary to learn more about the early history of Babylon. Find the same area on a map of the modern world. How do events in this area today reflect the continuation of the rebellion against God described in Genesis 11? keeping the people from destroying themselves by establishing a way of life that excluded Him. Rather than destroying the tower, God instead intervened by confusing the language of the people so that the builders could not understand one another s speech. The inability to communicate with one another brought the people s prideful project to a halt. The people had followed Nimrod to his cities in defiance of God s command to fill the earth. They did not want to be scattered but preferred instead to determine their own future. The Lord Himself, however, scattered them over the face of the whole earth. 9 Therefore its name is called Babylon, for there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth, and from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. The name of the place where these events took place came to be known as Babel or Babylon. Both terms come from the same Hebrew word. The city of Babylon eventually became a great empire, one that troubled the people of God for generations. Babylon also became a symbol of defiance against God. The word Babel originally meant the gate of the gods. The people thought that their great building enterprise would connect them with alleged deities other than the God who had created them. The word, however, came to mean confusion to commemorate what God did when He confused the language of the whole earth. God is able to ultimately bring good things out of seemingly difficult situations. How have you seen God use the gospel to bring unity among people? Centuries later, God reversed the confusion of languages on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit enabled believers to speak the gospel in different tongues (Acts 2:4,11). That word tongues does not refer to ecstatic or unintelligible utterances, but rather to known languages and dialects previously unknown to those speaking them. The people of various nationalities (vv. 8-11) who were present at Pentecost clearly understood what was being spoken. Today, many people groups are still waiting to read or hear the gospel in their own native languages. Through the initiatives of missionaries and Bible translators, more people are learning of the wonders of God and of His love for them. 68 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS

9 OBEY THE TEXT Humans are capable of taking what God provides and twisting it into an act of disobedience. God holds groups and individuals responsible for their actions. His ultimate purpose will be carried out in spite of humanity s counter-efforts. Identify who influences you. Consider how their influence impacts your obedience to Christ. Discuss ways the group can have a greater Christ-honoring influence on other members. List ways you are tempted to build your own tower or monument to yourself. What steps can you take to stay focused on honoring Christ? Reflect on the truth that God holds you responsible for your obedience to Him. How does this truth change your plans for the next week? How can you best be reminded of this truth? Identify actions to take based upon your reflection time and response to these questions. MEMORIZE And from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. Genesis 11:9b Session 6: SCATTERED! 69

10 Use the space provided to make observations and record prayer requests during the group experience for this session MY THOUGHTS Record insights gained and questions to discuss during the group experience. MY PRAYERS List specific prayer needs and answers to remember this week. MY MISSION Acknowledge ways you will obey God s Word this week. 70 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS