THE L.I.F.E. PLAN GOD SCATTERS BLOCK 1. THEME 9 - BABEL LESSON 4 (36 of 216)

Transcription

1 THE L.I.F.E. PLAN GOD SCATTERS THEME 9 - BABEL LESSON 4 (36 of 216)

2 THEME 9: BABEL LESSON 4 (36 OF 216): GOD SCATTERS LESSON AIM: The migration of people began at Babel and continues today. SCRIPTURE: (Genesis 11:5-9) 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. God has always wanted man to fill the earth with righteous people with whom he could enjoy fellowship. This was God s original command to man from the very beginning. By the time Noah was on earth, only the ninth generation from Adam through the line of Seth, man had become so wicked and had strayed so far from the purpose of God, that God had to destroy man and start over. He saved eight people, brought them through the flood, and gave the responsibility to repopulate the earth with righteous people with whom God could enjoy fellowship. God s on-going command to them was to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, just as it was to Adam. In fact, this is still God s command to man today. Today, we call it the Great Commission. As it was with the people before the great flood, so it was with the people who multiplied after the flood. They rebelled against God s plan to fill the earth with righteous people, who would live according to God s purpose. We first see this rebellion in the direction in which they traveled in our focal passage. They journeyed from the east. In the Bible, looking eastward is to look toward God. To journey from the east is to turn the back to God and go in the opposite direction away from him. This going away from God is also seen in man s devotion to himself rather than to God. They wanted to make a name for themselves by building a city and a tower to represent the created heavens instead of the God who created the heavens. Man s determination to rebel against God is seen in his determination to directly disobey the clear command God had given to him. They built the tower in an attempt to keep from obeying God s command. Their expressed intention was to prevent themselves from being scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. This mindset was the counter purpose to the purpose of God for man. Naturally, when man disobeys God, there are consequences to pay. God s judgement fell upon man at Babel. The effects of it are still felt around the world, even now in the twenty-first century. God came down to survey the situation. He saw what man was doing, how it was against his purpose, and where it would lead if they were allowed to continue. He summarized that if they were allowed to complete this project, it would give them the confidence in themselves to not be reluctant to try anything at all that they imagined in their hearts to do against God. God brought his judgement upon mankind at Babel insomuch that they left off to continue to build the city.

3 In response to man s rebellion at Babel, God did two things. First, he confounded their language. To this point in history, all men had spoken the same tongue. After the judgement of God fell upon them, they were not able to understand each other s speech. They could no longer communicate their wicked intentions among the mass. Today, there are some 7,000 languages spoken throughout the world. The second thing God did in judgement upon mankind at Babel was to scatter them upon the face of the earth. This caused them to give up on the effort to build their city which was devoted to rebellion against God. They gathered into groups which spoke the same language, and they began to move about to different places upon the earth. Let us note a great lesson in life at this point. God has ways to see to it that man fulfills his purpose. The best way is simply for man to obey God and to do what he wants us to do. When this does not happen, God has to do other things to cause man to do what he wants. Of course, the man does not like it, and may even continue to rebel against it, but the purpose of God is going to be done in the earth, one way or another. Tiny little man is in no way ever going to ultimately be able to thwart the purpose of almighty God. We can save ourselves a lot of grief and disappointment in life if we will learn and live by this lesson. The world today is still feeling the judgement of God at Babel. At Babel, God set into motion the migration of people around the earth. They began to move at Babel, and they continue to move today. It is estimated today that 200 million people are on the move around the earth at any given time. These are not travelers but people who are migrating from one place to another. The United States of America is a result of this movement as the USA is a self-proclaimed nation of immigrants. Much is in the news today about the negative effects of migration throughout the world, particularly in Europe with the Syrian refugee crisis, and at the southern border of the United States. We should make the connection of the present day migration of people with the judgement of God which fell at Babel. Many things can cause people to move from place to place: war, famine, injustice, persecution, or the desire to seek a better life. Whatever the reason people move, their movement is ultimately due to the fact that God set migration into motion at Babel, it continues today, and it is unstoppable. No matter how many laws a nation may pass to prevent illegal immigration, people are still going to move. Some will work through the long process of migrating legally. Others will continue to move and settle illegally, as they have always done. There is no way to stop this movement that God himself set into motion. What does the migration of people have to do with the church today? God wanted Israel to share the good news of salvation through the Christ with all peoples of the world, but they refused to do it. God took the opportunity to do this from Israel and gave it to the church. Not only did he command the church to go to where people are around the globe, but he is also bringing the people of the world to our doorsteps through migration. God fully intends for his followers to be global witnesses of his Christ. Migration is a tool that God is using to aid us in being his witnesses. If we, like Israel, refuse to obey his commandment, we too can lose the opportunity to join him in his work of global evangelization. Many dying and dead churches dot our landscape as a testimony to this fact. The nations are on the move. There is no stopping this movement. As believers, we must obey our Lord s commandment to turn them into disciples of Christ. God is bringing the world to us through migration. If we will not witness to them as he brings them to us, perhaps he may scatter us to where they are that we might be his witness. Either way, the purpose of God is going to be done. Better to obey God s purpose through obedience than through his judgement.

4 LESSON OUTLINE THEME 9: BABEL LESSON 4 (36 OF 216): GOD SCATTERS I GOD S COMMANDMENT A. God s original command B. God s on-going command II MAN S REBELLION (v1-4) A. His direction (v2) B. His devotion (v4a) C. His determination (v4b) III GOD S JUDGEMENT (v5-9) A. God s survey (v5) B. God s summary (v6) C. God s Sentence (v7-9) 1. He confounded their language (v7) 2. He scattered them upon the earth (v8-9) a. Migration was set in motion b. Migration continues today c. Migration is unstoppable SCRIPTURES TO BROADEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING 1. The Great Commission Genesis 1:28 Matthew 28:18-20 Acts 1:8 2. The gospel to the Gentiles Acts LINES OF THEOLOGICAL CONNECTION 1. THE DOCTRINE OF GOD God s purpose in the world in Christ God s purpose will be done The judgement of God 2. ANTHROPOLOGY Migration 3. ECCLESIOLOGY Evangelism Disciple-making

5 QUESTIONS ANSWER KEY 1. List the two things God did in judgement upon mankind at Babel. Confounded their language; scattered them upon the earth 2. What was the immediate result of the judgement of God at Babel? The people left off building the city 3. How does this judgement of God effect how the church works today? We have to learn languages to share the gospel; we have to minister to those people God brings to us 4. List the three things stated in the lesson about migration. God set migration into motion; Migration continues today; Migration is unstoppable 5. How many people are on the move around the world at any given time? 200 million 6. Have you made friends with anyone who has migrated here from another country? Student response 7. What consideration can we give to those people who migrate within our country? Student response 8. Do you have any idea for ministry among the migrating? Student response

6 THEME 9: BABEL LESSON 4 (36 OF 216): GOD SCATTERS QUESTIONS TO INSPIRE THOUGHT 1. List the two things God did in judgement upon mankind at Babel. 2. What was the immediate result of the judgement of God at Babel? 3. How does this judgement of God effect how the church works today? 4. List the three things stated in the lesson about migration. 5. How many people are on the move around the world at any given time? 6. Have you made friends with anyone who has migrated here from another country? 7. What consideration can we give to those people who migrate within our country? 8. Do you have any idea for ministry among the migrating?