Stories of the Saints Digging Deeper

Sons of Noah and the Tower of Babel

Introduction
During the next few weeks in this series, its going to be very clear that this is a 50,000 foot series. That is, the view during this series is from 50,000 feet up; we are only able to get a sense of the big picture. Especially on Sunday mornings, we will only be able to deal with a snapshot of the main points, and will need to fly by some very good things in the details. Even in these pages, we wont be able to see all the amazing details in these stories. So over the next few weeks, read through these chapters in Genesis multiple times. As you read His Word, God will speak to you through it, and youll start to see some of these details that give the stories such richness, depth, and meaning not only for those in these stories, but for us here today. This week we consider the generations following Noah, beginning with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and culminating with those who propose to build a tower to the heavens.

Digging Deeper: The Continuing Mysteries of the Trinity and Gods Presence on Earth Before Jesus Was Born
The incident at Babel is also most interesting because of the questions it raises about the nature of God, and how exactly His presence happened in Old Testament times. Genesis 11:7 says that the Lord said Let us go down Why the use of the plural us? We also see this language in the creation account (Gen. 1:26). Christians have always understood that there is One God in Three Persons Father, Son and Holy Spirit yet exactly how these Persons interact and exist is a mystery. Though the word Trinity is not a Biblical word, it has come to describe the Biblical reality that God is One-in-Three, Three-in-One. This is a uniquely Christian teaching, and is one of the foundations of the Christian faith. It is also a mystery how God manifests Himself on earth before the birth of Jesus. Yet Scripture records many instances of gods presence on earth, especially in these beginning chapters of creation: in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:8), in conversations with Cain (4:1-16) and Noah (Gen. 6-8, especially that God smelled the pleasing aroma of Noahs offering in Gen. 8:21), this incident of Babel (Gen: 11:7), and, as we shall see in coming weeks, multiple times in the life of Abraham. Questions and mystery abound in all of this. Yet there is no doubt about the truth of the matter: God manifests Himself where, when, and how He chooses. And those who believe in Him as the Triune God accept this mystery as part of the reality that He is God and we are not.

The Genealogies
A genealogy is essentially the trunk of the family tree. It is a list of generations, and they are plentiful in Scripture. They play an important role in Scripture, showing family lines and successions, which was important for the lines of kings. The most important genealogies are those of Jesus, given in Matthew and Luke. Interestingly, those two include different names, since they were written for different purposes Matthews to show biological lineage and Lukes to show legal lineage. Genealogies often were written in that time for specific purposes, and so would include different names and lines depending on the purpose. Genesis 10 and 11 is a genealogy of Noahs descendants, and serves as a picture of how the human race develops again after Noah, leading ultimately to Abram/Abraham. There is in the midst of the genealogy this curious incident of the tower of Babel. We can surmise that this took place in approximately the 5th or 6th generation after Noah, just before or during the life of Peleg (Gen. 10:25 tells us that his name means divided, probably a reference to the division that resulted from the Babel incident).

The Tower, and its Continuing Implications for Today

Ultimately, this account of the tower of Babel shows how easy it is to live in and to commit the sin of pride: rebelling against the will and glory of God in favour of our own will and our own glory. The world was united in language and thought, and what was their desire? To use that commonality to glorify God? No, it was to glorify themselves and make themselves comfortable. We are told that there were two primary purposes for the tower: to make a name for themselves and not to be scattered over the earth (Gen. 11:4). The latter was a direct rebellion against the desire of God for them to multiply, scatter, and fill the earth (Gen 9:1-7). This was also the original desire of God for Adam and Eve (Gen. 1:28). The former was born out of pride: that same temptation that won over Eve and Adam through the deception of the serpent: that they would be like God.

Stories of the Saints Digging Deeper

These things have enormous implications even today. In our culture, we are surrounded by the glorification of self. It is becoming easier and easier to become well-known, and pride is not only tolerated in todays culture, it is probably our cultures number one virtue. Take a moment and think of all the ways you are encouraged to be pride-full in our world. But also reflect on how that seems to be ingrained in us. And in the church, how easy is it to pursue our comfort instead of Gods desire? Think of the implications for outreach: shall we build a tower (read: church building) and hope that people come to us? Or do we gladly follow the commission of Jesus to His disciples, Go [literally as you are going think of that for a moment it is just a given that we are going] and make disciples of all nations [literally people groups, not necessarily political nations]? How easy is it to just want to set up our own towers, stay together, and get comfortable? Very easy. (This also brings to mind the Transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17. Verse 4 tells us that Peter wanted to build tents for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, and just stay up on the mountain.) But Gods call for His people is this: go. This has profound implications for Christians and congregations. Yes, its easy to want to stay. Its easy to want bigger and better. But if Gods call is to go, what does that look like for us here in Campbell River in 2011? This is a question that needs to be asked. Spend some time praying about the question and talking about it with others this week.

Gods Continuing Grace

At the end of the account of the tower, we see God confusing the language of the people and scattering them. Like Adam and Eves eviction from the Garden of Eden, it is tempting to see this purely as Gods judgment. But it is also grace. God can see the logical conclusion to the peoples sin, and He wishes to prevent that. How often have you seen this action of God in your life? Think of a time when you chose your own way, but God revealed that His way was not only right, but better for you in the end. Gods grace continues to abound to His people in Scripture: weve already seen many examples of His people turning away and God acting for their good. And it also continues to abound to His people today. Take some time this week to look for these evidences of Gods grace in your life. It is guaranteed they are there for the Christian; we only need receive eyes and hearts that are open to recognizing them. May God open your eyes and heart to see His grace at work in your life this week!