We are finishing what most scholars call the PROLOGUE of Genesis today in Genesis 11, the Tower of Babel, and what we will see today is that PRIDE PRECEDES A FALL - over the summer, we have seen the power of sin, how it infected mankind and spread like wildfire.

ADAM (ch 3) – PERSON – KICKED OUT OF GARDEN

CAIN (Ch4) – FAMILY – LEFT TO WANDER EARTH

GENEALOGY (Chap 5, 10) – SOCIETY – FLOOD DESTROYED

BABEL (ch 11) – SIN ORGANIZING ITSELF – DISPERSION

Genesis 9:1 – Post-flood, God told Noah and family to increase and “fill the earth.”

Genesis 9:19 – From the three sons of Noah came the people who were “scattered over the whole earth.”

Genesis 10 chronicles the nations and languages that were developed  - Genesis 10:5 – the nations spread out each with their own language.

Genesis 10:31-32 – Clans, territories, nations and languages spread out over the whole earth.

So, from Genesis 9:1-10:32, we see the edict of God to fill the earth, and that multiple nations and languages were formed – why is this important? Because of Genesis 11:1.

V1 – “The whole world had one language and a common speech” – for two chapters, we see a picture of nations and languages spread over the earth, then, at the beginning of chapter 11, their speech is unified – we saw this in chapters 1 and 2, that chapter 1 showed us the “who” and result of creation, and chapter 2 filled in the details of the “how”, with different timelines.

Another example of this book not being written sequentially – the writer, believed to be Moses, tells us that God wanted the earth filled, that it was accomplished, but chapter 11 backtracks and gives us the “how”, and what we see is the GOD ACCOMPLISHES WHAT HE STARTS – He is a God of completion – Phil 1:9, James 1:2-4 – And we also see again, that God works around man’s disobedience – You can create your own plan, seek to build your own kingdom, but God will ultimately fulfill his purposes, with or without you.

V2 – People moved EASTWARD – interesting note – when Adam and EVE kicked out of garden, they were EAST of Eden, East of the glory and purposes of God – when Cain was punished by God, he left his presence and settled EAST of Eden – Organism of SIN causes people to settle AWAY FROM GOD – if you are living in unconfessed, habitual sin or rebellion from God, you will ultimately settle AWAY FROM GOD – Settled in SHINAR, which is understood to be the beginnings of BABYLON.

Back in Genesis 10:8-10, introduced to Noah’s great grandson Nimrod – mighty warrior and hunter that was a kingdom builder, the first “center of his kingdom” mentioned is BABYLON – What do we know about Babylon? In Greek, “gate of god” – throughout the Bible, is synonymous opposition to the rule of God, or worldly power vs. Godly power – in short, BABYLON is the false, or enemy, of God – Isaiah 13:19-22, Jeremiah 51:52-58 – Nation of Israel will be taken into captivity to Babylonians in 586BC and spent 70 years there in exile – and we see Babylon as a metaphor for the enemy of God in Revelation 17:5-6, Revelation 18:2-3 – so, here in Genesis 11, we see the beginnings of the nations settling AWAY FROM GOD, and pursuing the system of BABYLON.

V3 – “Let us make bricks…” – original hearers had the identity as brick makers, so super familiar to them – tar was used for mortar, but tar was also used as waterproofing when the ark was built – maybe they lacked trust in God’s promise to never flood the earth again?

V4 – Four things: Build OURSELVES a city, Build a tower the reached the heavens, Make a name for OURSELVES, Protect us from being scattered.

They built a city to protect themselves from being scattered – Fear-based decisions ALWAYS go south – horrible motivator – God told mankind to fill the earth, but mankind wanted to organize around themselves – this is a picture of comfort, security in the familiar – CRUISE SHIP VS AIRCRAFT CARRIER.

They also wanted to build a TOWER that reached the heavens to make a name for themselves – In ancient culture, would build towers to assert dominance, monuments to their POWER – Rulers of the day saw themselves as gods, and these towers would often be the perches on which the gods would dwell – this still goes on today, monuments, tall towers are built to assert dominance, with often those at the top of the food chain officing in the PENTHOUSE, atop the world – SYSTEM of BABYLON is alive and well.

One man said this: “The hatred of anonymity drives men to heroic feats of valor or long hours of drudgery; or it urges them to spectacular acts of shame or of unscrupulous self-preferment. In its worst forms it tempts men to give the honor and glory to themselves which properly belong to the name of God.”

What was their sin? Worldly power and glory over God’s power and glory – God said fill the earth, but they decided out of fear to band together and live in opposition to God – BABYLON was BORN

V5 – “The LORD came down…” – theme of the BIBLE – when Adam and EVE sinned, the LORD came down, when Cain committed murder, the LORD came down, when mankind was attempting to regroup in rebellion after the flood, the LORD came down – when mankind could not break the curse of sin and it was passed down from generation to generation, the LORD came down – John 1:14, he became flesh and made his dwelling among us in the person of JESUS – They were trying to ascend, but God descended

V6 – If they continue down this path, they will self-destruct AGAIN – “Nothing will be impossible for them” actually means that that no destructive decision will be impossible for them – no check, no balance, just sin organizing and growing to a self-destructive point

V7-8 – Created language barrier so they could no longer organize themselves – in Hebrew, word Babel means confusion, but such a picture of sin – it confuses us to the point that we are convinced that our way is better

V9 – The LORD scattered them over the earth – MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! What was God’s plan? To FILL THE EARTH – And what has happened? THE EARTH IS FILLED – interesting that v10-32 we find more genealogy, making this story even more compelling – the story of the scattering actually explains HOW the earth was filled, and how God worked OUTSIDE of their obedience to accomplish HIS PURPOSE – also shows that the seed of man was preserved from the flood, but the seed of sin still remained.

Close: How does this division of languages and nations serve God’s greater plan? Remember, everything that has happened since the garden in Genesis 2 has been stained by sin, so this is less than perfect – but God uses ALL THINGS for HIS GLORY and PURPOSES – here are three things to think about:

1. Every nation or person that sets itself against the purposes of God will ultimately be destroyed. Sin never wins in the long-run, and God is consistently playing the long game – Galatians 6:7-8, Hebrews 11:25 – pleasure of sin is temporary, but leads to destruction. Babylon, or the false kingdom, has a shelf life – Revelation 11:15 – The Kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of our LORD and HIS MESSIAH – YOUR WAY, the way of BABYLON, never wins in the end. 1 Corinthians 1:25, 1 Corinthians 3:19

2. Nations and languages actually serve as protection of man from himself. Again, God had a plan. We see in Revelation that man LOVED BABYLON until it could no longer provide luxuries – the sin of pride actually serves as protective force, with nations rattling their sabres – US and China over Taiwan, the West coalition vs Russia over Ukraine. National pride keeps man rising up against man, and keeps Babylon from completely taking over the earth. Isaiah 55:8-9

3. When our sin and brick-making causes us to try to build our way to the LORD, THE LORD CAME DOWN. Picture of Jesus, the cross, Acts 2:5-11, The HOLY SPIRIT descends and redeems Babel – still many languages, but spiritual understanding, so that JESUS FILLS THE EARTH - YOUR