Lessons from the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)

Lessons from the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)

 

1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech

2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 

4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 

6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 

7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 

9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

 

Intro)

1. The Book of Genesis in the Old Testament archives of some of the biggest events in history: The Creation, the fall of mankind, the Great Flood, and the focus of today’s sermon, the Tower of Babel. The events of the Tower of Babel have many lessons to teach us, even today.

 

The incidents of the Tower of Babel took place in what is now Iraq in a “plain in Shinar.” They formed and baked bricks to build the tower for 2 main reasons:  So that may make a name for themselves, and so they would not be scattered over the face of the earth.

 

If we refer to Genesis 10, we can deduce that these events took place 100 years after the Great Flood with Noah’s ark. Noah and his family repopulated the earth, and thus the whole world had one common language. But just why, exactly, was God so angry about the Tower of Babel?

 

Body)

 

A) The Tower of Babel was a direct declaration of rebellion against God.

 

Genesis 11:4, “And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”

 

There is a grave lesson in this verse. Building the actual tower was not the problem; it was their intent and motivation. As their hearts were turning away from God, the people built the tower to raise themselves and make a name for them.

 

They believed that they could do anything without God. It is God who decides whether or not they will be scattered, yet they made that decision themselves and did what they, as mere humans, thought they should do.

 

They built the tower for their own glory and not for God’s. They also built the tower so they would not be separated. God said to Noah in Genesis 9:1, “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”

 

Yet 100 years after the flood, mankind decided to ignore God’s message and live as they wished. They rebelled and disobeyed God. God told them to be fruitful and multiply, but they decided to stay together and went to the means of building a massive tower to ensure that.

 

Just how serious of a sin is it to rebel against God? 1 Samuel 15:23, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

 

This verse is from when God told Saul to wipe out all of the Amalekites, sparing no human or animal. But Saul disobeyed and allowed a few people and fat livestock to live. This is when God rejects Saul as king and makes David king, because rebelling against God’s word is the same as idolatry and witchcraft.

 

B) The Tower of Babel was a direct declaration of rebellion against spiritual leaders.

 

Genesis 11:3, “And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly.” This verse tells us that this great decision was made after only discussing it amongst each other. It is worth noting that Noah was still around when the Tower of Babel was built.

 

Noah lived for 350 more years after the flood and died at the age of 950. This means he was well and alive during the incidents of the Tower of Babel. He was easily the oldest and wisest person, but no one bothered to consult with or even mention the Tower of Babel to Noah. No one sought out their spiritual leaders for their advice.

 

At the time, Nimrod was a highly influential figure amongst the people. Genesis 10:9, “He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.” Instead of consulting a wise spiritual leader like Noah, the people followed a physically strong and mighty hunter. They saw physical greatness to be better than spiritual greatness.

 

C) Three lessons to learn.

 

1) Mankind’s Foolish Desires Will only Lead to Despair

 

Genesis11:8, “So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.” These people rebelled against God, rebelled against their own spiritual leaders and dared to build a tower to the heavens to prevent their own scattering and make themselves equals to God.

 

But their foolish dreams and futile attempts came crashing down. We are constantly told to “dream big.” The bigger your dreams, the better! Of course there is nothing wrong with having great dreams. But not all dreams are good. Not all dreams will be blessed in the eyes of God. Dreams that do not have God in the center of it will never be realized.

 

Proverbs 19:2 says, “There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”

 

Proverbs 3:6-9 also says, “6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”

 

Desires rooted from evil will crumble and remain as empty, fruitless dreams. But the dreams of the righteous, like Joseph, will be blessed and fulfilled.

 

2) Arrogance Will Always Lead to Downfall

 

Genesis11:7, “Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.” During the time of today’s scripture, the world had been prosperous and blessed with a healthy population, fruitful development, and culture.

 

But it wasn’t good enough for mankind. They weren’t satisfied. They wanted to make a name for themselves and be glorified across the world. Their arrogance led them to believe they could stand equal to God, and that arrogance ultimately tore them down and apart.

 

We, as humans, let our accomplishments get to us. A man was humble when he had nothing, but when he finds riches he becomes haughty. A person in a powerful position quickly believes they are truly great because those beneath them praise their every word. A well-educated man believes he has nothing left to learn and closes his mind and heart.

 

This is our problem. Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Our arrogance and pride does not raise us higher. It makes us evil in believing we can succeed without God.

 

We must be humble at all times. Even if we feel we are being lowered in society, God will raise us to greatness on His own, and better, terms. 1 Peter 5:5, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” Hallelujah!

 

3) Rebellion and Arrogance Will Inevitably Bring Judgment

 

Genesis 11:9, “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.”

 

Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

 

Luke 3:17, “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

 

Matthew 13:24-30, “24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."

 

Con)

Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security because nothing bad has happened even though you have disobeyed God. Don’t take His Word and seriousness of disobedience lightly. Everyone will ultimately be judged for their actions, and we all will eventually pay the fitting price.

 

But our God is a forgiving God, and if we sincerely repent for our sins and make every effort to obey His word, He will forgive and bless us with His everlasting grace.

 

Today’s sermon gives us 3 very clear lessons:

1. Mankind’s Foolish Desires Will only Lead to Despair

2. Arrogance Will Always Lead to Downfall

3. Rebellion and Arrogance Will Inevitably Bring Judgment

 

May all of you gathered here today hearing this message dedicate this week to obeying His word and humbling yourselves before God.

 

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Pastor: Ik Sun Ahn  / Translated by Sung woo Ahn