Summary of passage: A bit after the world had been repopulated some people moved eastward and settled on the plain of Shinar (Babylonia). They used bricks and tar to build a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens so that they could make a name for themselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.
Questions:
3) Here’s the best Bible Map I could find on the Internet. My Bible Atlas has a much better one:
http://bibleatlas.org/regional/shinar.htm
It’s basically where Babylonia was, which is between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
4a) Verse 4: “so that we may make a name for ourselves”
Verse 4: “and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
Verse 3: “let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly…they used brick instead of stone and tar for mortar.”
Using these materials would make the tower waterproof, showing the people were afraid of another flood (didn’t believe God’s promise). So reason: to protect them against a flood.
b) God told Noah’s sons to fill the earth. They did not. They came together and built a city instead (where a big group of people live). Furthermore, they admitted they didn’t want to be scattered over the face of the earth (verse 4). They wanted to live together.
c) Exodus is the Ten Commandments. Matthew is where Jesus tells the people the greatest commandment: to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and the second which is to love your neighbor as yourself. Timothy describes people in the Last Days (which in my opinion is people always).
Simple: they do the opposite of what God says. They follow self. They ignore God’s words and commands. Deliberately and intentionally.
Conclusions: Question 3 is assuming everyone has a Bible map or access to one or the Internet (not everyone does). So didn’t like this one. Makes you feel like you should have a Bible map. Some Bibles have maps in the back but not all.
In essence, Shinar is an early name for Babylonia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Hopefully, most of us know where this is from Lesson 3, Day 3 when we discussed the possible location of Eden.
I can see the chronological reason for studying these chapters switched but I like the way the Bible links the ends. Chapter 11 tells of Terah who is Abram’s father which leads nicely into chapter 12 when God calls Abram. Chapter 9 ends with Noah cursing/blessing his kids and Chapter 10 launches into Shem’s, Ham’s, and Japheth’s descendants.
So while I understand the reasoning for switching the order of study, I don’t feel it was necessary for a better understanding.
End Note: Interestingly, Babylonia is where the descendants of Shem (the son blessed by Noah) settled (which we learn in Chapter 10–the chapter we skipped). This ties in well with Question 4c. Even though these were the blessed ones by Noah and will be the chosen ones that lead to Jesus, they too sinned. Man never changes, does he?