Summary of Genesis 11:1-9:
In the beginning, every human spoke the same language. Then, they began to build the Tower of Babel that would reach the heavens and make a name for themselves. The Lord came down to see what they were up to. Instead, the Lord scattered them and confused their languages so they couldn’t come together and do this building again.
BSF STUDY QUESTIONS GENESIS: LESSON 7, DAY 5: GENESIS 11:1-9
13) They were building the tower to make a name for themselves, not make a name for God.
14a) Power, greed, self-worth, acknowledgement, and to be equal with God.
b) Personal Question. My answer: Everywhere.
15) God redirects, like a parent would. He doesn’t destory mankind, but He does what is best for them and that is in this instance to break them up so they would be more likely to rely on Him rather than themselves.
16) Personal Question. My answer: That man would not be about self-aggrandisement, but instead seek God and credit God in all things. God wants us to work together for His glory, not for ours.
Conclusions BSF STUDY QUESTIONS GENESIS: LESSON 7, DAY 5: GENESIS 11:1-9
God scatters the people for their own good. Our culture always talks about brining everyone together; yet, here we see what happens when we do come together in such a manner. Perhaps God knows what’s good for us after all and maybe separate is not such a bad thing.
End Notes BSF STUDY QUESTIONS GENESIS: LESSON 7, DAY 5: GENESIS 11:1-9
God commanded everyone to spread out and populate the land in Genesis 9:1 Instead, they build a city in Shinar (Babylon) in this passage.
Brick making was a common building material in ancient times. Tar was and still is used for waterproofing, such as in Noah’s ark an Moses’ basket (Exodus 2:3). Some scholars believe that the tar indicates the people still thought they would be killed again by another flood. However, this is speculation as tar is a common building product.
Were the People Really Reaching for Heaven?
Bible Scholars believe they were trying to reach the heavens, and most believe this tower was real.
God may have came down to earth as Jesus. The “us” is the Holy Trinity. God scattered the people for our good out of mercy. He could have killed us all again if He had wanted.
I find it interesting that God acknowledges that man can do anythien when they come together. This is powerful for us today. Although we’re divided, it appears God wants it so.
Language is unique to man that it can only be explained as a gift from God. As man scattered, differences in the people slowly developed due to the limited gene pool. Yet, the world is incredibly diverse — just as God wanted it to be.
Man is still man — a sinner at heart. Only a perfect man, Jesus, can save.