Journey Through Genesis-Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9) by: Francis Jackson

      After prior discussion on three of the major events of the Genesis storyline (Creation, The Fall, and The Flood), we now make it to the fourth which is the Tower of Babel. As mentioned in the beginning of this series, Genesis can be broken down by the understanding of 4 people and 4 events. The 4 people being Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph and the 4 events being creation, the fall, the flood, and the tower of Babel. After the flood, civilization was repopulated by Noah's son Shem, Ham, and Japeth (Gen. 9:18-19). The sons of Japeth inhabited the norhtern part of the land from what is now known as Turkey, stretching across to the Caspian Sea. Japeth covered the most territory just as Noah prophesied (9:27). Sons of Shem took the region just below which started along the border east of the Mediterranean Sea stretching through Mede and Persia which is around modern-day Iran. Sons of Ham inhabited the land which later became Israel (after Jacob who was given the name-Gen.32:28) down through northern Egypt and modern-day Saudi Arabia. Now everyone on the earth had one language (11:1). God's purpose for them were to spread out so that they may fill the earth as stated to Noah after the flood (9:1). The entire population was aware of this charge (11:4), yet under the leadership of Nimrod who was a mighty hunter and builder as well (10:8-12), influenced the people that a tower be built as a self-monument surrounded by a city in which they would also build. Pastor John Macarthur refers to this sin as a "double prideful rebellion" in a commentary out of The Macarthur Sudent Bible (NKJV). One, the idea of making a name for themselves was a disrespect towards the reverance of God (11:4). Satan wants to make a name for himself as well. The bible tells us the end result of that (Is.14:12-15-see also Satan's Purpose in Notes on Facebook). Two, the idea of building a city for themselves was a statement that they weren't going anywhere as God commanded. So God came down and saw what the people opted to do with their ability to communicate all in one language and decided to confuse their language and forcibly have them scattered (11:5-8a). They were unable to finish building the city (11:8b) and its name was called Babel because of the Lord confusing their language. This city is later called Babylon which has shown to be a city of great rebellion against God (Rev.16:19; 17:5; Jer. 50:35-38; Dan. 3:15-20).