Scattered

Scattered

Genesis 11: ⁵ But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. ⁶ And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. ⁷ Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” ⁸ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. ⁹ Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

 

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From the beginning, humans tried to become GOD. Adam and Eve were manipulated by Satan to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. He knew that his sentence was sealed up in a scroll and only a perfect human could open it. All humans, from that point, were imperfect and were born with a sin nature. All but ONE.

 

Imperfect Abel fought against his sin nature by mimicking GOD. Cain, on the other hand, tried to build his own Garden of Eden. Cain was cursed. Humans rejected GOD. Something had to be done. Only Noah believed. He and his family were saved from the great flood. But Canaan, Noah’s grandson did not believe that GOD should rule. This attitude spread to many people. They had one voice against GOD.

 

My Observations:

• GOD was not worried about human ingenuity, rather HE saw their arrogance and pride that mirrored Satan.
• GOD said “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”, so HE scattered them.
• Humans who have an ideology that is against JESUS being GOD, who died and was raised from the dead, will fight a losing battle.

 

One language did not seem to be the problem here, rather they had one common goal, take over! BUT GOD saw through their plan and intervened. The humans started with the massive tower. It took engineering, planning and extreme will to build the structure. Night and day, humans toiled. Years passed. Then GOD, allowing them to finish the tower, came down and confused them.

 

People may have started fighting over who’s name should go on the tower or who should get the best parts of the city. Ideologies were now separated. Humans could not stand to be with each other, to the point that they had to get away from each other. Some people may have studied the ark. They heard that the land was larger than it currently was at the time, so they may have built ships to go to other lands. GOD scattered the people and they developed local languages.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD told Moses about HIS intervention?
• Have you ever gotten mad at GOD and found others who were mad at HIM as well?
• Have you examined your heart to see if you are with the LORD or fighting against HIM?

Mindset

Mindset

Genesis 11: Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. ² And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. ³ Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. ⁴ And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

 

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After Noah’s curse, Ham’s sons became great leaders. Unfortunately, they chose to oppose GOD at every opportunity. “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”, is what GOD said. But the people unified to do the opposite by staying in one place.

 

My Observations:

• Some people had a mindset that united them against what GOD said.
• Even if people were speaking the same language, a different mindset would confuse the words.
• Unity is usually good, but if it is against GOD, it is terrible.

 

GOD seemed to focus on a period of time when great leaders like Nimrod, got together and agreed to stay in one place. Instead of tents, they agreed to create something permanent. This structure would defy GOD by being large enough to withstand any flood. This ignored the promise that GOD would not flood the earth.

 

Their defiance went further by making a permanent structure versus going out to all parts of the earth. A unified mindset against GOD was the problem that HE may have been pointing out. They did not know that their unity played right into the hands of Satan, who wanted humans to bow down to him. His plan seemed to be working. They wanted a name or power to rule GOD. BUT GOD had a solution. Scatter the people.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD focus in on one city and one building to Moses?
• Have you ever wanted to fit in with the crowd without assessing if they were following GOD or not?
• Have you asked GOD for discernment so you can become brave enough to question your motives and crowds?

Nations and People Groups 3 of 6

Nations and People Groups 3 of 6

Genesis 10: ⁸ Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. ⁹ He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.” ¹⁰ And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. ¹¹ From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, ¹² and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).

 

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GOD seems to put a spotlight on Cush’s son Nimrod. There was a list before that did not mention him, but this special call out must have had significance. Nimrod had skills given to him by the LORD. He was a mighty hunter, but he was more than that. He was an influential leader who was strong. He could unite people to build cities like Babel and Nineveh.

 

My Observations:

• Nimrod may have been conflicted in his belief in the LORD.
• Nimrod wanted to prove Noah to be wrong in his curse, so he became an achiever.
• Nimrod’s conflicted nature may have known where he got his hunting skills, yet he refused to follow GOD.

 

Desiring to be back in GOD’s grace, people may have noticed Nimrod’s supernatural hunting skills. Some people may have even thought he was serving GOD. Unfortunately, the cities he built were not based on GOD’s love at all.

 

He used his leadership skills to unite people to think that they could take over GOD. He may have gotten so influential that the people believed in him more than GOD. They may have looked at GOD’s grace as weak and insignificant. Despite Nimrod’s influence, GOD still loved the people he led.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD go into detail about Nimrod and the cities he built to Moses?
• Have you ever wanted things to be better so you followed a human leader?
• Is today a good day for you to start your journey of following the LORD with all your heart?