Genesis Chapter 11
A. The tower of Babel.
1. (1-4) A tower in the land of Shinar.
Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 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. 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. 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.”
God has told them to scatter and multiply and the above text is a form of rebellion.
The Land of Nimrod • Babel • Accad (Akkad, Agade) • Erech (Uruk, Sumeria) • Nineveh (Assyria) • Sumer (Shinar) • Calah (20 miles from Nineveh)
The Tower of Bab-El • One Language: Hebrew • Godless Confederacy: First World Dictator; Nimrod (“We will rebel”) • Plain of Shinar: Bab-El “Tower to Heaven” (astrological temple; zodiac corrupted) • Tale of Two Cities: Babylon (the City of Man) and Jerusalem (the City of God)
a. Now the whole earth had one language and one speech: If we accept the Biblical teaching that mankind has a common origin in Adam, then this simply makes sense: that there was a time when humanity spoke one language instead of the hundreds on the earth today.
b. The land of Shinar: Shinar was a term used also of Babylon (Genesis 10:10). The multiplied descendants from the ark came together to build a great city and tower, in rebellion against God’s command to spread out over the earth (Genesis 9:1).
c. “Let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly” …they had asphalt for mortar: Using baked bricks and asphalt for mortar, men built a tower that was both strong and waterproof, even as Noah used the same material in waterproofing the ark (Genesis 6:14). Later Moses’ mother used the same material in waterproofing Moses’ basket (Exodus 2:3).
i. “Archaeology has revealed that this type of kiln-fired brick and asphalt construction was common in ancient Babylon.” (Morris)
d. Come, let us build ourselves a city: The heart and the materials relevant to the tower of Babel show that it was not only disobedient to God’s command to fill the earth (Genesis 9:1), but it also shows man did not believe God’s promise to never again flood the earth. A waterproof tower was made to protect man against a future deluge.
i. This was a strong statement of self against God. When they said let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens, they meant it.
e. A tower whose top is in the heavens: The top of the tower was intended to be in the heavens. It is doubtful they thought they could build a tower to heaven. It is more likely they built the tower as an observation point of the heavens; it was built “unto the heavens.” Most astrological and occult practices have a history back to Babel.
i. If they really wanted to build a tower to reach heaven, it is unlikely they would start on the plain of Shinar, which is about Sea Level. Common sense says they would start on one of the nearby mountains.
ii. This tower was real. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus said the tower of Babel still stood in his day and he had seen it.
2. (5-9) God scatters them over the whole earth.
But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 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. “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 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.
The Lord came down to them!
The Lord had told them to scatter and multiply and here they were clustering together. The Lord confused their language and forced them to scatter. The word “Bab-El” means the tower to heaven, but “Babel” also means confusion. Here the earth is divided.
a. The LORD came down to see the city and the tower: The personal character of the language indicates this perhaps was a time when God came down in the form of a man, in the Person of Jesus Christ.
b. Let Us go down: This plural reference to Us is another subtle reference to the Trinity.
c. Nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them: The potential of fallen man is terrible and powerful. When we think of the horrific accomplishments of evil from men in the 20th century, the great ability of men and nations is a painful consideration.
d. So the LORD scattered them abroad: The forced separation of men from Babel was more God’s mercy than His judgment. God, in dividing man both linguistically and geographically, put a check on the power of his fallen nature.
e. The LORD confused the language of all the earth: The division of the languages is a fascinating subject. Modern linguists know man did not invent language, any more than man invented his own circulatory or nervous system. Most modern linguists believe language is so unique that the only way they can explain it apart from God is to say that it was part of a unique evolutionary process.
i. Language cannot be the product of man putting together sounds all by himself. For example, there are many universal human sounds (like the “raspberry” sound) that are not part of any human language. If man invented language on his own, it would make sense for some language to use that sound.
ii. Language is so complex because languages exist as whole systems, not as small parts put together. Most modern linguists believe all languages come from one original language.
f. From there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth: Think what it was like for a family to leave the area of Babel and go out on their own. They must look for a suitable place to live, and once they found it, they must exist by hunting and gathering, living in crude dwellings or caves until they could support themselves by agriculture and taking advantage of the natural resources. Families would multiply rapidly, develop their own culture, and their own distinctive biological and physical characteristics influenced by their environment. In the small population, genetic characteristics change very quickly, and as the population of the group grew bigger, the changes stabilized and became more or less permanent.
i. The whole account of what happened at Babel with its anti-God dictator, its organized rebellion against God, and its direct distrust of God’s promise shows man hasn’t gotten any better since the flood. Time, progress, government, and organization have made man better off, but not better.
ii. Now God will begin to make man better, and He will start as He always starts: with a man who will do His will, even if he does not do His will perfectly.
B. The line of Adam through Shem to Abram.
1. (10-25) From Shem to Terah, the father of Abram.
This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood. After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah. After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters. Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber. After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters. Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg. After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters. Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu. After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters. Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug. After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters. Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor. After he begot Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah. After he begot Terah, Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.
Babel or Babylon, throughout scripture, becomes an idiom for Satan’s capital or “man’s” capital. It is the fountain of all idolatry and paganism. Babylon rises to be a major world empire in the days of Daniel, and he is taken captive on one of the first seizes of Nebuchadnezzar’s attacks on Israel. Babylon is all throughout the Bible and there are huge controversies over the destruction of Babylon among Bible scholars. Most Bible handbooks tell you that Babylon was destroyed in 539 bc when the Persians conquered Babylon. They did conquer Babylon, but they did so without a battle.
The Prophecies By Isaiah and Jeremiah And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. Isaiah 13:19-20
Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein. Jeremiah 50:39-40
The destruction of Babylon predicted by both Isaiah and Jeremiah has never been fulfilled.
• The destruction of Babylon is clear in these above passages with emphasis on never to be inhabited, it shall not be dwelt in from generation to generation, building materials never reused and it will be like Sodom and Gomorrah meaning suddenly and catastrophically.
• The fall of Babylon in 539 bc, came as a surprise as it was thought to be an impenetrable city by military standards. But without a battle, it was conquered but not destroyed. Babylon then, became a secondary capital by the Persian empire for 200 years until it was conquered by Alexander. Alexander made it his capital, but after he died, his four generals divided it and Babylon begins to atrophy over the next several centuries. However, it is presently being rebuilt and is inhabited today.
• The “Mystery of Babylon” of Revelation 17-18? (The pagan practices of Babylon and the pagan practices of the Cathlolic church linked somehow? More details on this issue in Dave Hunt’s book “A Woman rides the Beast.”)
Is this destruction literal? God talks about Babylon being destroyed never to be inhabited again. This has not happened yet.
Babylon’s Atrophy and Decay • The city subsequently underwent a gradual decay, even though the ruins remained occupied • Documents on clay from a school for priests in the city continued at least until 100 ad • Early in the first century ad, a colony of merchants from Palmyra brought brief prosperity, but they left about 75 ad (Garner, p 7-8) • The city was visited by Trajan in 115 ad • Babylon was first reported deserted by Septimus Severus 84 years later • As recently as the 1800’s, the village of Hillah, containing over 10,000 inhabitants, stood on the site of ancient Babylon (Rich, p. 157) • In the late nineteenth century, the German archeologist Robert Koldewey conducted extensive studies at Babylon and the four Arab villages situated on the site. Babylon had been inhabited for some time even before his arrival.
The great prophecies concerning the city of Babylon in Isaiah and Jeremiah have never been fulfilled. In Isaiah 13 and 14, the destruction of Babylon is predicted. In vigorous terms, Isaiah describes how Babylon will be destroyed and then will never again be inhabited. This identifies the time of the destruction as that particular period known as the “Day of The Lord” that is mentioned throughout the scripture and is associated with the final day of God’s vengeance (Joel 2:10; Mal 4:5; Dan 12:1; Matt 24:21-22). When God destroys Babylon, he will destroy all the evil in the world
Destruction of Babylon There are six chapters in scripture that are all detailing the same thing.
It will be relevant to watch Babylon in the coming months and years, as it will emerge front and center in world politics. As a Bible student, we can expect Babylon to emerge as a major world power center. (The Roman Catholic Church and Islam?) Mystery Babylon: Revelation 17 and 18 The Great Whore (Rev 17): She rides the Beast with seven heads and ten horns (The woman rides the beast but then the beast will turn around and eat her). The religious system rides the political system until its served its purpose, then the political system will turn on it. She is described as the Mother of Harlots and Abominations (Babylon is the source of all paganism. Every pagan idea traces back to Babylon.) She is drunk with the blood of the saints (There are many tragedies throughout history at the hand of the church, Catholic and Protestant alike).
Babylon the Great (City) will be destroyed (Rev 18): The three groups upset by this are the Kings of the earth, the merchants of the earth and those that trade by sea (Babylon is built for a center of world trade; It is not a sea port however, Alexander wanted to make Babylon a sea port and had plans to make a harbor for 1000 ships; something to watch for in the future.) It is important to search the scriptures and then watch to see what happens. When you see it unfold, give God the glory. The prophesies in the Bible are not to “predict” the future, but to glorify God when it happens.
Zechariah 5:5-11: The Woman in the Ephah The two issues of “is it a literal Babylon” (symbolic of The Vatican) or is it “a Chaldean supercity”? There is a link of the two in Zechariah chapter 5.
Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base. Zechariah 5:5-11
Whenever you see the phrase in scripture Lift up now thine eyes it should be a signal to pay attention.
An “ephah” was similar to a large jar, roughly the size of an oil drum. An “ephah” was the standard volume metric measure in the commercial world at the time. A “talent” was the standard unit of weight (roughly 97 pounds) or similar to a large lead lid. This vision is of a woman put into an ephah (large jar) and then a talent (lid of lead) is put on top or sealed. Who is the woman? The woman is called “wickedness” and is sealed in with the talent of lead. The scripture also describes two women with wings like a stork (which is an unclean bird; possible demonic) and the wind was in their wings meaning a spirit. It is possible the woman put into the ephah is the same “whore” that Revelation describes.
If you conduct a careful study of the letter written to the church of Thyatira (the fourth letter), you will recognise the four letters written to the seven churches in Revelation is a parallel to the seven parables of the Lord written in Matthew 13. The fourth parable describes the kingdom of heaven like leaven, as the woman who took leaven and hid it in three levels of meal (leaven is always a type of sin or a falsehood) until entire whole was leavened. Three levels of meal is the fellowship offering from Genesis 18 in both the Arab and Hebrew cultures. The point is leaven will corrupt the entire thing. The fourth letter to the church of Thyatira is the letter that tolerates this woman (a type of Jezebel). Babylon, which started in Bab El, continued through history to be the fountain of all false worship. The religious systems that started in Babylon eventually throughout history migrated to Rome and elsewhere. Pagan Rome is the transplanted religious system of Babylon with Latin names.
Throughout history the church began to mingle with the state powers and religion began to be enforced. This commingling merged pagan traditions with the church and lost the concept of regeneration as a believer. It became “politically correct” to be a believer and Christian names began to describe pagan traditions. Somehow, this paganism will migrate back to where it all started, in Shinar. Babylon, on the banks of the Euphrates, will become a powerful central place for religion and for trade, before it is ultimately destroyed.
a. This is the genealogy of Shem: This genealogy is of special note because it will eventually be part of the Messianic line. It is followed in genealogical record of Luke 3.
b. Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah: These were the grandfather and father of Abraham. The promise to bring forth the deliverer from the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) would find its fulfillment through this family.
2. (26-28) The family of Terah in Ur of the Chaldeans.
Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
a. Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram: Genesis 11:26 is the first mention of Abram. Abram (later changed to Abraham) is mentioned 312 times in 272 verses in the Bible. He is arguably the most famous man of the Old Testament, and certainly one of the most influential men in history.
i. The Book of Genesis covers more than 2,000 years and more than 20 generations. Yet, it spends almost a third of its text on the life of one man – Abram.
b. Terah begot Abram: Abram is unique in the way he is called the friend of God (James 2:23); Abraham, Your friend forever (2 Chronicles 20:7); Abraham, My friend (Isaiah 41:8).
i. We all know the value of having friends in high places. Abram had a Friend in the highest place! Once Abraham Lincoln received a request for a pardon from a man who deserted the army. When he was told the man had no friends, Lincoln said “I will be his friend,” and he pardoned him.
ii. Men and women in the Bible are famous for many different things, but Abram is great for his faith. Moses was the great lawgiver; Joshua a great general; David a great king, and Elijah a great prophet. Most of us know we can never be great in those things, but we can be great people of faith. We can be friends of God.
iii. If you despair in knowing you do not have Abram’s faith, take comfort in knowing you have Abram’s God. He can build in you the faith of Abram because He built it in Abram himself.
iv. You do have faith. You buy a ticket to a sporting event and show up, having faith the ticket is good. You fly in an airplane because you have faith in the airline’s equipment, mechanics, and pilots. You plan a weekend based on the weather report. And you do this even though sometimes there are ticket scandals, sometimes planes crash, and sometimes the weatherman is wrong; but you still have faith. God can build the faith you have.
3. (29-30) The family of Abram and his brother Nahor.
Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah. But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
a. Then Abram and Nahor took wives: Abram’s wife Sarai (her name means contentious) was barren, unable to bear children.
b. Abram’s wife was Sarai… she had no child: Because the name Abram means father, it must have been an awkward embarrassment for Abram to explain that he had no children. But his present lack of children will play an important role in God’s plan of redemption.
4. (31-32) The family of Terah and their travels from Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran.
And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.
a. They went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan: Abram’s story begins in Ur of the Chaldeans(Babylon). Joshua 24:2 describes Abram before the LORD called him. He was from a family of idol worshippers and was probably an idol worshipper himself (notwithstanding Jewish legends).
i. Abram came from a family of idol worshippers. Later, when Abram’s grandson Jacob went back to Abram’s relatives, they were still worshipping idols.
b. And they came to Haran and dwelt there: Acts 7:2-4 makes it clear the call of Genesis 12:1-3 came to Abram while he still lived in Ur. When he received this call from God he was only halfway obedient in at least two ways.
· First, he brought his father Terah (and nephew Lot) with him, when the Lord called Abram out of your country, from your family (Genesis 12:1).
· Second, Abram stopped and, at least for a time, dwelt in Haran, and not to where God promised, a land that I will show you (Genesis 12:1).
i. “They start together for Canaan. So far so good; at least, it looks so. The travelling is wearisome, and many are the murmurings. The huge caravan has not gone very far before the proposal is made that they should be satisfied with the move which they had made, and remain at Haran. True, it was not Canaan, but it might do as well.” (Spurgeon)
ii. “Half-way obedience increases our responsibility, because it is a plain confession that we know the Lord’s will, though we do it not. Abram had received the call, and knew that he had done so, else why had he come to Haran? He admitted, by going as far as Haran, that he ought to go the whole way to Canaan; and so, by his own action he left himself without excuse.” (Spurgeon)
c. Terah died in Haran: Sometimes we can gain meaning from names in the Bible. The name Terah means delay. The name Haran means parched, barren. When Abram was in partial obedience, then delay and barrenness marked his life. When we knowingly disobey God, we often delay the outworking of His plan in our lives and we also experience barrenness.
i. “The result of this to Abram was the absence of privilege. God spoke not to his servant in Haran: neither dream, nor vision, nor voice came to him in the place of hesitancy. The Lord loved him, but hid his face from him, and denied him the visits of his grace.” (Spurgeon)
