Home |
|
Genesis 11:1 - 11:32
In
this study we begin with all nations speaking one tongue, and those who traveled from the
east seeking to setup their own salvation, without our Heavenly Father. I will not discuss
much ethnology and philology, as to those fields of study which claim all these nations
came from one family, such as Noah. According to the Hebrew Manuscripts from earlier
studies in Genesis, we know that God did form a specific family as a Mission for our
Savior Jesus Christ to born of, but separate from the various races of mankind. That was
the main reason for the way I covered earlier Genesis Chapters, and it is still the way I
intend to continue here, and throughout God's Word. The Word of God is particularly about
one family, as it comes into contact with all nations of peoples. That family is the
Family of Christ, to include ALL in God's future Everlasting Kingdom, who believe on God
The Father through The Son Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3; Eph.1:10; Rev.7).
We now continue in Genesis, as we ask a Word of Wisdom
from our Father in the Name of Christ Jesus, Amen.
Gen
11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of 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.
All
peoples and nations at this time spoke one language, though obviously different dialects
of that one language. And dialect merely means different accents of one language, such as
the southern dialect of English in the south, and the western, or northern dialects of
English in other parts of the United States. As ancient Hebrew is one of the oldest
languages, this "language" was probably some form of Hebrew.
This "Shinar", meaning the 'country of
two rivers', later came to be called Babylonia or Chaldea. The two great rivers of that
area are the Tigris and Euphrates. We know that Nimrod was descended from Cush per Genesis
10:8, and that he founded the kingdom of Babel discussed more here in Genesis 11. We also
know from the last Genesis Chapter that the cities of Erech, Accad, and Calneh were also
included in this Shinar.
Gen
11:3 And they said one to another, "Go to, let us make brick, and burn
them throughly." And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
That area was mostly a flat land of plains, not much stone available to quarry, so they
used the soil, mixed with gypsum, chopped straw, formed the bricks carefully, and dried
them in the sun, or in a kiln oven. The bricks made in Babylonia were mostly kiln dried,
while in ancient Assyria, they were mostly sun-dried.
This "slime" the Jewish historian
Josephus called 'Asphaltis' ('Antiquities of The Jews', i. 4, 63). It's
today what we call bitumen or asphalt.
Gen
11:4 And they said, "Go to, let us build us a city and a
tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make
us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."
This type of plan, to build a great city and a tower which reaches up to heaven, and give
it a worldly honorable name, to keep all peoples together as one, has been Lucifer's plan
at the beginning of this earth age of flesh. This was but another attempt of the same
events back at Genesis 6, when Lucifer sought to make man 'stray' away from The True
Heavenly Father Yehovah. And Lucifer's ultimate intent of the fallen angels mating with
daughters of 'the man Adam' was the mixing of the bloodline family of Christ, thus
tainting the Seed of the Woman from which our Lord and Savior would be born from. God was
not about to allow that mixing to happen. Therefore, this Babel event was to keep all
peoples together to increase the chance of Christ's Family mixing also.
It's important to keep in mind throughout God's Word the
various ways in which Satan and his hosts might prevent Christ Jesus' birth in the flesh.
We'll discover more of that evil design of Satan's later, as written in God's Word.
This 'tower' represents a 'do-it-your-own-self' type of
salvation, an idea which is false and never will be possible according to God's Plan.
There is only One Salvation and True Government, and It is through His Son Jesus Christ,
and no other (Isaiah 9). This particular "tower" was not built to protect from
another possible flood, but as a rallying point to represent a flesh order worship. So
this "tower" can represent many attempts in our past history, and the attempt
that can be seen today, of all the world joining together under a quasi one-world empire,
trying to establish a name for themselves, without God.
The connection of raising a tower to reach unto heaven
means that religion is used especially to try and accomplish a false world kingdom under
Lucifer's false rule. The first attempt of Lucifer trying to play God was at that time 'of
old', when he first rebelled against GOD (Ezekiel 28; 31). Per Rev.12:3-4 we are told that
old attempt at one-world government had 'seven crowns'. Many world religions are joining
into a modern type of this "tower" of Babel today, to include some Christian
denominations, so I hope you are aware of what even some Christian leaders are asking
believers in Christ to do. Many of our Christian brethren who are deceived, will fall into
the trap, as Paul taught in 2 Thessalonians 2 that a "falling away" from Christ,
and the 'son of perdition' (antichrist, i.e. Satan) being revealed, must occur before our
Lord Jesus will return.
When man seeks to do his own salvation, God steps in to
cause it to fail, for there never will be a salvation of the flesh, period. Salvation is
of our 'spirit' by God's Spirit through Christ Jesus. See Psalms 49 for a lesson on this.
Gen
11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children
of men builded.
6 And the LORD said, "Behold, the people is one, and they
have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from
them, which they have imagined to do.
Our
Heavenly Father looked upon what they were doing, and that they were all joining together
to build their own tower of salvation to Heaven. Obviously, it didn't take long for those
to forget God, due no doubt to a bit of prodding by the types of Nimrod (i.e.
'rebellion'). Thus God is saying something like, "Since they're all of one language,
and they're trying to build their own form of salvation, their hearts are full of
rebellion, and there's no evil that they won't begin if this is not stopped."
This rebellion kind of sounds like our times today,
doesn't it? Even good Christians can get 'trapped' into agreeing with world leaders for
the sake of a world peace, aligning and joining with all nations into a one-world
government, including their various religions. After all, true peace is the goal all those
in Christ really want, but with 'who', and at what price? There's the question. The answer
is that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ already paid the price, having died on the cross
for us. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only One Who has defeated the devil by offering
Himself on the cross, for us. Being without sin in the flesh, He is the Only One Who could
accomplish that.
If you haven't studied the Book of Revelation much, I
highly recommend you cover It, for there's yet another Babylon (Babel) system prophesied
for our times today. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ used the name Babylon again in His
Book of Revelation (Rev.14:8; Rev.16:19; Rev.17:5; Rev.18). The Babylon mentioned here in
Genesis 11 is the first attempt during this flesh age, of a one-world empire over the
earth, with all nations joined within it.
Gen
11:7 Go to, let Us go down, and there confound their language, that they may
not understand one another's speech."
8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the
earth: and they left off to build the city.
This phrase "let us go down" is in the sense of God's Judgment (see
also Exo.3:8; Gen.18:20-21). God is preparing to 'come down' in Judgment again in our near
future, to put an end to this Babylon one-world system being setup today (see Rev.11:15;
Rev.18-19; Rev.20:1). God's Holy City is coming "down" to earth also in
the future with Judgment (Rev.3:12; 21:2). For those 'in Christ' who are not deceived into
wrongly worshipping 'antichrist' (Satan as 'a spurious Messiah') when he comes,
that Judgment when God comes 'down' will be a time of good reward for us.
God's Word is clear that Satan wants to be God during this
age of flesh (Ezek.28; Isaiah 14; 2 Thessalonians 2; Revelation 12 through 19). God had to
"come down" in Judgment during that time of Babel to prevent man's trying to do
his own salvation, as our Father is in control. This is why God divided the peoples of the
earth into seven basic languages or families. And it is still why nations are divided
today. A time of 'true' peace and unity will only happen when our Lord Jesus Christ
arrives. The Plan of redemption is only through God's Savior Jesus Christ. This New
Babylon World Order of today will fail also, for God will "come down" to stop
it, claiming all "the kingdoms of this world" (Rev.11:15). Thus our
Father confounded the "one language" here at the tower of Babel, and
the people failed in their one-world project.
This "one language", which all peoples
spoke at the time of the Tower of Babel, is related to that same "pure
language" mentioned in Zephaniah 3:9 -
Zeph
3:8 Therefore wait ye upon Me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to
the prey: for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms,
to pour upon them Mine indignation, even all My fierce anger: for all the earth shall be
devoured with the fire of My jealousy.
9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language,
that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent.
This word "turn" in verse 9 above is Hebrew 'haphak', meaning 'to
overturn, return, to turn about' (Strong's no. 2015). This is that language also
spoken on Pentecost Day by Christ's Apostles, as Peter quoted from Joel 2 as to the latter
days about it. The 'tongue' Christ's Apostles spoke on the Day of Pentecost was
only an 'example' of the return of this "pure language", as given by
The Holy Spirit (Acts 2:16). And according to Acts 2, everyone hearing that 'language'
at Pentecost understood in their own 'dialect' of the region where they were born.
It was not a 'babel' garbled speech that none could understand. All present
on Pentecost heard their own language of birth (see the Tongue of
Pentecost study). Moreover, everyone present heard their own specific
language dialect being spoken by the Apostles. That's the true Biblical sign
of the Acts 2 cloven tongue.
Zephaniah 3:8 above is linking the time of return of that "pure
language" for all, at The Day of The LORD. That's when our Lord Jesus returns,
and all of man's works are melted off the earth, and all yet alive in the flesh are "changed"
on the "last trump" (see 2 Pet.3; 1 Cor.15:52; Nahum 1; Zechariah 14).
That's when all who serve God in the future, will speak the "one language"
again.
Returning to Genesis 11...
Gen
11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there
confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad
upon the face of all the earth.
Because of God 'confounding' the language of the people, this tower and language event was
called "Babel". The meaning of this word 'Babel', which is a
Hebrew word, means 'confusion' (Strong's no.894). I've heard some try to say
differently, but 'confusion' is the definition from the Hebrew, unmistakably also,
because it clearly fits the subject of this Genesis 11 Chapter. What was the first real
cause of 'Babel' though? It was due to Satan's influence upon mankind to think they could
do their 'own' salvation, without God's Promised Savior Jesus Christ. And that babel is
still with many even today, as they refuse Christ Jesus as Savior.
What about this scattering of the people over all the
earth? Some of the following may be considered my 'opinion', so use your own judgment.
I'll leave it up to the individual as to what route to take if they decide to look further
into this matter:
Many 'mainstream' tradition archaeologists wish for us to
believe in closely aligned theories linked with ideas of the evolution of species;
theories that various peoples developed independently from each other, never having 'any'
previous contact with ancient peoples on other continents. What many status-quo
archaeologists want us to accept, I must decline much of, as the branch which they call a
form of 'pseudo-archaeology', i.e. 'Diffusionism', is much more in line with this tower of
Babel event from God's Word. And I do believe God's Word first and foremost. Diffusionism,
which is the term the mainstream archaeologists use for this other group of researchers,
such as Gloria Farley, David Deal, Dr. Barry Fell, Joseph B. Mahan, etc., proposes
evidence that shows many ancient travelers came to the Americas long before Columbus (also
called pre-Colombian era). Not only that, but that those ancient travelers had connections
with other cultures from other continents, even long before the first Spaniards came to
the Americas.
I recall my college history text as teaching that the
ancient Indian tribes in America arrived by an ancient 'land-bridge' near Alaska. That may
have a bit of truth to it also. But the so-called pre-Colombian archaeologists have
brought forth some profound discoveries which may connect to this Genesis 11:9 link of the
peoples being scattered over the earth, originating from the area of Babel.
Another link which seems to flow in that research of
ancient peoples is a type of common idol worship separated by different names and
available man-made religious icons, etc. Many of the various names for their 'gods' in
idol worship appear to have a common link back to Babel (from Hebrew 'baal-beel',
and see David Deal's work Discovery of Ancient America, ISBN: 0-933677-00-6). So
while many mainstream status-quo archaeologists support Darwin, and that peoples fell into
idol worship independently of each other based on principles of progressive evolution, I
can't go along with all of that. I believe God's Word gives us that link of false worship
among all continents, diffused from this Babel event. More food for thought.
The next verses will begin the genealogy of Noah's son
Shem (Shemite, i.e. Semites). I'm just going to give the translations of the names here,
until we get down to Gen.11:27 about Abram.
Gen
11:10 These are THE GENERATIONS OF SHEM: Shem was an hundred
years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat
sons and daughters.
12 And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:
13 And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years,
and begat sons and daughters.
14 And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:
Arphaxad
means 'I shall fall as the breast; he cursed the breast bottle' (Strong's no.
775; BDB definition). Salah means 'a sprout' (Strong's no. 7974; BDB
def.).
This man Eber is where the more modern term
Hebrew comes from (from Hebrew language 'eber', meaning 'a region across',
or 'the people from across the river', probably Euphrates; Strong's nos. 5676;
5677). There are ancient western links with this word Eber form the areas of Iberia
and Hibernia, names for ancient Spain and Ireland. These descriptions are written
in the ancient histories of various writers. The Latin writers Tacitus and Pliny called
ancient Ireland "Hibernia" or "Scotia". The first
Milesian king of the southern half of ancient Ireland also had the name 'Eber' or 'Heber'
(see The Story of The Irish Race by Seumas MacManus; ISBN 0-517-06408-1).
Gen
11:15 And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and
begat sons and daughters.
16 And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:
17 And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years,
and begat sons and daughters.
18 And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
19 And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and
begat sons and daughters.
20 And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:
21 And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and
begat sons and daughters.
22 And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:
23 And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat
sons and daughters.
24 And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
25 And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years,
and begat sons and daughters.
26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Peleg we already know from the last Chapter means 'division'; Reu means 'friend'
(no.7466); Serug means 'branch' (no. 8286); Nahor means 'snoring or snorting' (no. 5170) -
strong link there among many of the brethren eh? (I jest). And Terah, the father of Abram
(to be renamed Abraham by God), means 'delay' (no. 8646). Haran means 'mountaineer' (no.
2039).
Gen
11:27 Now these are THE GENERATIONS OF TERAH: Terah begat Abram,
Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
This GENERATION will continue in the lineage of our Lord and Savior. This Abram would
later be called 'the father of many nations', and thus the name Abraham. We will soon
cover Abram's nephew Lot, who would go into the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and be
delivered.
Gen
11:28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in
Ur of the Chaldees.
29 And Abram and Nahor took them 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.
Abram's wife Sarai ('my princess') would become later changed to Sarah ('Princess').
Through her the seed of Isaac would come. Milcah ('Queen') would be the lineage which
Isaac's wife Rebekah would come from (Gen.24:15).
This area Ur of the Chaldees is the southern area
of ancient Babylon.
Gen
11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son,
and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur
of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died
in Haran.
Get
out of 'Babylon' (confusion), is what Terah, Abram, Lot, and Sarai did. That is where
Abram began his journey to the land of Canaan. Recall that Canaan was the son of Ham and
his mother (Gen.9). Abram's father Terah would die in Haran (Hebrew Charan), an
area between the rivers Khabour and Euphrates in Padan-aram. Also recall the prophecy that
Canaan would be a servant to his brethren (Gen.9:25-27).
In Genesis 12, God will make a Promise to Abram, and tell
him to get out of the area of Babylon altogether. Abram and his wife will find danger, but
eventually come out 'smelling like a rose'.
Peace to you in Christ
Jesus,
Dave Ramey.
Footnotes:
All references to
"Strong's nos." are from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, PC Study Bible,
Biblesoft, 1993-1996.
All references to
"BDB" are from Brown, Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Woodside
Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada, 1993, PC Study Bible, Biblesoft, 1993-1996.
(top)
Next
Study »
|
|
