Tower of Babel

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the Lord said, ‘Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.’ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was 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. (Genesis 11:1-9, NRSV)

I often wonder about this story…

Everyone on earth spoke the same language because they all descended from Adam and Eve. So they could all understand each other. So they thought they would build a tower and get to heaven. But why did they want to get to heaven? And why were they worried about being spread abroad?

And why did God not want them to get to heaven?

And why did God confuse their language?

And who is the us, when God says let us go down?

There are a lot of questions…

But my take on this story is it is a way to get from all of the people descending from Adam and Eve and there being so many different languages on the earth.

And we as a people need to know the answers. Just ask any parent what the most asked question by a kid is, and they will tell you why. We want to know why things happen or are done a certain way. We want to know.

So take it as a story to tell something. Maybe it is the formation of the languages, maybe it is a delay in us being with God fully in His kingdom, maybe it is a lot of things we don’t know.

But know this, the story shows us that God is present in the lives of the people He has created.

Nations Descended from Noah

Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterwards the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. These are the descendants of Ham, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations. To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. The descendants of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. The descendants of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the descendants of Joktan. The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar, the hill country of the east. These are the descendants of Shem, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations.  These are the families of Noah’s sons, according to their genealogies, in their nations; and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood. (Genesis 10:15-32, NRSV)

These are the generations of Noah and where they spread to. And remember why all of this is important.

Because God wanted you to have something that could help you to fall asleep so we have the begat chapters in the Bible. No, not really.

It is our story. This is where we came from? Remember that all life came from Adam and Eve and then when the flood came, Noah and his family were all that survived so we trace back to Noah. So the lineage of Noah is your family tree.

This story is your story.

Share your story with the world and help them to connect with all of their story.

Nations Descended from Noah

These are the descendants of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; children were born to them after the flood. The descendants of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The descendants of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The descendants of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. From these the coastland peoples spread. These are the descendants of Japheth in their lands, with their own language, by their families, in their nations.  The descendants of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The descendants of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to become a mighty warrior. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, ‘Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.’ The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. Egypt became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, from which the Philistines come. (Genesis 10:1-14, NRSV)

If you’re like me you probably let out a big sigh when you get to these sections of the Bible. I wonder why do I need to know who begat who and whose descended from whom…

But in reality, all of that is important because we need to know where we come from. And the story of the Bible is not just someone’s story who lived a long time ago that I won’t meet until that final great banquet feast. The story of the Bible is my story, and it is your story.

You see I need to know who begat who because those are my relatives. Those are people from my tree.

For me to know their story is for me to know my story.

Do you know your story?

Noah and His Sons

The sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled. Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backwards and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan; lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers.’  He also said, ‘Blessed by the Lord my God be Shem; and let Canaan be his slave. May God make space for Japheth, and let him live in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his slave.’  After the flood Noah lived for three hundred and fifty years. (Genesis 9:18-28, NRSV)

How did Noah know that it was Ham?

It doesn’t sound like Shem and Japheth woke him up when they covered him so how did he know it was Ham who saw him naked?

And shouldn’t he be more upset about the state he would have or could have been found in and be glad that his son did something about it? And why is only Shem blessed, while Japheth has space for him in Shem’s tents?

Sometimes we look at things from the wrong angle and do not let the mercy that God has given us flow freely.

How do we show God’s love to others?

Flood and Promise

The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created—people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favour in the sight of the Lord. These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth. And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and put the door of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks. For my part, I am going to bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind shall come in to you, to keep them alive. Also take with you every kind of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them.’ Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.  At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more.  Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’ (Genesis 6:5-22; 8:6-12; 9:8-17, NRSV)

Have you ever been in a quandary and didn’t know how it would work out?

2 years ago on this day, my life was turned upside down. Something happened that I wasn’t sure how I would get through it or how it would change my life.

I prayed that God would take care of what was happening and intervein so His will is done.

So many things happened that day and in the following 2 years and my life is still whirling. But through it all, God has never left me.

God has never failed on His promise to be with me.

This is only one time in the Bible that God shares a promise and a notion that God will always be with us and for us. So just as Noah did, believe that God will follow through and build the boat, even when there is no water, even when you don’t understand, because He will be with you and He will keep His promises…

Detestation of the Wicked

“May my enemy be like the wicked, and may my opponent be like the unrighteous. For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts them off, when God takes away their lives? Will God hear their cry when trouble comes upon them? Will they take delight in the Almighty? Will they call upon God at all times? I will teach you concerning the hand of God; that which is with the Almighty I will not conceal. All of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain? (Job 27:7-12, NRSV)

What will happen to those who do not trust God?

We can only hope that God will hear their cries as they turn their hearts to Him.

And how will they do this?

Because you have been an influence for God’s love in their lives.

Prayer for Deliverance

“Lord, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight. Surely everyone stands as a mere breath. Surely everyone goes about like a shadow. Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; they heap up, and do not know who will gather. (Psalm 39:4-6, NRSV)

Have you ever just wanted something to be over? Here David is writing a psalm of wisdom and forgiveness.

He is pondering life and his sin.

David is reflecting on how fleeting his life and all life is. We are nothing but a breath in the time of God, and we move around only as He gives us life.

Help me not to be a fleeting breath but help my life to make a difference God.

Use me to show your love in a world that needs to see you!

Hope in the Land

The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse— who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings. Like the partridge hatching what it did not lay, so are all who amass wealth unjustly; in mid-life it will leave them, and at their end they will prove to be fools. (Jeremiah 17:9-11, NRSV

The Lord will search our minds and our hearts to give us what we deserve according to our ways, according to the fruit of our doing.

The Lord knows the reason we do the things we do. Is it out of the love that the Lord has poured into our hearts, or for our own gain?

The heart desires what it wants, but we must know if it is for the Lord or our own selfish gain. The Lord will always know.

Live for others, as the Lord lives for you!

A Wasted Youth Brings Retribution

Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Banish anxiety from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10, NRSV)

Do whatever you like and follow after your heart and the desire of your eyes. Just know you will be judged for whatever you do.

So nothing is off limits, but that doesn’t mean that everything is uplifting…

Follow after God and He will show you the best way to live and give Him glory.

Rejoice while you are young, but follow God for all of your life.

God’s Principles of Judgment

Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. You say, “We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.” Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all. (Romans 2:1-16, NRSV)

The bible doesn’t say that we shouldn’t judge others. It says do not judge unless you want to be judged by the same judgment. And usually as our passage today says when we judge someone we too are guilty of that same thing.  In fact, when we point our finger at someone, we are usually pointing 3 fingers back at ourselves.

You see God forgave us and wants us to forgive others. Not tell them they are wicked and evil and going to be eternally separated from God, but that God loves us and them and when we confess our wrongs God forgives us.

So do you judge others, and do you realize you are also judging yourself?