THE TOWER OF BABEL (PRIDE & REBELLION)Genesis 11:1–9 -1 At one time the whole earth had the same language and vocabulary. 2 As people migrated from the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let us make oven-fired bricks.” They used brick for stone and asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” 5 Then the Lord came down to look over the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The Lord said, “If they have begun to do this as one people all having the same language, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name is called Babylon, for there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth, and from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
THE SIN OF HAM AND BEGINNING OF A REBELLIOUS LINEAGEGenesis 9:20-25 Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. 21 He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a cloak and placed it over both their shoulders, and walking backward, they covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father naked. 24 When Noah awoke from his drinking and learned what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said: Canaan will be cursed. He will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers.
HEBREW IDIOM
Leviticus 18:7–8 and Leviticus 20:11 the phrase “uncover your father’s nakedness” is clearly defined as sexual relations with your father’s wife.
HAM’S TITLE (GENESIS 9:18 &22): "HAM, THE FATHER OF CANAAN”
Genesis 10:8-11 - Cush fathered Nimrod, who was the first powerful man on earth. 9 He was a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord. 10 His kingdom started with Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh
BABYLON & NINEVAH: PRIDEFUL, REBELLIOUS & WICKEDIsaiah 14:13–14 -‘I will ascend to heaven;... I will make myself like the Most High.’”Jonah 1:2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
“NIMROD” DERIVED FROM THE HEBREW VERB MARAD (“TO REBEL”)
“Nimrod said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers!” –Flavius Josephus – Antiquities of the Jews (1.113-114)
NIMROD’S TOWER (OF BABEL) WAS AN OBVIOUS ATTEMPT TO REACH HEAVEN SO THAT MAN WOULD BE GLORIFIED OVER GOD.
AS WE GAIN KNOWLEDGE OF THE ANCIENT SCROLLS, GOD'S GRAND STORY OF REDEMPTION UNFOLDS.
Acts 2:1-11 - When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech. 5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 And they were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking the magnificent acts of God in our own languages.”
GOD NEVER INTENDED FOR HIS PRESENCE TO BE CONFINED TO ONE MAN-MADE STRUCTURE. HE WANTED HIS IMAGE-BEARERS TO COVER THE EARTH WITH HIS GLORY.
GOD ESTABLISHES A NEW TEMPLE WITHIN US THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT.1 Corinthians 6:19: “Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.”1 Corinthians 3:16 - "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?2 Corinthians 6:16 - "For we are the temple of the living God…"
TOWER OF BABEL: MAN BUILDING ONE TOWER, IN ONE PLACE FOR MAN'S GLORY.
TEMPLE OF HOLY SPIRIT: GOD SPIRIT DWELLING WITHIN HIS PEOPLE ACROSS THE EARTH FOR GOD'S GLORY
WHEN PRIDE IS OUR FOUNDATION, THE RESULT IS ALWAYS CONFUSION, DESTRUCTION, AND RUIN.
THE SIN OF PRIDE:
WHEN WE ACT BASED ON OUR FEELINGS, OUR DESIRES, OUR PLANS, AND OUR ACHIEVEMENTS INSTEAD OF SUBMITTING TO GOD’S WILL & GOD’S WORD.
Proverbs 16:18 - Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
