Today’s passage: Genesis 11:1-9
Helpful thoughts:
- The people chose to build a tower (Or a ziggurat) that reached up to “the heavens.” Yet, God had to “come down” to “see” what they were doing.
- God is omnipresent and omniscient. The language of “coming down” to “see” is literary and given to make a point. Man’s attempts to replace God will always fall short.
- The goal of the people in building this tower was to find a way to get out of obeying God.
- They wanted to “make a name” for themselves (Pagan idolatry, the invention of a new god)…
- …So that they didn’t have to “fill the earth” (9:1).
- God knew the hearts of the people and knows what man is capable of when we all work together as one, and it is not good.
- For this reason, he graciously confused our languages.
Questions to consider:
- What do we learn about the root cause of idolatry in today’s passage? Why did the people want a new god? Who did they not want to obey? (See Romans 1:18-23)
- Why was God being gracious to the people by confusing them and spreading them out? Why was it better for man to not be able to organize together as one?
- In a world that is constantly getting “smaller” with our newer technologies, what direction could the world be moving if it chooses not to follow the Lord? How can Christians utilize the same technologies to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world?