Era 1 Episode 12-Genesis 11:1-32

The Bible Breakthrough, Era1, Episode 12 - In this Episode we read about why the people were scattered; the Tower of Babel; the descendants from Shem to Abraham, and the family of Terah. Pastor Dave and Scott discover how different languages became into existence, and discuss the differences between the sons of God and the sons of man.

Era 1, Episode 12 The Bible Breakthrough Show Notes

Genesis 11:1-32

The Tower of Babel

At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. 2 As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. 3 They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) 4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” 5 But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. 6 “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! 7 Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” 8 In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.

The Line of Descent from Shem to Abram

10 This is the account of Shem’s family. Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. 11 After the birth of Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters. 12 When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah. 13 After the birth of Shelah, Arphaxad lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eber. 15 After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 16 When Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg. 17 After the birth of Peleg, Eber lived another 430 years and had other sons and daughters. 18 When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu. 19 After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived another 209 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug. 21 After the birth of Serug, Reu lived another 207 years and had other sons and daughters. 22 When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor. 23 After the birth of Nahor, Serug lived another 200 years and had other sons and daughters. 24 When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah. 25 After the birth of Terah, Nahor lived another 119 years and had other sons and daughters. 26 After Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

The Family of Terah

27 This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. 28 But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living. 29 Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.) 30 But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children. 31 One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. 32 Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.

I.  Facts:

1. Sons of God – Religious rather than secular, the recorded ancestry of the professors of faith
2. Sons of men – Secular rather than religious – they treated that which was sacred with irreverence or disrespect

The old distinction between the sons of God and the sons of men survived the flood, and now appeared again, when men began to multiply according to this distinction we have, in this chapter

A.  The dispersion of the sons of men at Babel

a.  Their presumptuous provoking design, which was to build a city and a tower

b.  The righteous judgment of God upon them in disappointing their design, by confounding their language, and so scattering them

B.  The pedigree of the sons of God down to Abraham, with a general account of his family, and removal out of his native country

II.  Key Points:

1. In Genesis 9:1, God blessed Noah and his sons and told them to:

A. Be fruitful and multiply

B.  Fill the earth

2. Everyone spoke the same language and they all agreed to build a great city for themselves with a tower that reaches the sky.

A. This revealed the condition of their heart:

Thoughts of reflection:     The blessing of Genesis 9:1 came with a command. As we read today’s Scripture, we can see that the people chose to do what they wanted as opposed to what they were told to do                                        

i.  So, as God looks into your heart, what does he see?

·  Does He see how pride has led you to chase your own desires instead of His?

·  Do you sometimes think you are wiser than God based on decisions you have made in your recent past?

·  Do you doubt God’s promises are for you?                                        

ii. What blessings are you missing out on because of your disobedience?

Thoughts of reflection:     God observed what the people in Babylon were doing, and before judging them, He came to inspect it firsthand

· Do you believe God is present, observing what you are doing?                                          

i. What areas of your life do you know are out of alignment with the will of God?                                

ii. Are you willing to make changes to line up with God’s will for your life?

iii. Do you trust He will render fair judgement?

3. Because they couldn’t understand each other

A. They stopped building

B.  They began to move on, scattering all over the world as God had commanded them.

4.  The genealogy from Shem leads to the introduction of Abram (Abraham), the friend of God, and his wife Sarai

5.  Lifespans begin to diminish gradually from Shem (600) then to 500, and then 200 years

6.  Abram leaves Ur (Babylon) with his father Terah, nephew Lot, and the rest of his family in an act of (partial) obedience. He was supposed to leave alone and go to Canaan, but only got as far as Haran (Charran) where they stayed and settled

7.  Terah died in Haran

8.  An interesting thought:

A. The name Terah means, “delay”

B.  The name Haran means “parched, barren”

C.  When Abram was in partial obedience

i.  Delay and barrenness characterized his life

D. When we delay in drawing close to God

i.  We also experience delay and barrenness

Thoughts of reflection:     If you are you experiencing delay or barrenness in any aspect of your life

·  Are you willing to bring this to God and ask Him about it?

·  Are you willing to make adjustments to satisfy God?

·  Do you believe God’s promises over you?

III. &