1. What was clearly happening in this chapter?

2. What, does Nimrod show us, was the way that was happening?

3. If this chapter was absent from the Bible what would we be left

wondering?

C. Comment :

Our temptation when we come to chapters like this one which are largely lists of families, is to write it off as of no consequence, but the Scripture says "ALL Scripture is... useful" (2 Timothy 3:16).

It is, first of all, a record of the three families that developed from Noah. From Ham was coming Canaan who was cursed by his grandfather (9:25) and from Shem was going to come the chosen family of Abram (next chapter).

The man who stands out in this chapter is Nimrod (v.8-12). He was clearly acclaimed as a great man, a "mighty hunter before the Lord" (v.9 x2). That is an apparently good side of him but what was not so good is that he was a mighty warrior (conqueror of other men in God's creation), he created a kingdom for himself and made big cities, the first of which was Babylon.

Throughout Biblical history Babylon was a centre of godless self worship, apparently following from its originator. Many believe that Nimrod was the origin of much cult worship, the form of which is still seen widely today. Here apparently was a man who started well but turned to godless, destructive activity. Thus sin was clearly still seen on the earth.

D. Application?

1. Family trees are about people. People are important to God.

2. Beware empire builders!

Chapter: Genesis 11

Passage: Genesis 11:1-9

A. Find Out:

1. Where did men settle? v.2 (see also footnote)

2. What did they start making? v.3

3. What did they decide to build? v.4a

4. Why? v.4b

5. Why did the Lord confuse their language? v.6,7

6. What was the city called? v.9 (see also footnote)

B. Think :

1. How in this passage did men start moving towards the artificial?

2. How would you summarise the aim of their building a city?

3. What was the Lord's objection to this?

C. Comment :

Again the sinful nature of mankind starts rearing up again. Their tendency was to turn away from God to their own self reliance to "make a name" for themselves (v.4). They were not content with being part of God's creation; they wanted to be masters of their destiny!

It is interesting to note that they stopped using stone, a natural material, and started making brick (v.3), an artificial, manufactured material. Nothing wrong in itself but a pointer nevertheless towards their general trend away from God and His provision for them.

Again it is significant that the forming of a city created a sense of corporate human power that could move more and more away from the Lord to such a measure that He felt he had to scatter them. Collective power so often becomes godless. Often today, it is cities which become some of the more godless parts of our society, where corporate man ensures he is master of his own destiny without reference to God. Babylon was to become the symbol again and again, even to recent history of godless, man-centred activity.

D. Application?

1. Do I exclude the Lord from part of my life?

2. Do I have a tendency towards self rule and self reliance or God-rule and

God-reliance.

3. Affirm today your total reliance on Him.

Chapter: Genesis 11

Passage: Genesis 11:10-32

A. Find Out:

1. Whose family tree is this? v.10

2. How many sons did Terah have? v.26

3. Where were they living? v.28

4. What are we told about Abram? v.29,30

5. Where did they start out to go to? v.31

6. But where did they settle? v.32

B. Think :

1. How many generations were there from Noah to Abram?

2. How would you describe the difference between verses 10-26 and

    verses 27-32?

3. Who had been the last man previously noted in these studies who had

     had much said about him?

C. Comment :

First we have a family tree, from verses 10 to 26, being run through quickly, almost like a video recorder on "fast forward", but as soon as we reach v.27 it slows to normal "Play" and we are able to observe in more detail the lives of those being spoken about.

The first eleven chapters of the Bible range over a long period of history, covering a lot of people. The next 12 chapters are all about the one man, Abram. Suddenly God's focus is upon one man who will become the father of His chosen nation Israel . Abram's life story will be followed in the next set of studies in this series.

At this point we should note the flow of history from Noah to Abram. Many suggest that genealogies such as we've seen here are not meant to be comprehensive and all inclusive i.e. they don't cover every generation, merely sufficient to make the links. Whatever the truth, we have history here. From a specific point in "history" where God created the world, we have now come to a point where He takes a man whose life will be very special. We all are part of the planned flow of history from the time when God made the world to the time when He will end it.

D. Application?

Do I have a sense of being in the flow of God's purposes in history, whereby future lives will be affected by what I am today?

RECAP - "The Nations Form" - Genesis Chapters 10 & 11

SUMMARY :

In these last three studies we have seen:

  - the nations populating the earth

  - men at Babel ( Babylon ) wanting to make a name for

     themselves apart from God

  - the Lord scattering them over the earth

  - the generations from Noah to Abram

  - the start of the story of Abram

COMMENT :

The story of man is is one of foolishness and sin. The devastation of the flood should have been such a warning for future generations but they ignore it. This thing called sin, this tendency to reject God in favour of their own self-endeavour and self-rule, pushes man into illogical stupidity. They have a wonderful world given to them by a wonderful God and they abuse both! Throughout history sin breeds stupidity. Even today we see the same. Remember, sin breeds stupidity!

The story of God is one of grace and mercy. Instead of destroying the entire world He chooses a man who IS righteous and spares him. When the world turns away again, He chooses another to whom He can reveal His grace. That will be the story of Abram that comes next.

LESSONS?

1. Godless man is a foolish captive to sin

2. The power and wisdom of God is still there even when man's foolishness holds centre

stage

3. The grace of God looks for men to bless

4. Even where there may be human failure, God is still looking to start afresh and bring

fresh hope.

PRAY :

1. Thank the Lord that our failure is never the end.

2. Thank Him for His grace that is always looking for new beginnings.

SUMMARY

In these first 11 chapters of Genesis we have seen:

a) the Lord:

- create a wonderful world out of nothing

- create man to rule over the world

- give him free reign with it

- restrict him on one point

- banish man after the Fall

- strive with evil mankind

- choose a man of righteousness

- destroy the world by a flood

- save the one righteous man and his family

- resolve not to destroy the earth again

- scatter the godless people of the earth

- choose another righteous man

b) In respect of the world:

- a world of beauty, provision and variety

- Adam and Eve in their original innocence

- Adam and Eve fall to Satan's temptation

- fear, guilt and blame enter their lives

- banished from the beauty of Eden

- sent to subdue the world

- anger and jealousy come with Cain

- the first death in Abel

- the banishing of Cain

- men living very long lives from the beginning

- Enoch being a righteous man who walked with God

- Man's evil reaching a peak

- Noah, a righteous man saved by obedience

- Noah's foolishness after the flood

- the actions of Noah's sons

- the family tree from Noah to Abram

- the foolishness of godless men, building Babel

- Abram the man chosen to become God's friend

CONCLUSIONS

What we have seen:

God, the Creator, created a beautiful world and put responsible man on it to live. Very soon man turned from God and the remaining history is a story of man's continuing foolishness in being "godless". Godlessness is clearly the heart of all sin and it leads to rampant evil among men. Nevertheless, in the midst of it all, God is constantly looking for righteous, godly men and women who maintain their relationship with Him. Wherever he finds such men and women he blesses them.

But Why?

The question arises, "Why did God bother to make a world with man on it, knowing that man would fall?"

Read: Ephesians 1:4 and Matthew 25:34

We see that God planned BEFORE He even made the earth that He would send Jesus to redeem us BACK from our sin, each of us who would respond to His call. God gave man free will to choose whether he would follow God or turn to his own ways. God wanted man to love Him. For there to be love there had to be free choice. God knew that man would fall, knew that he would turn away, knew that each and every one of us would fail Him, and yet He still carried on and made us!

The Lord had a plan in mind BEFORE He made the world that would provide a way for men and women to be won back to Him; men and women who had all their lives turned their back on God, but who would be won by the love and mercy and grace of God, and whose lives would be a triumph of that love.

God takes failure and builds something beautiful on it! Praise & worship Him for the wonder of that!

From Chapter 12 of Genesis we see God's dealings with His first chosen man of faith, Abram. It is a story of hope for every one of us. You will find it in the next of these "Bible Alive" series of studies.