Take Two: Genesis 11, Proverbs 2

As I shared yesterday, Gen 11:1-9 really fits the thought of Gen 10 best. Following Gen 11:1-9 is the "continuation" of the genealogy of Shem through Abram, so in essence, Genesis 10 and 11 are greatly dependent upon one another.

In Gen 11:1-9 we see that the people had migrated toward the plains of Shinar (Babylon) and there decided to build a city. Remember that God had directed Noah and his sons to fill the whole earth, but here we see that they would be content to be together. A couple of problems with man's approach come to light.

First, man decided to do other than what God had instructed (Gen 11:3-4). Their efforts were aimed at preventing themselves from being scattered abroad...which is precisely what God had instructed them to do. Second, they wanted to make a name for themselves. This would create a reputation and a source of strength leading to their self-sufficiency. For obvious reasons, these pursuits are in opposition to God. Third, they would build a city and a tower reaching to heaven. This "tower," which is not completely identified, would provide a means for man to get to heaven and for God to come to earth to be among man. In the minds of the people, they would even make it so that God (who apparently needed their help) could be accessible to them, apart form their act of obedience to His expressed will.

Only a short time after the flood, the hearts of men are revealed again to be self-interested and self-serving. First with Noah and then with these actions of his sons. They decided to put their heads together and work together to establish their own destiny.

Gen 11:5-8 is somewhat poetic in its original form. "Man" said, Come, let us stay and build and make a name for ourselves. God said, "come let Us go see what man has done in all of his ingenuity." God then acted WITHIN human history again (that is a theological point) to insure that His purpose would be fulfilled. He confused the languages and dialects of the people so that they could not understand each other. The people then began to connect based on language affinity and move away.

This account is etiological in that it serves to explain the reason for different ethnic groups and diversity in languages. It also is a great example of how man's greatest effort could be thwarted by the smallest intervention of God.

Another observation that needs to be made is that some see unity as ideal. They would see God's actions of confusing the languages as somehow destroying the ideal. Yet, it is through God's actions that we see His preservation of the world and His provision for the people. His people were about to miss their purpose, yet God's actions facilitated their accomplishing it. (Not the only time either. Remember the scattering of the church in Acts 8:1).

What you and I may see as judgment, can easily be seen as God's blessing. Man was in the process of forfeiting his blessing by disobeying the instruction of God. Yet, God (who loves man more than man loves himself) acted in human history to insure that man would fulfill the purpose and experience the blessing. Only a good and sovereign God would act in this way. We might even ask what things have occurred in our lives that we perceived as "bad" but were later revealed to be ultimately for our "good." If the good has yet to be revealed, then we have only to wait to see what great things the Lord will do.

Gen 11:10-32 picks up with the toledoth (generations) of Shem again and traces them through Abram. The genealogy is selective (in that it leaves out details of all of the children who were born). It is leading to a purposeful conclusion. God had issued a universal blessing to all of mankind. He now will reveal the vehicle/person through whom He will bring the blessing about. The record ends with Terah, Abram, (his nephew) Lot, and Sarai (Abram's wife) leaving Ur of the Chaldeans enroute to Canaan. They made it as far as Haran when Terah died. This is the "set-up" for the Abrahamic call" in Chapter 12.

Proverbs 2:7-8 is the takeaway today. The proverb speaks of God as the source of wisdom. The wisdom is abundant because God is limitless in His wisdom. By trusting in God, He becomes our defender (shield), our guide, (guarding our path), and our Salvation (preserves the way of His godly ones). Certainly the converse is true as well. By not trusting in God, we live without wisdom, have no defense, and no hope in Salvation. There is no middle ground of "praying a prayer" without "trusting in God." Grace.