Genesis 11 - The Tower of Babel

In our last study, we discussed how the whole earth was overspread by the three sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. To the careful student, we can easily see how their offspring spread out and formed the various people groups we now see today. We were introduced to a guy named Nimrod, a son of Cush, who was one of the sons of Ham. His name means “we shall rebel,” and he was a mighty hunter against the Lord.

According to the historian Josephus, Nimrod said that 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 reach. And that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers.” Apparently, he did not pay attention to God’s covenant with Noah, and as we can see, Nimrod was in direct defiance to the Lord, and led the people to rebel against Him in various idolatrous practices.

Nimrod’s mother was named Semiramis, and it was her claim that Nimrod was born without an earthly father; in other words, he was miraculously conceived. One day while hunting, he was gored by a wild boar and died. He was supposedly dead for three days, and then came to life again. His supposed resurrection was celebrated by coloring eggs and various festivities in the spring, and his birthday was celebrated on December 25th by gift-giving, drunken orgies, and the placing of trees decorated with silver and gold in their homes. Any of this sounding familiar? Semiramis went by other names such as the queen of heaven and Astarte, and is where we get the word Easter.

This Babylonian religious system spread throughout that region, and eventually made its way to Rome. After Rome outlawed the persecution of Christianity under Constantine, the Church began compromising by mixing these idolatrous practices with Christianity rather than abandoning them. As a result, many of those same religious practices and rituals became a major part of the Catholic Church, and eventually the Protestant Church to some degree as well. The introduction of prayer to the saints, the worship of statues and other relics, and the deifying of Mary are all idolatrous practices that have their roots in the Babylonian religious system.

It is the opinion of some that the Babylonian religious system of the Catholic Church will be linked with the antichrist during the Tribulation, and the antichrist will use the church until it no longer serves his purposes. Throughout the Bible and the rest of history, Babylon has been man’s religion, and ultimately the devil’s counterfeit to God’s plan for mankind. All the other religions have their root in the Babylonian religious system in that they have rebelled against the Lord, and developed their own set of rules and religious rituals that can never please God. Babylon and its religious system will both one day come under the judgment of God (see Jeremiah 51-52 and Revelation 17-18). Back to Genesis 11.

At this point in history the earth was of one language. Because of the earlier record of Genesis in which the people had Hebrew names with Hebrew meanings, some scholars believe this one language was Hebrew. After the Flood, the people migrated westward and settled in the land of Shinar (a region in modern-day Iraq). It would later become the location of the Babylonian empire. It was here under the leadership of Nimrod that they decided to build a tower unto heaven. This tower they set out to build was to be a place of worship, an observatory to worship the heavenly bodies. There have been many such observatories discovered in archeological digs in that area. Ancient historians such as Herodotus, who lived in the fifth century B.C.,  affirm the existence of the tower of Babel. He said that it was still standing in his day, and that he had seen it.

So then, it was really the beginning of astrology. Astrology is a study of the heavenly bodies, and attempts to interpret their influence on human affairs. For example, using a horoscope to predict one’s future is directly linked to astrology. If we remember from Genesis 1, God made the sun, moon, and stars for man to mark times and seasons, but to worship them and use them to predict the future is strictly forbidden by the Scriptures. Moses told the children of Israel, “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) The Lord uses the word abomination, which is the strongest language in the entire Bible to condemn these activities, and the Scriptures state that those who practice the occult will be burned up like stubble in the day of God’s judgment (Isaiah 47). It is also interesting to point out that in Isaiah 47 the Lord is pronouncing this judgment on Babylon, the place where all this started, for these activities.

Here in Genesis 11, they wanted to unite the world with a religion that was in direct defiance to the Lord. They wanted to make a name for themselves so that they would not be scattered around the world when God had told them to spread out over the earth (Genesis 9:1). They made bricks in the brick kiln and used asphalt for mortar to build their tower, which would have made it both strong and water proof. This lends credibility to Josephus’ account of Nimrod wanting to build a tower that would prevent God from destroying mankind again with a flood.

The world united to serve the Lord is a great and wonderful thing, but the world united to rebel against Him is a terrible thing. Unfortunately, the former is not possible until the Lord Jesus returns to reign on Earth, and the Lord had to intervene in order to slow down man’s rebellious efforts.

As they were in building, the Lord came down to see the city and the tower. The phrase “the Lord came down” is similar language to when He said He would go down with two angels to visit Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sin Genesis 18:21) It is possible this was an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ, (a Christophany). He stated that if they were left alone with one language there would be nothing they could not do if they set their minds to it. Similar to the Lord not allowing man to live forever in a sinful state, the Lord could not allow mankind to stay in one area united in rebellion against Him. As a result, the Lord said, “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (vs 7) It was then called Babel since it is where the Lord confused their languages and scattered them over the face of the earth. So, they left off building the city.

Many linguists believe that language is so unique that man could not have made it up. They exist as whole systems rather than small parts put together. Some like to attribute the different languages to some evolutionary process, but it was a super-natural event done by the Lord Himself.

It is here where we see the development of nations: God created nations and their boundaries for a specific purpose. The Scriptures state that God “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord.” (Acts 17:26-27) The Lord scattered the nations to thwart Satan’s efforts to establish his kingdom on earth, and to give man more opportunity to receive the Gospel. Historically, the United States has been one of the largest promoters of the Gospel throughout the world, and this attempt to erase our borders and unite with the rest of the world I’m convinced is Satan’s attempt to try and stop this. Any time you see the world try to unite as one, you can be sure that Satan is behind it. Modern transportation and technology have resulted in these divisions between people groups quickly coming together. It is much easier to travel to a foreign country or learn a foreign language, and we even have technology that will translate foreign languages for us. We know from Bible prophecy that the Devil will unfortunately succeed for a time in uniting the world under one government, only to be defeated and deposed by Jesus Christ when He returns. Another reason nations are good is that they provide a means of restraining evil. Imagine a world united under Adolf Hitler. If it were not for the United States and its allies, the world would have been a much different place today.

Next, Moses brings the focus back to the descendants of Shem. Shem had his first son Arphaxad when he was 100 years old, two years after the Flood. Shem then lived another 500 years after Arphaxad. If you study the chronologies, Shem would have been 199 when Peleg was born, 390 when Abram was born, 490 when Isaac was born, and 550 when Jacob and Esau were born. Although the life-span of man drastically decreased after the Flood, as we can see, oral history of Creation and the Flood still would have been easily passed down to Abraham and his descendants.

We see Peleg mentioned again, and if we remember from chapter 10, in his days the earth was divided. There are some who attribute this to the beginning of the splitting apart of the continents, but geologic activity of that magnitude would likely have been too catastrophic. It is more likely that this continental splitting happened during the time of the Flood. There is evidence that sea-levels were lower after the Flood, allowing for people and animals to migrate across the various continents. Peleg is mentioned both before and after the tower of Babel, so it seems more likely to attribute the division of the earth to God’s confusing the languages and subsequent scattering of the people into the various nations.

As we move on down from Peleg, we come to Abram. It is here where we see the author slow down and begin to focus on Abram and his descendants. Terah had three sons, Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran died in Ur of the Chaldees, and he had a son named Lot. Both Abram and Nahor took wives, Abram marrying Sarai, and Nahor marrying Milcah, Haran’s daughter. the Scriptures point out to us for the first time that Sarai was barren, a key fact that will play an important role in the next several chapters. So, Terah, Abram and his wife Sarai, and Lot left Ur of the Chaldees to go into the land of Canaan. They stopped on the way and settled in Haran, a city in the southern part of modern-day Turkey near the Syrian border. It does not appear that Nahor went with them at this point, but he would follow them later. It is here that Abram’s father Terah dies.

Abram lived in Ur of the Chaldees, and as we learned, it was a place characterized by idol worship. Abram’s family, including his own father, worshiped idols (Joshua 24:2). It was here that the Lord appeared to Abram, and told him to get out of his country and from his relatives to go to a land that He would show him. The Lord knew that Abram would ultimately be obedient to this call, although it would appear He did not obey immediately.

In summary, within a relatively short time following the Flood, mankind was already corrupting themselves by rebelling against the Lord and participating in occultic practices. Again, the Lord could have just wiped them all out, but He did not. He had a bigger plan that would unfold throughout the ages, a plan that would begin with a man that would respond to the call of God by faith. This is how the Lord has always chosen to operate with man, and it is how He will continue to do so. We will pick up in the next chapter with them leaving Haran for the land of Canaan.

 

 

Additional Links

 

In the Days of Peleg

 

The Nine Forbidden Practices of the Occult

 

Genesis 10 - The Table of Nations

Previously in Genesis 9, we saw more details on the covenant the Lord made with Noah. He expanded man’s diet to include meat, and He instituted human government. The basis of this government was the sanctity of human life. As a sign He would never again destroy the earth with a flood, the Lord set a rainbow in the cloud to remind Him of His covenant with man and everything living. In chapter 10, we see the dividing of the various nations and ethnic groups from the sons of Noah. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and it was from the descendants of these three sons and their wives that the Bible says the whole earth was overspread.

Japheth means enlarged or fare, and he is considered the father of the Indo-European peoples. His sons migrated into the region stretching from India to the shores of western Europe. Gomer was the father of the ancient Sumerians who settled in the Fertile Crescent in the years following the Flood. They spread out to the north and west, and fathered the Scythian and Germanic peoples who settled in Europe. Magog, Meshech, and Tubal migrated into the far north of Europe, and became the Russian and related peoples. Madai was the father of the Medes, who settled in Iran and Iraq, as well as in India. Javan was the father of the ancient Greeks and of those who would inhabit the British Isles. So, the Greeks, Romans, Spanish, Celts, Scythians and Medes were all Japheth’s descendants.

Ham means passionate, burnt, or dark, His descendants migrated into Canaan, Africa, Asia, Australia, the South Pacific, and the Americas. The descendants of Cush founded Babylon and Ethiopia. Mizraim settled in Egypt, Put in Libya, and Canaan in the area we know as Israel and the surrounding regions.

As I previously mentioned, Mizraim fathered the Egyptian people, but also among his sons was the father of the Philistines who would go on to be arch-enemies of Israel. Canaan’s son, Sidon, was related to the Hittites and Lebanese. The Sinite is believed to be where the Chinese and oriental peoples came from. In V 18 it states that the families of the Canaanites were dispersed, lending credibility to this belief. In fact, in every continent, history has shown that wherever the descendants of Japheth have settled, the descendants of Ham were there first. They are often thought to be black-skinned, but archeologists tell us they had brown, red, and white characteristics. They appear to be the most varied of Noah’s lineage.

Among Ham’s descendants, there is someone worth mentioning. Cush had a son named Nimrod, and the Scriptures state he began to be a mighty one in the earth. The name Nimrod means “We shall rebel,” and so he did. The language here in Genesis regarding Nimrod being mighty in the earth is similar language to that used to describe the giants prior to the Flood, and some believe him to be the first of these giants to re-appear after the Flood. He was well-known for his hunting skills, and became a protector of the people as he hunted wild animals. He was the first political and religious leader, and he sought to unite the people of the world as one. He founded the kingdom of Babel, and later Assyria. However, when the Scriptures state he was a mighty hunter before the Lord, it is translated in the Septuagint as a mighty hunter “against” the Lord. In other words, Nimrod was a hunter of men’s souls. He became the founder and leader of the first man-made religion that would later become known as the Babylonian religious system or “Mystery Babylon” referred to in the book of Revelation. This appears to have started in the building of the tower of Babel which we will see in chapter 11 of Genesis.

Shem means named or renown. His descendants largely settled in the Middle East, and include the Hebrews, Persians, and Assyrians. Modern-day Arabs and Jews are descendants of Shem. Elam was the father of the Persian people, Asshur the father of the Assyrians, Lud the father of the Lydians, and Aram the father of the Syrians. Arphaxad was the father of the Hebrews. Notice, the Bible does not divide man by race or skin color, but as the descendants of the three sons of Noah. As the descendants of these three sons spread out into smaller groups, skin color and other physical features began to emerge and become more prominent.

We see the record of these descendants until a certain point, but then the author under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit begins to hone in on the tribe of Shem. It would be through the tribe of Shem that we will see the nation of Israel, and eventually Jesus Himself. In fact, one of the main reasons for keeping record of the genealogies is to trace the lineage of Jesus, the Lord and Savior of mankind who would come through the seed of the woman. This is highlighted for us in Luke 3.

One of Shem’s great grandsons was Eber, and this is where we get the name Hebrew. Eber had two sons; one whose name was Peleg, and the other Joktan. The Scriptures state that in Peleg’s days the earth was divided, and is probably referring to the tower of Babel since Peleg lived during this time. Joktan also fathered various Arab peoples. One of his sons was Jobab, and some believe he may be the Job of the Bible. One of the sons of Aram was Uz, and we know Job was from the land of Uz.

If the entire human race descended from these three sons of Noah, then it would follow that there should be accounts of a world-wide flood around the globe. This is, in fact, what we find. On every continent we find legends of a flood with details of birds being sent out, some even specifying a raven and a dove. Some of them tell of a favored family, and in the majority of them the flood was global. For example, the Chinese have a tradition that Fu-hi or Fohi (Chinese Noah), their first king, made his appearance on the mountains of Chin. He was surrounded by a rainbow after the world had been covered by water, and sacrificed animals to God. Although the accounts vary, their similarities lend credibility that this was a real historical event.

Altogether, the descendants of Noah mentioned in Genesis 10 are 70, and it is through these descendants that the world was repopulated. It is what is commonly called the Table of Nations. All of mankind can be traced back to these three sons of Noah. The soundchristian.com puts it as follows: “Note that there is nothing like the Table of Nations (as presented here) in any other national tradition. Here we are given the origin of nations. We can also factually claim that wherever it's statements can be sufficiently tested, Genesis 10 of the Bible has been found completely accurate; resulting partly from linguistic studies, partly from archaeology, and more recently still from the findings of physical anthropologists, who are to this day recovering important clues to lines of migration in ancient historic times.” Archaeologist William Albright said, "It [the Bible] remains an astonishingly accurate document – and shows such remarkably 'modern' understanding of the ethnic and linguistic situation in the modern world, in spite of all its complexity, that scholars never fail to be impressed with it's knowledge of the subject."

For those of us who live in the United States and who are Christian and patriotic, we can sometimes fall into this mindset that we are the favored people of God. No doubt, God has shown us immense favor in this nation, but we are all distant cousins when you get down to it. We are all part of the family we call the human race, which should create a sense of compassion for one another, and a desire to share the Gospel with the lost.

When you really get right down to it, there are only two types of people in this world, the spiritually dead, and the spiritually alive. There’s no middle ground. In which camp are you, reader? If you are not a Christian, you are spiritually dead. If you’re dead, you’re dead. A dead man cannot revive himself. It is not possible for you to make yourself spiritually alive, or fix your sinful condition. The only thing you can do is be made into a new man. Jesus told Nicodemus that unless he was born again, he would not see the kingdom of God. The way into this new birth is through faith in the Son of God. Jesus went on to say, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3:16) Pass from the old life into the new, from being dead to being made alive in Jesus Christ. If you are a Christian, we should seek to lead as many as we can from the camp of the lost and spiritually dead into the camp of the living. In the following chapter, we will get a close-up view of this guy named Nimrod, and then the Holy Spirit will narrow His focus down to one of the descendants of Eber, a man named Abram.

 

Additional Links

 

Table of Nations and Origin of Races

 

Who Was Nimrod in the Bible?