| CENTRAL THOUGHT Plans no matter how lofty must be in the will of God. |
TEXT: GEN. 9:1-7, GENESIS 11:1-9, 1 JOHN 2:15-17
INTRODUCTION:
In Genesis chapters 6-10, we read the fascinating account of God’s judgement on the earth but in the midst of judgement, Noah found favor in God’s eyes (Gen. 6:8) and He kept him, his family, and representatives of the animal kingdom safe. The judgement came upon the earth because “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” Genesis 6:5-6. Genesis 10-11 gives the account of the new beginnings of man after the flood. The purpose of the flood was to judge evil on the earth and it would be expected that, with the opportunity for a new beginning, those that survived the flood would learn from the experience and do the will of the Lord on earth.
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
1.) To know why men decided to build the tower of Babel.
2.) Understand the power of unity.
3.) Understand the basis of Christian unity.
4.) Know that God’s will is sovereign.
BIBLE TRUTH:
QUESTION 1.) WHY DID MEN DECIDE TO BUILD A TOWER AND IN WHAT WAYS COULD THIS BE CONSIDERED A REBELLION AGAINST GOD?
ACTS 17:26-27
“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:4.
As the population of men increased after the flood, they remained together and moved from place to place until they came to a plain in the land of Shinar. At first consideration, it may not be obvious what God faulted in their decision to build a city and a tower, after all, God had blessed Noah and his sons and asked them to be fruitful. However, when we compare God’s mandate to Noah in Gen. 9:1-7, and their vision in Gen. 11:4, we see differences. God wanted them to spread out and replenish the earth but they did not want to! They wanted to build a monument and make a name for themselves and not be scattered abroad over the earth. The primary focus of that group of men was to achieve greatness, serve their interests and bring glory to themselves. God and his purposes did not feature at all in their thoughts. They had become a god unto themselves and turned their backs on the living God. God paid them a visit and judged them. His purpose stood in the end. They were spread out over the earth.
QUESTION 2.) DISCUSS THE POWER OF UNITY AS DEPICTED IN GEN. 11:6. WHY IS THERE SO MUCH DISUNITY IN THE WORLD AND IN CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS TODAY.
“And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do”, Genesis 11:6.
Unity empowers a people. Naturally, the more the people are united for a purpose, the more the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual resources that can be channeled towards the attainment of that course.
For God’s people. The effect is not merely arithmetic. “And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.”, Leviticus 26:8. The Lord Himself acknowledged that nothing will be impossible for the people to achieve and he had to put a mechanism in place to divide them.
Clearly, the unity of the people arose from this fact that they saw themselves as one people having the same identity, they had a singular vision and because they had the same language, they could communicate with each other with ease. All that God did to divide them was to give them different languages such that they could no longer communicate freely. We can imagine the confusion it led to. Gradually, people with the same languages would gather themselves together and move in different directions until the plan of Shinar was empty.
The divisions in the world may arise from perceived differences of identity along tribal, religious, language, political, socioeconomic, and other lines. Even within the aforementioned groups, individuals may have different goals or objectives leading to further divisions.
Similarly, where communication lines are not clear, it breeds room for disunity. The causes of divisions among denominations do not differ much. They have arisen based on differences in understanding of different doctrines and practices of the faith and differences in the vision or objectives of different leaders.
QUESTION 3.) WHAT SHOULD BE THE BASIS OF CHRISTIAN UNITY?
“Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all”, Ephesians 4:3-6.
The basis of true Christian unity is the revelation, within the hearts of Christians, of the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. Only those who have the Holy Spirit and have their daily lives led and governed by Him are the sons of God. We are all baptized into this one Spirit, the Spirit of Christ.
In many settings, emphasis is laid on the great anointing or exploits of the overseer as a unifying factor, on the achievements of the church system, the gifts of God at work in the ministry as a unifying factor. All effort is made to distinguish “us” from “them”. People are taught what the denomination believes as distinct from what is practiced elsewhere. Those that comply with the sets of beliefs and practices are allowed to “belong” and grow or thrive in such systems. True unity, with my brother can only thrive when we both realize that there is only one body and one Spirit, one Lord, one Father of all, one hope and one faith and that if we both are born again we share in this. It grows are we both find mutual joy in doing God’s will.
QUESTION 4.) WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WORD “US” IN GENESIS 11:4 AS COMPARED TO IN GENESIS 1:26, 3:22?
The first refers to the will of man while the latter refers to the will of the Godhead. Man was created by God with a clear purpose, God has a specific purpose for every circumstance (Romans 12:1-3). God’s design was that man would find fulfillment and glory as he submits to His will. Whenever, man chooses to follow his will independent of God’s, it is self-will, rebellion, and man exposes himself to the risk of God’s judgement. God expects us not to live by impulse but to find out what His will is in every situation and do it (Eph. 6:18).
DAILY LIVING APPLICATION
At Babel, men set out to achieve a great feat and were on course to achieving it. But it was not inspired of God and did not aim at pleasing Him either. This was really an act of rebellion. We must be careful that a concept is lofty or great is no proof that it is God-inspired even in religious matters. We must learn to receive guidance from God in our individual lives so that we do not set out on human pursuits that clearly are against God’s purposes for our lives. Leaders in the church must be even more careful; many people wonder why Christ prayed all night to choose His disciples or travailed late into the night before his sufferings. The devil is most lethal when he misleads and keeps us busy with what appears good and great especially when it holds promise to give us a great name and brings us glory.
MEMORY VERSE:
1 CORINTHIANS 10:31
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE:
Monday: GOD’S MANDATE TO NOAH AFTER THE FLOOD. Genesis 9:1-7
Tuesday: MANDATE OF THE PEOPLE IN SHINAR.
Gen. 11:1-4
Wednesday: POWER OF UNITY. Gen. 11:5-9
Thursday: THE WILL OF MAN, AGAINST THE WILL OF GOD. Gen. 11:4, Gen. 9:1
Friday: GOD’S CLEAR PURPOSE FOR MAN. Rom. 12:1-3
Saturday: BASIS OF CHRISTIAN UNITY. Eph. 4:3-6.