There and Back Again | Part 11

The Tower of Babel

Curse On Canaan

  • Genesis 9:18-29 completes the "toledot" of Noah. It concludes with a story of Noah's drunkenness.
  • There are only two prohibitions against drinking wine in the Old Testament. Priests could not drink when performing their duties and those who took a Nazarite vow had to abstain. — Leviticus 10:8-11; Numbers 6:1-4
  • Ham's disrespect for his father brings a curse upon his own son, Canaan.
  • This foreshadows the conquest of Israel against Canaan and his children — Genesis10:15-18; Exodus 3:8; 17: Joshua 3:10

A Table of Nations

  • Chapter 10 is a genealogy of 70 nations that are born from the three sons of Noah.
  • It's purpose is to show the origin of these nations and how mankind did multiply and fill the earth after the flood.
  • It is important to note that Nimrod is the only man given a brief biographical sketch in this list. His name means "to rebel" and he builds the city of Babel, which becomes Babylon.
  • Babylon becomes a spiritual symbol throughout the rest of the Bible representing man's wickedness — Revelation 17 and 18

Babel and False Religion

Three features of false religion are exhibited in this tower.
  1. Self-Directed - It's origin is from man and not God — Genesis 11:3
  2. God-Usurping - It's purpose is for man and not God — Genesis 11:4
  3. Man-Exalting - It exalts man rather than God — Genesis 11:4
False religion is an exercise in man's failure to achieve anything of true value or significance. In fact, God has to "stoop" or "come down" to see the greatness of what man can build — Genesis 11:5
We can't get all the way to God... He had to come to us through Jesus.

Gospel Reflection

  1. What aspects of false religion can the Holy Spirit show me in my own life?
  2. How can I replace them with the Gospel?
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