Nimrod and the Tower of Babel
This is an interesting history.
(Genesis 10 and 11 are the last chapters that deal with the world at large….after this, God begins to deal with Abram’s (Abraham’s) call, and the promises of the Savior through his line.)
This is after the Flood…a new world has emerged….and men have been given a new chance to honor the Lord.
(And after such a mighty demonstration of God’s ability to see into our hearts, and judge us accordingly….you would think that men would turn and obey the Lord with all their hearts…)
But what do we find….
…man, defying God’s command…and seeking to set themselves up a government without Him…
…and the leader of this rebellion is Nimrod. (Nimrod means “the Rebel”)
Genesis 10:8-9 “And Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.”
This “mighty hunter” was not of animals, or food…..but a hunter of men. He loved dominance….and would allow no interference from others.
(Four times scripture uses the term “mighty” to describe Nimrod.
He was not ordinary….
…he was mighty in his rebellion against any power but his own,
…he was mighty in his flagrant killing of all who stood in his way,
…he was mighty in his hatred of the Lord….doing all to show his hatred,
…he was mighty in his plan of world dominance.
Most believe he is a picture of the man of Sin, the Antichrist….who will “magnify Himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous [blasphemous] things against the God of Gods,….” Daniel 11:36-37)
The phrase, “before the Lord”, means that he did all this killing in defiance of God….right before His eyes….to show his contempt of God’s command to not kill (Genesis 9:6).
Genesis 10:10 “And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel…”
(which at first, meant “Gate of God”…what he thought of his city)
Nimrod’s rise to power, was first locally…..then his ambition grew and he fought, till he became the head of the people….who were still together.
God had told them:
Genesis 9:1 “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”
Noah had three sons, and each was developed into a “tribe” of people….they should have spread out….
God wanted the people to separate from each other.
It would be so much better for those who wanted to worship God to do so apart from the others.
But they refused to go to replenish the earth….instead staying together….
….and then, under the dictatorship of Nimrod…..forming a “nation” in open rebellion to God’s Word.
He held power, when he held the people….so….he forms a nation founded on the principal of rebellion to the God of heaven.
That is why they begin to build a tower….a tall stronghold….with an edifice reaching into the heavens…
This city was built first….large enough for all…a fortress…..to keep all together….by force, if necessary……
(You will notice….he is so determined to rule by his own decisions…..that when the “plain” was not a place of stone for building….they made bricks. It was not a place for mortar….they used slime.
How eager the sinner to sin, and glorify themselves…..no matter what materials they have to use)
….and then to “make us a name”…..he had a desire for fame, adoration from all, and power…yet said….”make us a name”……to get them to follow him….flattery often works
Then, he designs a tower……unto heaven….
“We will show God that we will not do His commands….and we will go right up to heaven and show Him!” (Oh, the terrible folly of sin!)
Genesis 11:1-4 “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.
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.”
Nimrod wanted to rival God….to have dominion over all men….to set up his government in opposition to God’s.
And he was doing it.
Everyone was following him….and building for him….and this went on for years.
But he did not take God into account….
(How it show us that man is always seeking to build a monument to his own genius….for his own fame.
And how we all need to beware…..lest we, too, build anything without God’s plan,…..or His tools,…or HIs time.)
Genesis 11:5-6 “And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
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.”
This is amazing!
The Lord “comes down”…..(you see this again with Sodom and Gomorrah Genesis 18:20-21)
The Lord of Heaven came down….He could see perfectly well in heaven, yet you can feel the sadness of His decent….
….another rebellion….another crisis….I will deal with.
(It is important to note: that just like before the destruction by the flood, God spoke of the “imagination” of man [Genesis 6:5]….how it leads people into great sin.)
So God “comes down” to see:
Genesis 11:7-8 “Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.”
“Go to,…”. God uses the language they used….I think to mock them….they spoke of what “they” were going to do…..
….now He speaks the same way….”Go to,…” to show…what He will do.
Yet, the Lord does not strike them dead…..nor does He send a wind, or storm….He does not send illness…
He could….but instead He sends them…..confusion of tongues.
He completely destroys Nimrod’s plans….by “confounding their language….that they may not understand one another’s speech”
They had used their tongues to incite rebellion…and violence…..now they would use their tongues for confusion and chaos……
…..they leave off building because of strife and controversies…for they could not understand one another;……arguments began, as they usually do when people can not understand each other.
And they separated from each other…which is what God wanted…separated by families….going out through all the world.
(Have you noticed that “separation” is often in God’s plans for us? 2 Corinthians 6:17 “Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord,…”)
And when God divides their tongues….He sends them into different directions.
Here is the formation of the different nations….all over the world.
Exactly what God wanted…..without one death.
What an amazing God we have!
He accomplished His Will, by simply willing them to speak different languages!
How simply He can do His Will!
Genesis 11:9 “Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.”
Babel….confusion. Anytime we think we can win a battle against the Lord….confusion reigns within….
…..and confusion of life will be the result.
As Christians, in a confusing world:
We are to know God’s Word to us….and obey Him.
We are to place all our plans before Him.
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.”
And we are to pray:
Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”
Let us not add to the confusion….but let us “know”, “be established”, and speak what pleases Him.
(Interesting to note: God again gave different languages, at the giving of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
Christ had said,..
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
But how? They did not speak in many languages…..how could they learn so quickly?
But the Holy Spirit gave them the power and ability to do what Christ said, “Go, and preach…to all the world”….not just to speak other languages…..but to understand those languages, as well!
Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Each language to those the Spirit chose.)
Acts 2:6 “Now when this was noised abroad,…”
Ignorant fishermen speaking other languages fluently?!
“…the multitude came together, and were confounded,….because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”
But this time those that were “confounded”……
……would be given understanding by those languages……to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!
Again, by different languages, these men were sent forth…..so that those that believe on Christ Jesus, might be separated from the world…..to Him!
We have an amazing God!)
{One other side note: In the last days, a man….a rebel against God will emerge again…..to try and build a “kingdom” against God….
….to set himself up as a god….instead of Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-10 “Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposes and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God, sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that He is God.
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all his power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
He will rule as a “hunter”…..destroying all who will not go along…and honor him.
He will design a “fortress” around all by making them bear a mark….for only they can buy or sell…..(Revelation 13:16)
And he will enter the Temple at Jerusalem….the pinnacle like the “gate of God”…and set himself up as God.
Daniel 11:36
“And the king shall do according to his will;
and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god,
and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods,
and shall prosper
till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.”
Here is the plan of the Anti-Christ……yet, (and again I say, what an amazing God we have):
“Till….”
God always has a time…..His time…
…”till the indignation be accomplished:
For that that(what God has determined)….shall be done.”
And it shall be done by The Word…..Christ will come forth and the sword of His mouth will slay these that have come to destroy His people.
Revelation 19:11, 15-16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.
And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword,….And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.”
He comes down, and deals with this rebellion……He wills and it is done…..He speaks…..and a sword of righteousness is sent….and He ends this, by His Word.}
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 