Genesis Part 1 - Week 21

Day 1 

READ 

Genesis 11:3-4 

3 They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) 4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” 

God had told the people to multiply and fill the earth; this group wanted to rebel against God’s command and build “a great city for themselves.” This agriculture group likely did not think they could build a “tower that reaches into the sky.” It is more likely they wished to build a tower that would represent the sky and its planets. The late Bible teacher J. Vernon McGee taught that there were many “ziggurats” in the Tigris-Euphrates valley each with a road to the top on which they worshiped the sun, moon and stars. 

REFLECT 

Think how many people today also reject God’s commands and wish to make a name for themselves.  

RESPOND 

Join with a friend and read the various verses where God told people to multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28; 9:1, 7). Those at this city decided they would do what they thought was best.  

Day 2 

READ 

Genesis 11:5-7 

5 But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. 6 “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! 7 Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” 

The Lord knew what rebellious mankind was attempting. God understands what people are capable of. Notice the plural in “Let’s go down.” God is one but He exists in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They confused the people “with different languages.” Think about working in construction with a person whose language you do not understand. There would be little progress. 

REFLECT 

Have you tried to communicate with a person with a different language? How quickly do you think you could complete a project? 

RESPOND 

The rebellious nature of people will continue throughout time. At the end of the age there will be a rebellion against God at the time when the anti-Christ will be revealed (see 2 Thessalonians 2:2-4).  

Day 3 

READ 

Genesis 11:8-9 

8 In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world. 

The people refused to multiply and fill the earth so the “Lord scattered them all over the world.” The city has a name related to “confusion.” It was by various languages that the Lord scattered them. Even today, people tend to be more comfortable with and can work better with those who speak the same language. The Tower of Babel is the explanation of why there are various languages. 

REFLECT 

Does this help you to see more clearly that rebelling against the Lord has consequences? 

RESPOND 

Visit with a Christian friend about what Jesus told the believers to do in Acts 1:8. Then see how Christians were spread more widely into the Roman Empire because of persecution after Stephen’s death (see Acts 8:1). 

Day 4 

READ 

Genesis 11:10-13 

10 This is the account of Shem’s family.  Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. 11 After the birth of Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters. 12 When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah. 13 After the birth of Shelah, Arphaxad lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 

This begins a list of Shem’s descendants down to the time of Abram whose name was later changed to Abraham (see Genesis 17:4-6). Abraham and his descendants will be the key emphasis throughout the rest of the Old Testament beginning with Genesis 12, which will be considered in Genesis Part 2. 

REFLECT 

The Jewish people are the descendants of Shem. God will bless them and through them will bless others in the world. 

RESPOND 

The Jewish people are the descendants of Shem so they are referred to as “Semites.” Those opposed to what God is doing with the Jewish people are called “Anti-Semites.”  

Day 5 

READ 

Genesis 11:14-19 

14 When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eber. 15 After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 16 When Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg. 17 After the birth of Peleg, Eber lived another 430 years and had other sons and daughters. 18 When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu. 19 After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived another 209 years and had other sons and daughters. 

Peleg is mentioned again. He was referred to earlier where it says "during his lifetime the people of the world were divided into different language groups" (see Genesis 10:25). This actually occurred in Genesis 11. Although the length of lives of the people in this list has raised many questions, those ages would become much fewer. 

REFLECT 

Do you know of people who have lived to be 100 or a little over? Have you asked them if they would like to live many more years? 

RESPOND 

Talk with a believer about our days being numbered and they are extremely brief in comparison to eternity (see Psalm 39:4-6; 90:10-11; 103:15-18). Be sure to use every day to honor Jesus in your life.