A City and a Tower
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Genesis 11:1-9
Genesis 11:1-9
Pray
Start in Genesis 10
Genealogy of the descendents of Noah
Explain Ham
Ham youngest son of Noah
Ham had a number of sons listed in Genesis 10
The names of these individuals became the name given to the region where they settled.
Ham has an unfortunate history.
After the flood, Ham stumbled upon Noah who was asleep.
Noah was uncovered and Ham saw this.
Ham mocked his father to others.
When Noah found out, Noah cursed the decendents of Ham for making a mockery of him.
Dr. Michale Lake makes this comment regarding this event:
“Ham’s reproach was not in seeing his father unclothed, though this was a shameful thing, but in his outspoken delight at his father’s disgraceful condition. The penalty against Ham’s son may be thought too severe for mere sibling gossip, but this is because we fail to understand the gravity of Ham’s offense… In the ancient world insulting one’s parents was a serious matter that warranted extreme penalty of death. The patriarchal incident illustrated the abrogation of the Fifth Commandment, “Honor thy father and mother.” To do so means divine retaliation, for the crime is not against the parents alone but is viewed as contempt for God’s hierarchal order.”
Ham’s offense was taken very seriously.
It could have gotten him put to death based on the law of that time.
Noah cursed the sons of Ham as a consequence of Ham’s disrespect.
What Noah was doing, as Dr. Lake points out is reminding everyone of God’s design for respect of our parents.
The respect we hold for our parents is really a reflection of the respect we should hold for God.
One of Ham’s sons was named Cush. Cush would have been a grandson of Noah.
Cush eventually settled in the region of the Upper Nile river, South of Egypt.
We call this region Ethiopia today.
Unfortunately, Cush suffered as a result of Ham’s iniquity.
Remember, iniquity is intentional sin.
Click #1
1. Ham committed an act of intentional sin against Noah in his disrespect.
The mockery of Noah was not accidental. It was intentional.
Unfortunately the thread of sin wound its way into the descendants of Noah.
The sons of Cush will be cursed to deal with the influence of the sin nature.
The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city.
These verses list the sons of Cush.
I want to focus for a moment on Nimrod.
Nimrod founded many cities in the region of Iran, Iraq and Syria.
This region was given to violence then, as it is still an extremely volatile region today.
Nimrod is only mentioned by name 4 times in the Bible, but his legacy became the template by which the antichrist can be identified.
Joseph E, Smith, bible commentator states this about Nimrod
“The text furnishes scant information concerning Nimrod. He was a descendant of Cush, a Hamite… Nimrod began to be or he set out to be a mighty one in the land (10:8). The term tyrant captures the intention of the original language. Nimrod’s very name is an encapsulation of his lifestyle. His name means, “Let us revolt.” He must have been a ruthless ruler who was opposed to all existing order.
Nimrod was especially noted as ‘a mighty hunter before the Lord (10:9). One of the royal responsibilities of kings in ancient times was to keep the wild animal population thinned out so that citizens would not be threatened. The text may refer to this function. The documents , however, also speak of ancient kings hunting men of a city, capturing them, and carrying them off into slavery. Perhaps Nimrod hunted men. He did this ‘before’ the Lord i.e in opposition to God. The Septuagint rendered, ‘a mighty hunter against the Lord.”
Nimrod was an empire builder. He started his rise to power in Shinar, in the lower Mesopotamian river valley. He gradually extended his influence over Babel, Erech, Accad and Calneh. Nimrod eventually expanded his influence into Assyria where he built Nineveh, Rehaboth, Calah and the great city of Resen.”
Click #2
2. The name Nimrod is based on the Hebrew word chalal which means to become “profaned, defiled, polluted, or desecrated.”
Finnis Dake suggests this of Nimrod: “he began to be a mighty on in the earth by bold and daring deeds. His rebellion is associated with the beginning of his kingdom and suggests that his hunting and mighty deeds were related primarily to hunting men by tyranny and force.”
Josephus says that Nimrod persuaded people to ascribe their happiness to him rather than God.
Click #3
3. Nimrod sought to subjugate people under his influence.
He strove to cause others to trust in his provision rather than look to God.
Apparently Nimrod achieved this by force.
He is considered the first empire builder.
Meaning he build fortified cities and subjugated people under his authority.
He founded cities in the region that became the Kingdom of Assyria.
This region has a vile reputation as presented in the Bible.
Cities such a Nineveh, Babel which later became known as Babylon
We know the reputation of Nineveh from the account of Jonah and the prophet Nahum. The city is described as a city of bloodshed.
Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims! The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots! Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses—
The people that lived in this city and the region of Assyria were violent.
They conquered other by fear and by force.
We can see that the influence of Nimrod directed the people of this region.
Click #4
4. Nimrod is a type and shadow of the antichrist.
What do I mean by type and shadow?
A type and shadow is a Biblical Hermenutic
Hermenutics is a fancy way of saying rules.
Bible Scholars use Hermenutics to help rightly divide the Word.
Click #5
5. Type and Shadow means example, model, or pattern.
A few examples:
Click Romans 5:14
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Paul is saying that Adam is a type of fallen man pointing to the necessity of the second Adam, Jesus.
The pattern of sin started in Adam and ended in Jesus.
Click 1 Corinthians 5:7
Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
Leaven is a type pointing to sin.
Jesus is compared to the Passover Lamb.
The sacrifice of Jesus made a way for us to be unleavened, without the penalty of sin.
Click Hebrews 11:17-19
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
This event points to the ultimate sacrifice in Jesus.
He was given by God to be the atoning sacrifice for all those who call upon His Name.
There are many other examples of types and shadows that we can point to in the Bible.
Click #6
6. God gives us these patterns so that we are not surprised.
He tells us the end from the beginning.
We often think of prophecy as declaration and then fulfillment.
Biblical prophecy is really based on pattern.
God works this way so that we know exactly what He means and how He will respond. Not only this, in pattern we also know how to respond.
It also gives us insight into how we are to prepare.
Dr. Chuck Missler says this: The Old Testament is the New Testament Concealed; The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.
Many things in the Old Testament point to Jesus and the redemptive work of God toward His children.
This is why it is fundamental to have a good understanding of the Old, First Testament because it helps us to more fully understand the New or Second.
Nimrod as a Type and shadow of Antichrist
We can see patterns of behavior in Nimrod that point to identifiers that will be present in the antichrist.
Examples in Scripture:
Click Daniel 7:23-25
“He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.
Like Nimrod, the antichrist will speak against God.
He will act in violence.
He will seek to oppress people.
Click Daniel 8:23-25
“In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
Like Nimrod, the antichrist will be a rebel.
He will be wicked and fierce.
He will cause deceit to prosper.
He will consider himself superior.
Click 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
Like Nimrod, the antichrist will exalt himself above everything that is of God.
He will demand to be worshipped and he will call himself god.
Click Revelation 13:3-6
One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
Like Nimrod, the antichrist will speak blasphemous things against God and the people of God.
He will attempt to make a mockery of those of faith. He is the prototype scoffer.
The antichrist will attest prosperity and peace unto himself by the work that he claims to have accomplished.
I know that the things we have been talking about thus far are not the most pleasant.
To be honest, I do not really like to talk about them, but we need to be informed.
We need to be ready.
God does not want us to be surprised.
He gives us all the information, the patterns, the types and shadows so that we can discern the times.
Click #7
7. God gives us all the information, the patterns, the types and shadows so that we can discern the times.
While this topic is not the most uplifting, it is necessary for us to consider so that we can be prepared.
Along with that, we do not need to be frightened.
We know the information.
We know the patterns.
We also know that Jesus has overcome.
We can see patterns of behavior in our culture that are designed to prompt us to be willing to accept the false promises of antichrist.
People will clamour to the false promises.
People are clamoring to find peace, hope and prosperity in worldly governments and promises.
Click #8
8. So many people place their faith and trust in the temporal promises of fallen humanity.
These institutions can never provide eternal security as the Kingdom of God.
it is only in God that we can find the hope of His eternal covenant.
We have the account of Nimrod in the bible because God gives us insight into the motives deception
We do not have to fear, but we should be informed so that we can have confidence in the Lord.
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.
Rather than obeying the command of the Lord and fill the earth with the knowledge of God, the people decided to settle in Shinar.
The land of Shinar is a region stretching from Baghdad to the Persian Gulf.
This region is recognized as the foundation of the kingdom of Nimrod.
This region contained a number of cities Uruk, Accad, Calneh, Nineveh and Babel or Babylon.
This is also the location of the Tower of Babel.
Skip V. 3-4 come back next week.
But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
God saw that the people opposed His instruction.
They rejected to go out and take the knowledge of God to fill the earth.
They chose rather to settle in this region controlled by Nimrod.
In an effort to prompt the people to fill the earth, God confuses their languages.
The Lord then prompted them to scatter over the whole earth.
Wrap up first part with a summary of what we discussed thus far.
Ham functioned in iniquity.
We cannot function according to intentional sin.
Click #9
9. Intentional sin will lead only to destruction.
Click#10
10. The sin nature was not destroyed in the flood, only Jesus can deliver from sin.
our salvation can only be attributed to Jesus
Click #11
11. God gives us patterns so that we can see, know and discern how to respond.
Click #12
12. We do not need to fear, but have confidence.
Be a witness to His truth.