Genesis chapter 10:1-32 and 11:1-9

This is one continuing thought!! Connects Noah to Abraham!! When Noah and his sons got off the ark on Mt. Ararat, they continued together until the scattering at the Tower of Babel.

Nimrod is the Great-grandson of Noah. He was one of the ringleaders in the land of Shinar, which build the four cities mentioned in Genesis 10:10. His name means "We shall rebel."

Genesis 10:6-8

Noah.

Ham.

Cush.

Nimrod.

Peleg was the Great-great-great-grandson of Noah, and in his lifetime the earth itself was divided into the various nations, described in Genesis 10 and 11.

Genesis 11:10-18

Noah.

Shem.

Arphaxad.

Salah.

Eber.

Peleg.

The five divisions in this lesson:

I. Getting off the ark. This happened on Mt. Ararat. Here Noah offered offerings of thanksgiving to the Lord of all the clean animals. They received the command to replenish the earth and fill the earth with people. God intended them to scatter over the face of the earth as they followed this command, but they elected instead to remain together. According to Genesis 6:3, Noah didn’t have any children when he started building the ark. Noah had children at the age of 500, got on the ark when he was 600 and preached for 120 years, 6:3. If Noah was 600 when he got on the ark, he was 480 when he received the call from God to build the ark, which was 20 years before his children was born.

II. Children being born. This record is given in Genesis 10. Notice that chapter 10 not only gives the names of the children being born, but also gives the places they were scattered to after the Tower of Babel. We must remember that they did not scatter upon the face of the earth until God confused their languages and forced them to scatter. (11:1-9)

Also notice the progression of time in chapter 10. Nimrod is the Great-grandson of Noah. Peleg is the Great-great-great-grandson of Noah. This progression of time gives opportunity for Nimrod to establish his cities and for the work on the Tower of Babel to begin.

III. Nimrod, tyrant {hunter} of men, not of animals, using men for his own purpose and gain. A rebel against God and Holiness. The name Nimrod means "We will rebel." This is seen in Genesis 10:9-14. Nimrod began four cities including Babel in the land of Shinar, compare 10:10 to 11:2. When Babel was destroyed by God, the descendants of Nimrod did not seek God, but established cities which are known for rebellion against God.

IV. Chapter 11, The scattering of the nations. We will study this in another lesson, but notice that the scattering of the nations was the direct result of the sin of mankind in not obeying God's command to scatter and fill the earth.

Chapter 10:25, The dividing of the earth. This happened in the days of Peleg, who lived 1755-1994 A.C. after the creation of the world. The flood took place in 1656, so the earth was divided approximately 100-339 years after the flood. You can readily tell from this that it didn't take man long to have great sin once again. I believe this dividing of the earth means the actual dividing of the land masses into what we have today. The scattering of the nations was the dividing of the people. I realize there is some dispute that the dividing of the earth is the dividing of the land masses, but it seems to me this is what is being said. It could also be said that the dividing of the nations is what happened at the Tower of Babel.

Compare Genesis 10:25 and Genesis 11:18. Peleg had a brother named Joktan and his genealogy is traced from Genesis 10:25-30, while the genealogy of Peleg is traced to Abram in Genesis 11:18-32. This fact shows us when the nations were established, families were separated one from the other. Peleg and his brother Joktan were separated, and probably never was around each other very much any more. They spoke different languages, and it wasn’t very long before they began to develop different habits, lifestyles, so forth. They soon lost all contact with each other, and became different nations, living in different places, and thinking different ways.

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I. Noah also traveled with the family.

A. Godly and ungodly together. Noah was the undisputed leader of the family when they left Mt. Ararat, but notice they traveled west (11:2), away from the presence of God Cain also traveled away from the presence of God when he was punished by the Lord, Gen. 4:16 states, "And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden." Cain going from presence of the Lord means he left the place of worship. Job 1:12, 2:7 - Satan going from the presence of God (leaving the place of worship [service]). Jonah 1:3 - Jonah leaving the presence of God. Cain went east to the land of Nod. The entrance to the tabernacle and temple faced the east. Cain walked away from the entrance, turning his back on the place of worship. Nod means wandering. When you get away from the place of worship of God, we are always wandering. Heb. 11:8-10 - not wandering like Abraham, who was looking for a city built by God. If they had traveled east, they would have been traveling toward Jerusalem, God, and His holiness. Traveling west shows the steady going away from Holiness, as is revealed more clearly in other scriptures.

B. Somewhere along the line, Noah began to lose control of the people, because the people had no thought for God. Remember these are his own family members. They begin to look to others for leadership and others lead them away from God.

It is always good to remember the old ways and remember the advice of people older than we are. They have much more experience and understanding many more things. Young people would do well to follow them instead of expecting older people to follow them.

a. Prov. 22:28 – Remove not the old landmarks. "Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set."

b. Jer. 6:16 – Ask for the old paths. "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein."

II Cor. 6:14-18 – It's never God's will for the Godly and ungodly to mix together. Sooner or later they will come to a dividing of the ways, and it will usually be over religion.

Every group needs and will have a leader. If a group doesn’t have God as its leader, the group will chose the person who automatically fits into the position.

C. I do not believe Noah joined in with the ungodly, although he traveled with them. I believe there was a group of people that retained their integrity and continued to serve God in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.

1. Abraham and Lot both knew about God and holiness. The generations given in Gen. 11 reveal that Abraham was born 2006 years after creation, and died 2181 years after creation. Noah (according to Gen. 5:32, 9:29) was born 1056 years after creation and died 2006 years after creation. This means that Abraham was born the year Noah died. Abraham never talked to Noah, but I believe it is possible that Abraham understood some of the doctrines Noah believes. When God called Abram at the age of 75, he left all and followed God.

2. According to the Word of God, (Rom. 10:10-13), people are saved by hearing preaching. I believe Noah continued preaching the Word of God and Abraham heard what he had preached even after Noah had died. Abraham didn't hear Noah preaching, but it is very possible he heard somebody else who had heard Noah. We don't know who Abraham heard, but we know he heard. We know he heard God when He called him to leave the land of Ur and travel to a place God would show him.

3. We also know that Abraham knew other people that believed like he did.

a. The names of these people are given in Gen. 11:27-31.

b. When Abraham began to desire a wife for his son, Isaac, Gen. 24:1-9, his command was to get a woman from among his people. You can understand by reading Gen. 24 that God was directing the moves of Abraham and his servant. God would not direct anyone to go against His revealed will in marrying an unbeliever. This is the reason for the flood in Noah's day. Therefore, I believe Rebekah was a saved person desiring to follow the commands of God.

D. Did Noah stay because of family? We don't know. Perhaps he also stayed because there was simply no one to go with him and as an old man, he couldn't provide for himself. We do know (or at least I believe) that Noah remained faithful to the Lord all the days of his life. We should also say that it is never good to stay in a place, or leave a place because of family. We ought to always be like Abraham and follow the commands of God. Though we will be far away from family, God will see to it that spiritually we will be close together.

E. Note: Noah was on the earth during the flood and the dividing of the nations. Peleg died before Noah.

F. We really don't know how long it took for the nations to be established, but Peleg lived to be 239 years old, Gen. 11:18,19

II. The Tower of Babel, Gen. 11:1-9. (The flood came, according to Genesis 6, because of the great wickedness of man. Matthew 24:37-39 declares, "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." The people in Noah’s day were very wicked, there is no doubt, but their greatest wickedness was in forgetting and denying the presence of God, relying on their own intelligence, instincts and desires. The same is true today.

Verse 1, And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

A. When Noah got off the ark, only one language was spoken. This language was taught to the children and they taught it to their children. So all the people spoke the same language. This language was probably Hebrew, the language of Abraham, Father of Israel.

B. After the confusion of tongues, the nations were divided according to their respective families:

1. Gen. 10:5 - the sons of Japheth

2. Gen. 10:20 - the sons of Ham.

3. Gen. 10:31 - the sons of Shem.

Verse 2, 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.

I. Journeyed from the east - like Cain (Gen. 4:16), traveled away from God.

II. Land of Shinar - Southwest of Mt. Ararat, where the pagan city of Babylon in located.

A. "Babel" is Babylon. Started by Nimrod, Gen. 10:10.

B. The beginning of the "great whore" of Revelation.

III. They dwelt there, not scattering themselves as God had commanded. (9:7).

Verse 3 & 4, 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.

I. They desired to stay together in spite of God's command to disperse.

A. Probably thought they were wiser than God or God's servant, Noah, who was traveling with them.

B. The first people to build cities were lost people. Like Cain, Gen. 4:17, who was a "vagabond" on the earth.

C. The land supplied all the material things they needed, and they would supply their own god.

II. Note how they would encourage themselves in the work.

A. The world encourages themselves in their work today.

B. Heb. 10:24,25 - Let us provoke to love and good works.

C. People get their feelings hurt in church. Sometimes they quit, or hold a grudge for years, but they don't get their feelings hurt in the community.

D. A joint project upon which the majority agree.

1. I believe there were some that didn't agree.

2. Noah was traveling with the rest of the people and I don't believe he went along with their wickedness.

3. Note that the advice of the aged is forgotten.

4. Gen. 24:1-4, Abraham desired a wife from among his people, not the families of the rebellious.

a. Gen. 11:27-32 - The truth was talked about by the faithful. These few people listen to and accepted the words of Noah and taught them to their children. This is in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation!!

b. Gen. 22:20-24 - Abraham heard about his brother, Nahor and daughters, and knew Nahor would teach his children the truth, therefore Abraham sent to Nahor for a wife for Isaac, Gen. 24:1-4.

E. Burnt (kiln dried) brick, not sun dried.

1. The rain would gradually wash away the sun-dried brick, thereby causing much repair work.

2. This is to be a permanent structure.

F. Slime is Hebrew "chemar" meaning "bitumen". A mineral pitch or asphalt.

G. The purpose of the city and tower.

1. The city is for them to live in.

2. The tower is for them to worship in, in defiance of God.

3. make us a name, Rom. 1:25, worshipping the creature rather than the creator. This is the final outcome of all false religion. They desire fame for themselves, none for God.

4. Lest we be scattered abroad. In defiance of God, Gen. 9:1.

5. Note how in 100 years, men went away from the service of God.

III. Building the city.

A. Lack of material and amount of work involved did not discourage them.

B. Build a permanent structure.

1. Mortar has an asphalt base.

2. The brick are much like the bricks we have today.

IV. Purpose of the city and tower.

A. Defiance of God Himself.

1. Tower to reach to heaven, not that the structure would be that tall, (this is impossible), but it would be a place of worship.

2. Isaiah 14 - Like Satan, the people desired to rise above God.

3. Rom. 1 - worship and serve the creature more than the creator.

4. Wasn't trusting in God for salvation, but to the works of their hands.

B. Make themselves a name.

1. They realized they would die and wanted to leave their descendants a memory of themselves.

2. Apparently wasn't thinking too much of life after death (eternity in hell).

a. Most things are done today so men will be remembered for their "mark" on the earth and its culture.

God will destroy those that try to leave their "mark" on this earth and their labors will be turned into a very foolish venture.

Matthew 16:26 – "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

C. To keep them from being scattered.

1. They said they would not be scattered and trusted the work of their hands to stay together. They didn't believe Almighty God could do anything to stop them.

2. Wanted to stay together, probably under Nimrod, as monarch. (Anti-Christ kingdom)

Verse 5, And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. This verse is spoken so we can understand it. Note: God observes both good and bad upon the earth.

Verse 6, 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. The problem is the unity of the people against God.

I. God is stopping the building at the very beginning.

He will allow men to begin an evil work, but won't let it continue past Him getting glory from it. The remains of the Tower of Babel are a reproach to sinful men and a glory to God.

Some people would remember the flood – most would remember being told about the flood. None paid any attention to the past judgment of God, therefore will not pay any attention to the coming judgment of God.

C. Man may decide not to do God's will, but God's will, will be done.

II. Nothing will be restrained. God, not man, knows the extent of man's sinfulness. There is no end to it at all. Note: God controls how much men sin.

Verse 7, Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. Who is God talking to? I believe he is talking to himself. And there is perfect agreement. There is no defense a man can devise against God. Man can have complicated defense, but God can use simple, unthinkable, things to turn it all around. Who would ever dream of a change in language?

Verse 8 & 9, So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 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.

Men didn't obey the commands of God and scatter themselves, so God stepped in and scattered them.

A. Note: the final result is the same, but the condition of men is very different.

1. It's always better to obey God willingly, not fight Him and then have Him force us to obey Him.

2. Remember Jonah.

B. Genesis 10:10 – The city was called Babel – named after Genesis 11.

II. Left off to build the city.

A. Their plans to make a great name for themselves was ended.

B. They still have a great name, but it is a name of rebellion, and judgment, not like they were expecting.

III. The name of the city is Babel, confusion. God can confuse the councils of the wicked.

Genesis Genealogy of Christ

Age When

Age At

Years from

Scripture

Name

Son Born

Death

Creation of Earth

 

Adam

130

930

0- 930

5:3-5.

Seth

105

912

130-1042

5:6-8.

Enos

90

905

235-1140

5:9-11.

Cainan

70

910

325-1235

5:12-14.

Mahalaleel

65

895

395-1290

5:15-17.

Jared

165

962

460-1422

5:18-20.

Enoch (didn't die)

65

365

622-987

5:21-24.

Methuselah

187

969

687-1656

5:25-27.

Lamech

182

777

874-1851

5:29-31.

Noah

500

950

1056-2006

5:32,9:29.

Shem

100

600

1556-2156

11:10,11.

Arphaxad

35

438

1656-2094

11:12,13.

Salah

30

433

1691-2124

11:14,15.

Eber

34

464

1721-2185

11:16,17.

Peleg

30

239

1755-1994

11:18,19.

Reu

32

239

1785-2024

11:20,21.

Serug

30

230

1817-2047

11:22,23.

Nahor

29

148

1847-1995

11:24,25.

Terah

70

205

1876-2081

11:26-32.

Abraham

100

175

1946-2121

21:5,25:7.

Isaac

60

180

2046-2226

25:26,35:28.

Jacob

91*

147

2106-2253

47:28.

Joseph

**

110

2197-2307

50:22.

* Jacob's age at the birth of Joseph can be calculated as follows:

1. Gen. 47:8,9. Jacob is 130 years old when he comes to Egypt during the 2nd year of the famine.

2. Gen. 41:46. Joseph was 30 years of age when he stood before Pharaoh.

3. Gen. 45:6. Nine years later, Joseph revealed himself to his brethren. Therefore, Joseph was 39 years old when Jacob came into Egypt.

4. 130-39=91. Age of Jacob when Joseph was born. Gen. 37:3, Joseph is the son of Jacob's old age.

** This genealogy rightly should have gone through Judah, not Joseph. I put this genealogy through Joseph because the latter part of Genesis is concerning Joseph and his work in saving Israel from destruction. The book of Exodus will continue the genealogy through Judah, so when I get to that book, I will pick up on Judah and continue until I finally come to Christ.

Genesis 11:27-32

Verse 27, Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. Terah had these three children. They may or may not have been triplets. It is really doubtful to me they were triplets. It seems Haran was the first born. Noah also is said to have three children in one year, the 600th year of his life. One son of Haran is Lot.

Verse 28, And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. Haran died before his father, Terah.

1. This was probably an unusual incident, as it still is today.

2. The place of Haran's death was Ur of the Chaldees. This scripture gives us the location of Abraham's family when Abraham was born. We are given complete details so we can trace his life from the very beginning to the end. Abraham was and is a very important person, the Father of the Jews.

Verse 29,30, And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. But Sarai was barren; she had no child. The taking of wives.

Abraham married Sarai. According to 20:12, Abraham and Sarah had the same father, but different mothers. They were half-sister, half-brother, and they married.

There are some who believe Iscah is Sarai, that Abram changed her name from Iscah to Sarai, but there is no scripture that states this. This would make Milcah and Sarai sisters, perhaps half-sisters.

2. This also gives us indication that Terah had more than one wife. According to Genesis 20:12, Abraham tells Abimelech, "And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife." We are not told who the other wife is. Having more than one wife is not the will of God, even though He permits this, and blessed the results of the grievous union.

3. This also shows us what happens when God's people travel with and view at close hand the lives of the ungodly. It's not very long before God's people begin to do just like the ungodly. After so much time goes by, we begin to think that we ought to do like they do regardless of what the Bible has to say. Let us beware of falling by the way side one day at a time. This is what happened to Lot. It can also happen to us.

4. Nahor married his niece, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the brother of Lot and Iscah.

5. Nahor had three children, Lot, Milcah, and Iscah. Nahor married his brothers daughter, Milcah.

6. Evidently Milcah was already bearing children in Ur of the Chaldees, but Sarai was having no children.

7. These scriptures are important because later Abraham will send his faithful servant to his brother Nahor to get a wife for his son, Isaac.

8. It certainly ought to be noticed that even though Sarai did not have the promised seed immediately, God was already preparing for the promised son, whom they haven't received the promise about yet, to have a Godly wife. This principle stills hold true today. God prepares faithfully for our good and His glory. Let us believe Him.

Verse 31,32, And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. Leaving Ur of the Chaldees.

1. Note who is leading the people. It is Terah. The promise and command to leave his kin is to Abraham.

2. Whether it is right or not, I see it like this:

a. Abraham received the promise and command to leave from God.

b. Abraham told his people that God had commanded him to leave.

c. Instead of letting Abraham go, Terah, like most fathers, decided he would go with his son.

Terah leads the people out of Ur of the Chaldees toward Canaan. They get as far as Haran when Abram stops all of the moving and takes Lot and goes on without the majority of his family following.

Abram remains at Haran until the death of his father.

3. It may have been that everybody decided to move and this move had nothing at all to do with Abram's call of God.

4. We know that Terah stayed in Haran and died there at the age of 205. Since Abram was 75 when he left Haran, Terah was 130 when Abram was born. Terah died before Abram left Haran, Acts 7:4.

5. Note: Terah had a son named Haran, who died before they all left Ur of the Chaldees. Then Terah died in a place called Haran. It is very possible that Terah named this place after his son in an attempt to "bring him along with them" and "keep his memory alive".

6. This must have been a very sorrowful leaving. Abram knew he would never see his father alive on this earth. There is no mention of Abram ever visiting his father after this. Abraham is leaving Haran to begin a new life and start a chapter in his life in the promised land of Canaan.