Name for Ourselves
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An arrogant spirit precedes a fall, God’s Word says. I have experienced the truth of these words this summer. One of the things I enjoy doing in my free time is gardening, so this summer I determined to use a portion of our lot for a small vegetable garden. Things have gone pretty good overall, but I have one problem, rabbits. Expecting the varmints to cause problems soon after our lettuce, beets, and turnips sprouted, I built what I thought was a pretty ingenious fence, but I quickly found out that our fence’s holes were large enough for a rabbit to slip through. So after adding some deer netting, I confidently declared as I looked over my work, that I’d love to see those rabbits try to get in the garden now. I was delighting in how this would frustrate them. But an arrogant spirit precedes a fall, and a couple of days later nearly all of our bean sprouts had been gnawed to nothing because those rabbits had gnawed their way through the netting. I still haven’t totally subdued the rabbits.
We have studied several origins in our series on : creation, life, humanity, marriage, sin, and death. introduces another origin: nations. provides a genealogy of Noah’s descendants. Each son’s family tree is traced out to the nations that they became from Japheth to Ham to Shem. The details of the genealogy probably felt tedious to read this morning, but it is the Word of God and that means it is profitable. This list of names sets up our reading the rest of Scripture, particularly the Old Testament as many of the nations listed here appear in the history of Israel in some way or another.
But not all these names are equal. The genealogy has an interesting way of emphasizing the really important names we should remember: Many of the lists begin like v2, Japheth’s sons colon. These are the less significant names. The ones we should pay attention to are the ones that begin like v8, “Cush fathered.”
The names Shem and Eber are particularly emphasized; only twice in this chapter (v21, 25) is the passive verb were born used. The Scriptures use this to set up the end of chapter 11 where we find out that Shem and Eber were the forefathers of Abraham whose family becomes the focus of the rest of Genesis.
All of those listed after the phrase, “so and so fathered,” are those that had significance to Israel in some way or another. It starts with Cush’s children in v8-14. They were the founders of Babylon, Ninevah, and the forefathers of the Philistines. Then we have Canaan’s descendants highlighted in v15-19. Interestingly, the Scriptures transition toward people groups that descended from Canaan instead of the names of his children. These were the people whom the Israelites were to expel from the promised land. Later, in v26, We find Eber’s nephews who became important trade partners with Israel particularly throughout the time of the monarchy.
Chapter 10 has value for at least one other reason as well. It ties together chapters 9 and 11. At the beginning of chapter 9, God blesses Noah and his sons with fruitfulness and the whole the earth to fill, and it is clear that each one of the sons of Noah is blessed as their lineage is recorded in chapter 10. Even Canaan who was cursed at the end of chapter 9 still receives the blessing of 9:1 as God multiplies his children.
One pattern that these early chapters of Genesis follow has been to tell a story, then to zoom in on the details of that story. That is what happens here, even though chapter 10 isn’t a story per se. V5, 21, & 30 all emphasize the lands, languages, and nations of Japheth, Ham, and Shem respectively. Wait . . . lands? languages? nations? When did they go to these lands, start speaking different languages, or start nations? After the Scripture introduce everyone, they explain how all this came about in chapter 11: the tower and city of Babel.
What was the problem with Babel? Why did God scatter the Noahites there? V4 says that they desired to make a name for themselves to avoid being scattered all over the earth, and God’s response in v6 is concerned about their ability to work together in rebellion against Him. So the problem seems to be their failure to embrace God’s blessing and fill the earth which stemmed from their proud desire to make a name for themselves. In this we see the emphasis of these chapters that human pride rejects God’s blessings, and recognizing that pride, we are called to the humility of the Psalmist:
6 For though the Lord is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, But the haughty He knows from afar.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?
6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Please take home this truth with you today and live it this week: Human pride rejects God’s blessings; therefore, we must humble ourselves before God.
Human pride rejects God’s blessings; therefore, we must humble ourselves before God.
Human pride rejects God’s blessings; therefore, we must humble ourselves before God.
One of the greatest blessings that humanity enjoys is being created in God’s image. Humanity is at its fullest when we accurately display God’s glory, but often we reject that blessing and pursue our own fame. Perhaps you are here this morning and you are pursuing your own fame instead of God’s. Are you struggling to find the purpose of your existence, discourage by how life seems meaningless? Are you insecure and want to feel accepted? Are you tempted to live for the moment, thinking nothing of high risk behaviors because they make you feel alive? If you are in any one of these situations, you are in the same place as the Noahites. Without realizing it you have rejected God’s blessings in human pride, but humility brings hope. If we can only humble ourselves and accept God’s blessings, He can change us.
But how do we humble ourselves?
Noah’s lineage provides us
Noah’s lineage at Babel reveal two man-centered deficiencies we must avoid in order to humble ourselves before God.
Avoid man-centered hero worship (10:8-12)
Avoid man-centered hero worship (10:8-12)
As I mentioned earlier, chapter 10 is an expanded look at Noah’s lineage that coincides with the tower of Babel narrative in chapter 11. 10:8-12 provides us with some insight on the building of Babel before we find out the details.
8 Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.
V10 says that Nimrod was the leader at Babel. This generation was following Nimrod whose empire expanded beyond merely Babel even as far north and east as Nineveh in Assyria. Basically, Nimrod controlled the entire Euphrates river from the Persian Gulf into Assyria. This is what the Scripture is referring to when it says that “he became a mighty one in the earth.” This language is reminiscent of the Nephilim from who are described there as being “mighty men,” the same Hebrew word.
Nimrod also achieved great feats to impress his fellow men. He was such a good hunter that they developed a saying about him, “Like Nimrod a might hunter before the Lord.” This meant that no one else on earth could hunt like Nimrod.
Put all this together and you have an empire building famous hunter who had won the hearts of his fellow men. The Scripture paints a picture of Nimrod as a charismatic leader with great influence, and since his kingdom starts with Babel; the Scripture at least intimates that this whole idea was his to begin with.
Do you ever do this? Do you ever elevate another human to hero status looking to their influence to provide meaning or acceptance? Or maybe your hero is your security, the one in whom your hope lies?
Hero worship is a subtle form of pride because it isn’t personal pride as much as species pride. We start looking to our human hero to be our savior in order to feel accepted, safe, or satisfied, which in turn feeds our personal pride. If our hero accepts us, we brag that we are accepted by the popular person; or if they deliver us, we brag that we supported them all along.
The problem with these kinds of attitudes comes back to the problem this passage emphasizes. When we worship human heroes, we reject the blessings of God. God had chosen to save Noah and his family from the flood. He had given them all the earth in which to dwell, and He had multiplied their children. But they rejected those blessings for a false-savior and hero, Nimrod.
Instead of accepting God’s blessing and humbly submitting to Him, Noah’s lineage made Nimrod their leader, yea, even their god, and followed him to build an empire to exalt their own name as they exalted the name of Nimrod.
We aren’t much different: We look for acceptance at our jobs, so we give in to the boss’s unethical demands. We look for safety and security, so we make our politicians heroes, and trust government more than we trust God. We long to feel like successful winners so we elevate sports figures, celebrity pastors, and big organizations as our heroes. We long for to live the lifestyles of the rich and famous, so we pursue it vicariously by dreamily following the lives of celebrities.
The problem with these human heroes is two-fold: Because they are sinners, they are susceptible to bad ideas at best and rebellious ideas at worse. Just as Nimrod’s kingdom building ideas brought the race down with him, so your hero’s ignorance and sin has the potential to destroy you too. Also, because our heroes are sinners, they will inevitably let us down. Humans are constantly failing each other, and it is only a matter of time before your hero rejects you or fails to provide the safety and security you are looking for.
God’s Word provides an alternative, a real hero, worth following: Jesus Christ.
Jesus provides acceptance that no human can offer; consider
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Jesus provides incomparable safety and security:
35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And Jesus alone can provide the satisfaction that you’re missing;
32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 “If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
Because Jesus is God, everything He does is good and righteous, and because He is God; He can never let us down. So avoid the deficiency of man-centered hero worship and humbly depend upon Christ for all that you need and want.
The Noahites provide us with second man-centered deficiency that we must avoid, in addition to avoiding hero worship, we must also avoid God resistance.
Avoid man-centered God resistance (11:1-4)
Avoid man-centered God resistance (11:1-4)
1 Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. 2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
As I alluded to earlier, the particular sin at Babel wasn’t the building of a tower to heaven as is often emphasized. The narrative emphasizes that what was happening was a cooperative work of humanity because of the unity of their language and words. Not only is this emphasized in v1, but also in v3-4 where they are conspiring together. As they make their plans, they say, “Come, let us,” indicating their cooperation.
The narrative surrounding the building of Babel makes some interesting implications. The narrative emphasizes that what was happening was a cooperative work of humanity because of the unity of their language and words. Not only is this emphasis seen in v1, but also in v3-4 where they are conspiring together. As they make their plans, they say, “Come, let us,” indicating that their cooperation. We also see this is God’s comments as He views the city in v6,
6 The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.
Even the punishment of confused language and forced scattering implies that the problem behind what was going on in stemmed from the unity of ungodly humanity. The Scripture emphasizes that unredeemed humanity working together inevitably becomes a cooperative God resistance. God’s response in v6 seems to indicate a desire to prevent what happened before the flood when humanity’s unity in their rebellion against God drove God to destroy them with the flood.
Even the punishment of confused language and forced scattering implies that the problem behind what was going on in stemmed from the unity of ungodly humanity. The Scripture emphasizes that unredeemed humanity working together is not good, a cooperative God resistance. So God’s response in v6 seems to indicate a desire to prevent what happened before the flood when humanity’s unity in their rebellion against God drove God to destroy them with the flood.
Listen to and listen for a similar God-resistant among the nations who were opposed to Israel:
1 O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still. 2 For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves. 3 They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones. 4 They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.” 5 For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant: 6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites; 7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8 Assyria also has joined with them; They have become a help to the children of Lot. Selah.
Where does this kind of God-resistance come from? Both and emphasize that pride is at the root of the rebellion. records the Noahites saying, “let us make a name for ourselves.” notes that, “those who hate You have exalted themselves.”
4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
It’s also in
2 For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
This kind of God-resistant unity is always to exalt humanity, never God. So the building, in and of itself, is only wrong because it is a monument to their pride and rebellion against God. A tower that everyone will see and a city about which everyone will hear is the perfect metaphor for the pride of humanity.
This kind of God-resistance also stems from selfishness. The Noahites displayed a selfishness in their God-resistance when in v4 they expressed their desire to build the city for themselves and make a name for themselves. The purpose of Babel was always self-serving convenience, instead of God-glorifying service.
1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.
God wanted to multiply them (and chapter 10 makes it clear that He did), but they rejected the blessing of God and refused to fill the earth. It is a common mistake that we look at the building itself in as the problem. But building a city and tower wasn’t the problem except that it became a monument and a metaphor for their pride and rebellion against God.
The selfishness of the Noahites’ God-resistance is also evidenced in v4 when they expressed their desire to build the city for themselves and make a name for themselves. The purpose of Babel was always self-serving convenience, instead of God-glorifying service.
How are we prone to this same God resistance? Even what we deem our most spiritual activities are prone to be tainted by our pride and selfishness. Is it not tempting to do our service to God with the desire to be noticed? When we volunteer for service, are we not tempted to ask “What’s in it for me?” I am constantly fighting my own selfish and proud heart when I get up here to preach or do anything else on a Sunday.
This isn’t only a problem that I have. Jesus knew our hearts and warned about these tendencies in the sermon on the mount. As He begins speaking against the pride and selfishness of their prayers, giving, and fasting, He warns them:
The most common sin of humanity is the sin of pride. Far too often we are bent on making a name for ourselves instead of greatly praising God’s name.
1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
I am so affected by this thinking, that even as I say this I feel like I should be offering all kinds of qualifications saying that being united isn’t all wrong, but it’s really hard for me to get over what God is condemning in this passage.
Think about this in connection with the book of Revelation. The mark of the end of the age will be a one world government that is referred to as Babylon in after it is destroyed by God and mourned by the world. Now I don’t say this to try to scare you or to make statements about national policies.
It is appropriate that Jesus would speak in condemnation of our pride and selfishness because His righteous example proved that He never thought this way. Listen to how Paul described Jesus’s coming to earth in
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
What am I saying is that we should be wary of attempts by unredeemed people to get together because what usually unites them is their opposition to God.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
This trickles down to our lives too. We are afraid of being separated from the rest of the world, so we carry our phones with us everywhere. That way we can be constantly in touch and checking our social media. We fear missing out, so we scroll through our various feeds to make sure that we are up-to-date on the latest news and happenings. We fear anonymity so we try to promote ourselves on social media and through other means. Our worth is determined by the number of followers we have or likes we can generate.
Because Jesus is God He alone deserved to receive praise from men, but He gave up not only what He deserved but what He desired to become a true servant for all of humanity and die in the place of sinful humanity. provides a picture of steady self-humiliation as opposed to self-exaltation. Jesus is equal with God, but He gives up His rights as God to become human, that’s a pretty big step down, but He doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t take the position of king when He comes, but takes the lower role of bond-servant, but again He doesn’t stop. He humbles Himself further by dying and even worse than that He dies on a cross, a means of dying that was reserved for the public execution of criminals.
No longer are the spiritual practices of silence and solitude pursued by Christians. Instead we fill our lives with noise and commotion so we feel connected.
If anyone could have ever stood up and announced, “This isn’t fair!” Jesus was the man, but He willingly took on this role for the good of humanity. Oh, to think this way. O to have this attitude in myself. This is so antithetical to everything that we are encouraged to pursue by our culture.
But when we consider the problem of united unredeemed humanity both before and after the fall, perhaps we shouldn’t be taking so much advice from our culture. Perhaps those who give up everything to serve others are more like Jesus than we will ever be sitting in our comfortable homes spending our money on self-serving toys and bragging about what we own.
This is another evidence of the pride of humanity rejecting God’s blessings. We reject God’s blessing of fellowship with Him. We reject the blessings associated with submission to His will.
We must subdue our God-resistant, hero-worshipping pride so we can receive the blessings of God.
We must subdue our God-resistant, hero-worshipping pride so we can receive the blessings of God.
The context of includes v9-11 as well. Listen to what happened to Jesus after He humbled Himself:
9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
These verses emphasize two key concepts about humility. One is that it results in glory when our life is done. It won’t be the exact same glory as Christ received, but God will glorify us as we humbly submit to Him and accept His blessings. I have spoken much of our rebellious pride and selfishness this morning because this is the nature human condition. Thus without God’s intervention our lives are hopeless doomed to join the growing God resistance in our world. But God did intervene. Jesus never gave in to His selfish desires. He never pursued His pride. When Jesus died as a criminal, He was innocent. So God offers the blessing of Christ’s innocence to all of us, we must merely accept it through faith. The most important blessing you can receive is to receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ and have the image of God restored in you. Everyone who receives this gift will also receive a similar glorification that Christ received. In 2 Thessalonians Paul prays to this end for those who have received God’s gifts
12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
11 To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The most important blessing you can receive is to receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ and have the image of God restored in you.
Believers, or receivers, will be glorified in Christ, but reveals a second key concept about humility. It ultimately glorifies God.
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Christ’s glory and your glory are ultimately to bring God glory. This is the whole point of life. It is here where we find the answer when we are struggling to find the purpose of our existence or discouraged by how life seems meaningless. Live your life like Jesus did to glorify God instead of serve yourself. When we are insecure and long for acceptance, we can glorify God and rest in His acceptance of us. When we are tempted to live for the moment we can live for the eternal God and use our lives to glorify Him.
Are you struggling to find the purpose of your existence, discourage by how life seems meaningless? Are you insecure and want to feel accepted? Are you tempted to live for the moment, thinking nothing of high risk behaviors because they make you feel alive?
Life isn’t about us. It’s about God. May we live our lives for the glory of His name instead of making a name for ourselves.