In Chapter eleven we encounter another “fall” of man at the tower of Babel. The story of Babel is structured chaistically, which means that the second half of the story corresponds to the first half, in reverse order. This is a common literary structure in the Bible.
A. The whole earth has one language (v.1)
B. Settled there (v.2)
C. Said to one another (v. 3)
D. Come, let us build a city and tower (v.4)
E. Lord Came Down (v. 5)
D’. City and tower that man had built (v. 5)
C’. Confuse their speech (v.7)
B’. Scattered from there (v.8)
A’. Confused the language of the whole earth (v. 9).
The whole story turns on the Lord coming down. This teaches us that God is the decisive actor in the history of the world. Man proposes, but God disposes. The men who settled in Babylon (meaning the Gate of God) aspired to build a mountain that would reach the heavens. This would not only make them famous and earn them a reputation for greatness throughout the world, but would also be a point of contact between heaven and earth.
There is humor in this story because the men who thought they were building a tower into the heavens. God responds by saying, let us go down and see what they are doing. Their ambitious plans were no where close to accomplishing their objective. God puts a stop to the building by confusing their language and so Babylon (the gate of God) becomes Babel (confusion) and the people are scattered. Later we will learn that a true point of contact between heaven and earth will be established in dramatic fashion. However, it will not be built from earth to heaven, but will be a ladder let down from heaven to earth. Jesus is the true and living way and no one comes to the Father except by Him.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Imaging God
I had given up on this blog due to, what I thought, was a lack of interest. I appreciate Landon, Carrie and Tabitha for encouraging me to take it up again. So, here is the deal. I’ll try to post a couple times a week and you react and we’ll try to make a go of it.
Let's go back one more time to Chapter one. In Gen 1:28f we are told that God has created mankind in His own image. This is of obvious importance. But what does it mean? Most commentaries undertake discussions of God’s nature and how it is reflected in man. Such characteristics as self-awareness, emotion and will are the things emphasized. Without disputing that, it seems to me that the context takes us in a different direction. In the days of creation God took what He had made and acted as an artist shaping and improving the world. He divides, separates, evaluates and names. In brief, God is exercising dominion over creation. Mankind is to take up where God leaves off. He is to image His creator by exercising dominion over creation. We take hold of the world’s native resources. We divide, shape, rework, evaluate and name what we do. This gives tremendous dignity to virtually every human action. We also see that God is fruitful, in that he fills the world with living things. We image God, by being fruitful and multiplying.
Any thoughts?
Let's go back one more time to Chapter one. In Gen 1:28f we are told that God has created mankind in His own image. This is of obvious importance. But what does it mean? Most commentaries undertake discussions of God’s nature and how it is reflected in man. Such characteristics as self-awareness, emotion and will are the things emphasized. Without disputing that, it seems to me that the context takes us in a different direction. In the days of creation God took what He had made and acted as an artist shaping and improving the world. He divides, separates, evaluates and names. In brief, God is exercising dominion over creation. Mankind is to take up where God leaves off. He is to image His creator by exercising dominion over creation. We take hold of the world’s native resources. We divide, shape, rework, evaluate and name what we do. This gives tremendous dignity to virtually every human action. We also see that God is fruitful, in that he fills the world with living things. We image God, by being fruitful and multiplying.
Any thoughts?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Gen 2:1-17
God's intent was to build a world in which to place His image bearer. He made a world the first three days and filled it with living creatures on days four through six. The seventh day He rested.
Mankind is given the task of doing, in a limited capacity, what God has already done on a grand scale. God has been creative, fruitful, working and resting. Now man is to work creatively, be fruitful, rule wisely and rest. In all of his activities man is to image God.
The garden that God plants is full of abundance and mankind is given the run of the place. He is assigned his task "tend and keep" and he is given a menu "of all these trees you may freely eat." He is prohibited from eating of one tree. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is forbidden. I take this to mean that the one thing man is forbidden, is the right to determine good and evil for himself. The determination of right and wrong, of what is and isn't lawful, is a matter in which the man was to depend entirely upon God to decide. As long as Adam respected this by obeying the prohibition against eating of this particular tree, he demonstrated his willingness to let God be God and to recognize his place as being one of subjection to his Creator.
Mankind is given the task of doing, in a limited capacity, what God has already done on a grand scale. God has been creative, fruitful, working and resting. Now man is to work creatively, be fruitful, rule wisely and rest. In all of his activities man is to image God.
The garden that God plants is full of abundance and mankind is given the run of the place. He is assigned his task "tend and keep" and he is given a menu "of all these trees you may freely eat." He is prohibited from eating of one tree. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is forbidden. I take this to mean that the one thing man is forbidden, is the right to determine good and evil for himself. The determination of right and wrong, of what is and isn't lawful, is a matter in which the man was to depend entirely upon God to decide. As long as Adam respected this by obeying the prohibition against eating of this particular tree, he demonstrated his willingness to let God be God and to recognize his place as being one of subjection to his Creator.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Gen 1:1-2
Summary:
The opening words of scripture are both beautiful and instructive. It is interesting that no formal argument for God's existence is set forth. His being is assumed and affirmed. His authority over creation is implied by His creative act.
Thought Questions:
Does it make any difference if God created the world from nothing, or if He imposed His will on pre-existing matter that had its being apart from Him?
What role does the Spirit of God play in creation? Does He play a similar role in redemption?
What role does the Son play in creation (John 1:1-3; Col 1:16,17; Heb 1:1-2)?
What does the universe tell you about God (Psalm 19:1-6)?
Is the physical universe all we need to know about God and His will (Psalm 19:7-14)?
The opening words of scripture are both beautiful and instructive. It is interesting that no formal argument for God's existence is set forth. His being is assumed and affirmed. His authority over creation is implied by His creative act.
Thought Questions:
Does it make any difference if God created the world from nothing, or if He imposed His will on pre-existing matter that had its being apart from Him?
What role does the Spirit of God play in creation? Does He play a similar role in redemption?
What role does the Son play in creation (John 1:1-3; Col 1:16,17; Heb 1:1-2)?
What does the universe tell you about God (Psalm 19:1-6)?
Is the physical universe all we need to know about God and His will (Psalm 19:7-14)?
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