Genesis 11 Commentary
Shinar is the equivalent version of the secular and famous Fertile Crescent. Early human civilization flourished here. And from here, humanity spread. The secular world has a way of explaining these events. We call it scattering. Verse 8.
Civil strife or internal conflict could be the secular phrase for what we read about in this chapter. The Saints know better. More often than not, physical happenings have heavy spiritual undertones. We are privileged to know the details.
To want to make a name for yourself is every man’s ambition. It’s a natural instinct. Can there be an easier way to sin than this? Nearly all human projects have this end for an objective: To make a name for ourselves.
Probably the wickedness is in the final product of the project; not in the activities and pronouncements made in the process. “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” There is nothing wrong with this ambition. There is equally no problem with a desire to make for themselves a city with a great skyscraper. It’s the motive of these undertakings which fails the obedience test.
The preacher man’s view could be that even the motive wasn’t wrong! Had this project been God’s – birthed and designed by Him, He would probably provide them with cranes! We cannot argue with this assessment. “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Psalm 127.
It would be the equivalent of what Adam and Eve wanted: To have glory to themselves and by themselves – the scandal of the glory of the people, by the people, and for the people. The LORD is out of the picture! But there are consequences.
Disunity is a curse. It runs from the throne of the Sovereign God. But there is a simple cure for disunity. Let Jesus run the show – the Architect, the Builder, … and the Quality Controller! Both Consultant and Project Inspector! He is the owner of the project!
But what is man’s role? Sit down and dream nothing?
“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.” Zechariah 4 verse 9.
Yet, “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 4 verse 6.
If only we could know the difference!
Then we have Shem’s family line. Again, it’s a straight line from Shem to Abram. The call of Abram (later Abraham) may coincide with the scattering – from Ur of the Chaldeans, from Babel, Shinar, or Babylon. The thought could place these events in the same time frame, albeit a big frame!
So Abram (Abraham) is the next big thing in creation. We had Adam in the opening chapters of Genesis. Then we built up to Noah. Now we have Abram.
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