The Plan Revealed—Babel or Abram? (Genesis 4, 11-12)

Since humanity lost something of God’s shared glory in the fall (see last week’s study in Genesis 3, The Problem) we have sought to either take things into our own hands to replace it or self-medicate our pain so that we forget it is missing. We want the greatness that we once had when we walked in an unbroken relationship with God and often try to grasp greatness, but without walking with God. It is the difference that we see between the people of Babel (Gen. 11) and Abram/Abraham (Gen. 12). Who is it who makes our name great? Who is it who determines our identity?

The Bible recounts several "False Starts" as humanity tried to attain greatness on its own. Here are three…

A) Cain’s Personal Failure (Gen. 4:3-6)

In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Are we envious?

Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord, but Cain’s was not well regarded. There are few details given, but it apparently was not “his best” contrary to the description of Abel’s gift. Cain seems to have been keeping his best for himself. Love and worship go together. God makes it clear that “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” However, instead of changing his heart and “doing well, Cain ignored God’s warning, “If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door…you must rule over it.” This is too often the story of our lives. Often, we fail to be transformed by the love of God and choose self-love instead. That is always a failure. Often other people get hurt in the process—starting with Abel. However, our failures do not keep God from being himself. Even in the midst of judgment (as we saw in Gen. 3) God is merciful. In this case, “the mark of Cain” was not a punishment but merciful preservation.

How can we avoid Cain’s error and rule over sin? By walking relationally with the Lord in trust and obedience (Gal. 5:16), by calling upon him for help and forgiveness. “At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.” (v.26b), and by loving our neighbor (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:39)

B) An Epic and Global Failure (Gen 6:11-13)

Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Why was the antediluvian earth corrupt and filled with violence? It is the natural result of people who care only for themselves and are accustomed to taking what they want to fill up the emptiness inside—and enough is never enough. There are several passages in the New Testament that suggest that such anarchy and corruption are still possible (2 Timothy 3:1-9; Gal. 5:18-21; James 4:1-3) and to some extent, we see that conflict between competing desires in our lives every day. In the time of Noah, it was so bad that God rebooted the world—by saving Noah and his family (as well as a lot of animals). Do you see a pattern here? Even in this judgment, God made merciful provisions—the ark and a promise (9:9-17)!

C) Starting Over the Wrong way—Making a Name for Ourselves (Gen. 11:1-9)

What’s in a name? In ancient times, a name contained both the character and the renown of the one named. In addition, the one who names often was considered to have power over the one named (something we still do today). So, who makes our name great has a lot to do with whether we are God-directed or self-directed. This is a theme played out a number of times in the first few chapters of the Bible. What kinds of examples do we see in these early narratives? (Take a few minutes to look them up for yourself and determine whether they were God-directed or self-directed. You can check your work at the end of this post.)

• Eve (3:1-10)
• Abel (4:4)
• Cain (4:5-9)
• Enoch (5:3)
• Whole antediluvian world (Gen. 6:11-13)
• Noah (6:9)
• Babel (11:1-4)

These examples should be fairly easy to determine but resist the temptation to guess.

God opposed the people of Babel, for he opposes and humbles the proud while exalting the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Consider the reasoning of the people of Babel in Genesis 11:1-4,

Hendrick van Cleef,
 The Building of the Tower of Babel, (16th Century)

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 

  And they said to one another,

                         “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.”

  And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

They tried to fill up what they were missing and avoid their fears by pursuing their own non-relational plans. Ironically, Israel would one day be enslaved by name-makers and forced to bake bricks in the service of a despotic leader (Ex 1-5). God stepped in to not only frustrate their toxic plan for the new world but also to reintroduce his own counter-intuitive plan for the redemptive blessing of the whole world.

It is no coincidence that the contradiction of Babel is followed in the unveiling of God’s plan by the call of Abram (Gen 12:1-3).

Starting the Right Way—Believing God’s Plan

A) God's Covenant with Abram/Abraham (Gen 12:1-3)

Now the Lord said to Abram,

“Go from your country and

               your kindred and

               your father's house

                       to the land that I will show you.

                                        And I will make of you a great nation,

                                        and I will bless you and make your name great,

                      so that you will be a blessing.

                                               I will bless those who bless you,  

  and him who dishonors you I will curse,

    and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Abram was not selected because of his own giftedness, influence, or promotional talents. God always seems to choose the least likely candidates to fulfill his mission. But Abram believed God’s plan and left behind the things in which, to this point, he might have found security. Abram/Abraham trusted himself—his home, his future descendants, and his name/reputation to the Lord who called him. The late Rev. Ron Mehl used to say, “If you know who fills your barns you won’t be afraid to empty them.” While we might easily apply such wisdom to our resources, what about applying it to our very reputation and glory? What if we trusted God to take care of our honor and stopped trying so hard to defend ourselves and build our own esteem? Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5)!

B) God’s Eternal Covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:8-16)

This mission of God made clear in the call of Abraham and the deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt (next week’s topic), was extended into an eternal covenant with King David and his descendants who would one day include Jesus the Messiah!

Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 

   And I have been with you wherever you went

   and   have cut off all your enemies from before you.

   And I will make for you a great name,

           like the name of the great ones of the earth. 

   And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them,

                  so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. 

And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel.

   And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, 

           I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body,

    and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name,

    and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

           I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son…

And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

It was not David that did all this for himself, but the Lord who promised to bring this to pass on David’s behalf and for the good of the whole world! Let’s look at the One to whom this promise ultimately pointed, Jesus Christ.

C) Jesus was given the “name above all names.” But who “made his name great?” Did he follow the pattern of Babel or Abram? Here are a few references for you to look into.

• It wasn’t his mother Mary, for she was instructed at the annunciation what she should call her son, “You will call his name Jesus!” (Luke 1:31-33)
• At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, it was God the Father who spoke at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22)
• The wilderness temptation was in part an effort by the devil to get Jesus to make a name for himself by using God’s power selfishly and sacrificing his convictions as a means to an end. (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)
• Towards the end of Jesus' public ministry, on the Mount of Transfiguration, the Father once again proclaimed the greatness of Jesus, “” (Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; 2 Peter 1:16-18)
• We see that Jesus did not count equality with God as something to be grasped…
• Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:3-11)
• He was given a more excellent name than any of the angels (Heb. 1:4), Jesus didn’t even exalt himself to be made our high priest but was appointed to it by the Father (Heb. 5:5).

Jesus wasn’t focused on his own glory but upon bringing glory to the Father, and even asked the Father to glorify the Father’s name (John 12:27-28) in reference to Jesus’ own approaching time of suffering and death on the cross.

D) Is our name written in heaven? (Eph. 2:1-10; Luke 10:19-20)

Ultimately what is needed, and what should cause up to rejoice, is not that we achieve some level of momentary popularity or even demonstrate supernatural power, but that Jesus has written our name in heaven (Luke 10:19-20)! This is something we cannot do for ourselves. Perhaps the best-known passage addressing this is Ephesians 2:1-10. Let’s take time to read these verses noticing once again  

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (v.1-3)

In other words, we lived like hell and deserved nothing more than wrath and judgment, but God had something else—something better—planned. Savor those words, “But God”!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (v.4-10, emphasis mine)

Our salvation, our restored relationship with God, and our citizenship in heaven have been accomplished by God in Jesus Christ and are not a result of our own “name-making” efforts!

• It is not an accident but the very plan of God (Eph. 1:4)
• It is not an act of awesomeness on our part
• It is not an accumulation of many godly attributes that tips the balance
• It is a gift from God, which we receive by faith.
• It changes us forever—we are transformed by his love and mercy!
• It is not a momentary transaction but a lifelong relationship of love and trust.

Let us walk with him and find life even in this death-fixated and fearing world!

[Answers… Making a Name for Ourselves

• Eve—was self-directed as she succumbed to deception (3:1-10).
• Abel—righteously directed by a love for God gave his first and finest (4:4; Matt. 23:35; Heb. 11:4).
• Cain—was self-directed despite God’s gracious warning to the point that in jealousy and wrath, he invented murder by killing his innocent brother (4:5-9).
• Enoch—God-directed. He walked with God, living his life fully in the presence of God as opposed to his contemporaries (5:3)
• The Whole Antediluvian World— was self-directed and in the time of Noah chose self in the most violent and corrupt way possible. (Gen. 6:11-13)
• Noah—walked with God and followed his direction and he lived through the flood (6:9)
• Babel— self-directed. They didn’t trust God to establish them and make them great so they planned to take things into their own hands.]