Rebellion Against God After The Flood

Only Noah and his family survived the flood, but as we saw in the previous post, there had been some major changes, with some animals becoming carnivorous, and eating only meat.  Fear developed between the animals and mankind.  People began to dread being isolated as a result.  After the Ark landed on Mount Ararat the people began to move southward, along the Euphrates river seeking an area large enough to support them.  Eventually they arrived at Babel, near the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in Mesopotamia, “the land between the rivers.”  Genesis 11:1-2 tells the story.  “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.  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.”

Babel, later known as Babylon, was located in a large, fertile plain with plenty of water to support a large population.  It was exactly what they had been seeking and they decided to make that their home in Genesis 11:3-4.  “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.” 

They built a city using the local clay to make bricks and the very sticky mixture of tar and mud from the slime pits remaining after the flood for cement.  Before long, they decided to build a tower to commemorate their accomplishments and serve to unite the people.  They built a ziggurat or stepped pyramid.  Remains of the Tower of Babel can still be seen in present day Babylon, as part of the temple of Marduk.  When finished, the pyramid or tower would be visible for many miles, constantly reminding people of their religion and encouraging them to stay close for protection. 

In Genesis 9:1 tells us, “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”  The word translated ‘replenish’ actually means to fill the earth.  If they began to worship their abilities and accomplishments and stayed in that area, they would not fulfill God’s command to fill the earth.  Recognizing this, God intervened, in Genesis 11:5-8.  “And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.  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.  Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.  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.” 

God caused them to have different languages so that they could not understand each other.   As a result the people divided into small groups which spoke the same language.  Work on the tower stopped and the people began to drift away forming different races.  Eventually, they would scatter throughout the world.  Some of the people remained in Babylon and formed one of the first great civilizations.  Genesis 10:8-10 describes that first great civilization.  “And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.   He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.  And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” The civilization is known today as the Summerians.    Ancient writings from area indicate Nimrod was viewed as a God by later peoples.  Some of the people broke away from Summer, going upstream where they started the Assyrian culture, as we see in Genesis 10:11-12.  “Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.”  Archaeological findings indicate these cities may have developed around 4000 BC.

Such a date clearly contradicts Bishop Ussher’s chronology, but a study of the Bible clearly indicates he did not follow the scriptural record exactly.  For example, he lists the time from Abraham going to Canaan until the Exodus as being four hundred thirty years, when Exodus 12:40-41 tells us, “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.   And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.”  Abraham’s grandson, Jacob was a hundred thirty years old when they went to Egypt, and Jacob’s father was not born until twenty five years after Abraham moved to Canaan.   Several such discrepancies lead me to believe the archaeologists are probably more dependable than Ussher.  Their findings actually support the scriptures. 

There is an old saying that what man can conceive, man can achieve.”  While I do not think that is true, God clearly recognized that mankind would attempt whatever they could imagine and Genesis 6:5 tells us, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  By preventing their communication, God could prevent them from brainstorming as much, thus limiting the evil they might imagine and forcing them to concentrate on survival.    Throughout history, mankind has been trying to reunite in ever larger cities and empires, in the belief they will be able to do so much more.  The ultimate rebellion against God will culminate in a worldwide government controlled by the Antichrist .