1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: And the whole earth was of one language and of 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: one speech. Genesis eleven, One Lord, in the beginning, humanity 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: had one common language. There is only one people group 4 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: on the earth and one shared cultural experience. As much 5 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: as you desire for us to dwell in unity in peace, 6 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: humanity can often use that unity for sin. Lord, I 7 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: know you want compassion in the midst of diversity. Don't 8 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: let me get so dependent on others that I forget 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,919 Speaker 1: to acknowledge you. Don't let me get so comfortable in 10 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: my tribe of same minded people that I drift away from. 11 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 1: You keep me from finding my identity in others and 12 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,919 Speaker 1: not in who you created me to be. You don't 13 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: want cookie cutter Christians. Nothing in your creation is the same. 14 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: No two snowflakes are alike, no two blades of grass 15 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: are alike, and no two people are like. You made 16 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: each of us exceptional, with special gifts and a distinctive personality. 17 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: You have designed me to speak to certain people like 18 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: no one else. Can help me to embrace who you 19 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: created me to be. Help me celebrate the life you 20 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: gave me. Don't let me try to blend in and 21 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: be like everyone else. Help me develop my own style, 22 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: personality and gifts, so you can shine through me. Don't 23 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: let me be afraid to be different. Let me always 24 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: glorify You in all I do and say in Jesus' name. Amen. 25 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time 26 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: with God by listening to today's Bible story, brought to 27 00:01:52,120 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: you by Bible in a year dot com. 28 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 2: After the Flood. Before this story, we learned about the 29 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 2: flood in Noah's Ark, God cleansed the world of unimaginable 30 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,119 Speaker 2: evil through a flood preserved Noah and his family, then 31 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 2: promised to never flood the earth again. Now we discover 32 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,239 Speaker 2: that just because the flood is over does not mean 33 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 2: the dysfunction of people is over as well. Yet, God 34 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 2: still endures with people and has a plan to expand 35 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 2: them across the whole world. This is inspired by the 36 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 2: Book of Genesis. 37 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 3: We're so glad you've joined us on the Bible Any 38 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 3: of Your podcast today. The Bible any of Your Podcast 39 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 3: is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come 40 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 3: to you each week through the support of listeners just 41 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 3: like you. Your support today is so important that we 42 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 3: want to thank you for your gift by giving you 43 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 3: a copy of my book called the Jesus Book. It 44 00:02:57,480 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 3: is a powerful guide that shows how every book of 45 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 3: the Bible points to Jesus and how his living word, 46 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 3: the truth of God's Word, will transform your life. So 47 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 3: to get a copy of the Jesus Book, simply go 48 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 3: to Jack Graham dot org slash Jesus. That's Jack Graham 49 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 3: dot org slash Jesus and thank you for your support. 50 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 3: Today's reading picks up with Noah and his sons after 51 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 3: the flood. God has delivered them from the destruction brought 52 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 3: upon the earth, and now Noah begins to farm the land, 53 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 3: to labor and toil. The curse of sin has not 54 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 3: been washed away by the flood, and it doesn't take 55 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 3: long for it to once again wreck havoc. Pride once 56 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 3: again takes center stage in today's reading. Is a theme 57 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 3: we've seen before and one that will be repeated again 58 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 3: and again and again. As you listen, notice first how 59 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 3: pride leads to family divisions with Noah's sons. Then, as 60 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 3: we look at the story of Babel, notice how the 61 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 3: descendants of Adam and Eve repeat the sin of their ancestors, 62 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 3: wanting to elevate themselves on par with the Creator. The 63 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 3: story of Babel is where we learn of the origin 64 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 3: of different languages and the purposes for which God used them. 65 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 3: It may be easy to hear these passages and fail 66 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 3: to acknowledge the role of pride in our own lives 67 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 3: and the way in which it causes us strife and pain. 68 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 3: But remember that we too bear the seed of Adam's 69 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 3: sin within us, and in many ways are not different 70 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 3: from those we'll hear about today. Now let's dive into 71 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 3: our story. 72 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: Noah and his three sons, Ham, Shem, and Jaffith, along 73 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 2: with their families, made a home in the new world 74 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 2: after the flood, determined to live a new and holy 75 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 2: life among God. Yet even now the subtle imperfections of 76 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 2: humanity began to bubble forth. Noah became a man of 77 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 2: the earth, just as his ane ancestor Adam. He tilled 78 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 2: the ground and worked it with pain and labor. Noah 79 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 2: planted a vineyard and made his own wine to drink. 80 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 2: One morning, he became drunk and stumbled into his tent naked. 81 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 2: His youngest son, Ham came into the tent to find 82 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 2: his father naked and in a shameful state. Harm delighted 83 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 2: in this and mockingly told his older brothers, furthering the 84 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 2: shame of his old and drunken father. The delight of 85 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 2: harm revealed the subtle pride re emerging in the hearts 86 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 2: of mankind. Unamused and determined to protect their father's dignity, 87 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:40,799 Speaker 2: Shem and Jaffith entered Noah's tent, walking backwards and carrying 88 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 2: a piece of cloth over their shoulders. They draped a 89 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 2: cloth over their father, covering his nakedness, and left the tent. 90 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 2: Noah woke up from his drunken slumber and discovered what 91 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 2: had happened. Dishonored and embarrassed, he cursed his youngest son, Ham, saying, 92 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 2: curse it be the land in which you dwell, Canaan. 93 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 2: Your descendants will toil under the oppression of your brothers 94 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 2: as slaves. And he blessed Shem and Jaffith and blessed 95 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 2: their descendants too. Noah turned to Shem and said, I 96 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 2: praise God for Shem. The Canonites will be the slaves 97 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 2: of his descendants. The Noah turned to Jaffath and blessed him, saying, 98 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 2: God will give Jaffith more land. His descendants will live 99 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 2: with the descendants of his brother Shem, and the Canaanites 100 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 2: will be the slaves of Jaffith's descendants. This furthered the 101 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 2: familial strife between families for generations to come. Noah continued 102 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,919 Speaker 2: three hundred fifty years after the flood. He lived a 103 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 2: total of nine hundred fifty years, and then passed to 104 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 2: the dust. Just as his ancestor Adam, Ham, Shem and 105 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: Jaffith multiplied and filled the land with many descendants. Among 106 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 2: Ham's line of cursed descendants was a man named Nimrod, 107 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 2: who plagued the earth and hunted men. It was him 108 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 2: who would lead the first kingdom to rebel against God, Babel. 109 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 2: The people of the earth all spoke the same language, 110 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 2: were drawn to one another, and gathered in the land 111 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 2: of Shinar, also known as Babylon. Their collective pride mimicked 112 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 2: that of their forefathers. Let us build ourselves a city 113 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 2: in a tower going up to the heavens, and let 114 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 2: us make a name for ourselves to the heavens. They ascended, 115 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 2: determined to be like God, a mistake once made by 116 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 2: their ancient parents, Adam and Eve. God lamented over their 117 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 2: tower because it represented the same pride that continued to 118 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 2: fracture their relationship with one another. Once again filled with 119 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 2: both anger and compassion, God said, come, let us go 120 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 2: down and confuse their language so that they cannot mingle 121 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 2: together to build one kingdom under the mission of pride 122 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 2: and arrogance. 123 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 3: So the Lord. 124 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 2: Dispersed them all over the face of the earth. Unable 125 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 2: to communicate with one another, they left the great city 126 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 2: and tower. The tower was then called Babel, because there 127 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 2: the Lord confused the language of all the earth. So 128 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 2: the people scattered, forming new and smaller kingdoms with those 129 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 2: they had a common language with. Just as Noah had declared, 130 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 2: Shem's descendants multiplied greatly. Out of the seed of Shem 131 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 2: came forth great nations and people groups, the most important 132 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 2: among them being Abram, one of God's greatest heroes and 133 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:44,079 Speaker 2: the father of all nations. 134 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 3: It was a brand new start for Noah and his descendants. 135 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 3: But as I've said before, Noah was righteous, not perfect, 136 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 3: and neither were his sons. We began this story today 137 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 3: with the son who failed to respect his father, the 138 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 3: evidence of an ongoing struggle with pride. The first lesson 139 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 3: we learned today is how pride poisons family relationships. Three brothers, 140 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 3: one whose family line is cursed to live as slaves, 141 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 3: oppressed by the other two brothers descendants. This is not 142 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 3: the unity in community God has designed for us. It 143 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 3: does not reflect the loving fellowship that reflects the true God, 144 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 3: the Triune God. We then turned to the story of Babel, 145 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,559 Speaker 3: a kingdom united with one goal. Up until now there 146 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 3: was only one language on earth. So everyone understood each other, 147 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 3: and they began to talk and plan, and an idea 148 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:47,560 Speaker 3: was hatched. We can be like God. It's the same 149 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 3: lie the serpent told Eve in the garden, Pride once 150 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 3: again taking hold, this time not just in a couple, 151 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 3: but in an entire kingdom. Look what Genesis eleven four says. 152 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 3: And they said, come, let's build ourselves a city and 153 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:07,079 Speaker 3: a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let's 154 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 3: make a name for ourselves. Otherwise we will be scattered 155 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 3: abroad over the face of the earth. Now, rather than 156 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 3: filling the earth and subduing it as God intended, mankind 157 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 3: has decided to stay in one place and seek equality 158 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 3: with God, to seek faith and recognition and power. This 159 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 3: may seem like a feat of human cooperation, and in 160 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 3: some ways it is as even God acknowledges in Genesis 161 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 3: eleven six, and the Lord said, behold, they are one people, 162 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,079 Speaker 3: and they will all have the same language. And this 163 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 3: is what they have started to do. And now nothing 164 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 3: which they plan to do will be impossible for them. 165 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 3: But here's the lesson from this story. Just because you 166 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 3: are creating something great and impressive, it doesn't mean that 167 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 3: it is in line with God's will. Unity by itself 168 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 3: is not enough. Their hearts were set on making themselves great, 169 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:09,079 Speaker 3: making a name for themselves, and not glorifying God. They 170 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 3: were not living with a god honoring purpose in their lives. 171 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 3: So God confused their languages, and then the cooperation ceased. 172 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 3: But here's what is important to note. In his solution 173 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 3: to the problem. God brought about beauty. Think about all 174 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 3: the wonderful sounds of different languages, the richness of expression 175 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 3: that each different tongue brings. Now, unable to understand each other, 176 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 3: they're scattered into their own smaller kingdoms, which very soon 177 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 3: would be at war with each other. Among those scattered 178 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 3: groups were the descendants of one of Noah's sons, Shim, 179 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,079 Speaker 3: and from that line, God was already working his plan 180 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 3: to bring about the ultimate redemption of the world beginning 181 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 3: with a man named Abram, and we'll meet him in 182 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 3: our next episode. Father, thank you for what today's story 183 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:07,559 Speaker 3: teaches us about the dangers of pride and the importance 184 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 3: of being together for the purpose of glorifying you and 185 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 3: not ourselves. Thank you also for the wonderful beauty of 186 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:18,199 Speaker 3: languages that we hear in our world today, and how 187 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 3: one day every tongue in every language will confess that 188 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 3: Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God. It 189 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 3: is in that name of the Lord Jesus Christ that 190 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:32,320 Speaker 3: we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible 191 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 3: into Your podcast, and before we go, I wanted to 192 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 3: let you know that the Bible into Your Podcast is 193 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 3: an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come to 194 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:46,479 Speaker 3: you each week through the support of listeners like you. 195 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:49,320 Speaker 3: Your support today is so important that we want to 196 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 3: thank you for your gift by giving you a copy 197 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 3: of my book called The Jesus Book. This book is 198 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 3: a powerful guide that shows how every book in the 199 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 3: Bible points to Christ, and how you can better read 200 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 3: and understand the Bible and how God's Word transforms our lives. 201 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 3: So to get your copy of the Jesus Book simply 202 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 3: go to jaggraham dot org slash Jesus. That's jaggraham dot 203 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 3: org slash Jesus, and thank you for your support.