1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: Let us pray, and the whole earth was of one 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:11,239 Speaker 1: language and of one speech Genesis eleven, One Lord. In 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: the beginning, humanity had one common language. There is only 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: one people group on the earth and one shared cultural experience. 5 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: As much as you desire for us to dwell in 6 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: unity in peace, humanity can often use that unity for sin. Lord, 7 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: I know you want compassion in the midst of diversity. 8 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: Don't let me get so dependent on others that I 9 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:39,480 Speaker 1: forget to acknowledge you. Don't let me get so comfortable 10 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: in my tribe of same minded people that I drift 11 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: away from. You keep me from finding my identity in 12 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: others and not in who you created me to be. 13 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: You don't want cookie cutter Christians. Nothing in your creation 14 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: is the same. No two snowflakes are alike, no two 15 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: blades of grass are alike, and no two people are alike. 16 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: You made each of us exceptional, with special gifts and 17 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: a distinctive personality. You have designed me to speak to 18 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 1: certain people like no one else. Can Help me to 19 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: embrace who you created me to be. Help me celebrate 20 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: the life you gave me. Don't let me try to 21 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: blend in and be like everyone else. Help me develop 22 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: my own style, personality and gifts so you can shine 23 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: through me. Don't let me be afraid to be different. 24 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: Let me always glorify You in all I do and 25 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: say in Jesus' name, Amen, Thank you for praying with 26 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: us today. Continue your time with God by listening to 27 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: today's Bible story, brought to you by Bible in a 28 00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: Year dot com. 29 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 2: After the Flood. Before this story, we learned about the 30 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 2: flood in Noah's Ark, God cleansed the world of unimaginable 31 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 2: evil through a flood preserved Noah and his family then 32 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 2: promised to never flood the earth again. Now we discover 33 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,959 Speaker 2: that just because the flood is over does not mean 34 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 2: the dysfunction of people is over as well. Yet, God 35 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 2: still endures with people and has a plan to expand 36 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 2: them across the whole world. This is inspired by the 37 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 2: Book of Genesis. 38 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 3: Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham. With today's episode of the 39 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. Today's reading picks up with 40 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 3: Noah and his sons after the flood. God has delivered 41 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 3: them from the destruction brought upon the earth, and now 42 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 3: Noah begins to farm the land to labor and toil. 43 00:02:57,919 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 3: The curse of sin has not been washed away by 44 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 3: the flood, and it doesn't take long for it to 45 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 3: once again wreck havoc. Pride once again takes center stage 46 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 3: in today's reading is a theme we've seen before, and 47 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 3: one that will be repeated again and again and again. 48 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 3: As you listen, notice first how pride leads to family 49 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 3: divisions with Noah's sons. Then, as we look at the 50 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 3: story of Babel, notice how the descendants of Adam and 51 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 3: Eve repeat the sins of their ancestors, wanting to elevate 52 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 3: themselves on par with the Creator. The story of Babel 53 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 3: is where we learn of the origin of different languages 54 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 3: and the purposes for which God used them. It may 55 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,279 Speaker 3: be easy to hear these passages and fail to acknowledge 56 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 3: the role of pride in our own lives and the 57 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 3: way in which it causes us strife and pain. But 58 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 3: remember that we too bear the seed of Adam's sin 59 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 3: within us, and in many ways are not different from 60 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 3: those we'll hear about today. Now let's dive into our story. 61 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 2: Noah and his three sons, Ham, Shem, and Jaffith, along 62 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 2: with their families, made a home in the New World 63 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 2: after the flood, determined to live a new and holy 64 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 2: life among God. Yet even now the subtle imperfections of 65 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:24,359 Speaker 2: humanity began to bubble forth. Noah became a man of 66 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 2: the earth, just as his ancestor Adam. He tilled the 67 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 2: ground and worked it with pain and labor. Noah planted 68 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 2: a vineyard and made his own wine to drink. One morning, 69 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 2: he became drunk and stumbled into his tent naked. His 70 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 2: youngest son, Ham came into the tent to find his 71 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 2: father naked and in a shameful state. Ham delighted in 72 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 2: this and mockingly told his older brothers, furthering the shame 73 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 2: of his old and drunken father. The delight of harm 74 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 2: revealed the subtle pride re emerging in the hearts of mankind. 75 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 2: Unamused and determined to protect their father's dignity, Shem and 76 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 2: Jaffith entered Noah's tent, walking backwards and carrying a piece 77 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 2: of cloth over their shoulders. They draped to cloth over 78 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 2: their father, covering his nakedness, and left the tent. Noah 79 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 2: woke up from his drunken slumber and discovered what had happened. 80 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 2: Dishonored and embarrassed, he cursed his youngest son Ham, saying, 81 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,719 Speaker 2: curse it be the land in which you dwell, Canaan. 82 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,799 Speaker 2: Your descendants will toil under the oppression of your brothers 83 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 2: as slaves. And he blessed Shem and Jaffith and blessed 84 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 2: their descendants too. Noah turned to Shem and said, I 85 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 2: praise God for Shem. The Canonites will be the slaves 86 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 2: of his descendants. Then Noah turned to Jaffath and blessed him, saying, 87 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 2: God will give Jaffith more land. His descendants will live 88 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 2: with the descendants of his brother Shem, and the Canaanites 89 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 2: will be the slaves of Jaffith's descendants. This furthered the 90 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:06,919 Speaker 2: familial strife between families for generations to come. Noah continued 91 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 2: three hundred fifty years after the flood. He lived a 92 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 2: total of nine hundred fifty years and then passed to 93 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 2: the dust. Just as his ancestor Adam, Ham, Shem, and 94 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 2: Jaffith multiplied and filled the land with many descendants. Among 95 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 2: Ham's line of cursed descendants was a man named Nimrod, 96 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 2: who plagued the earth and hunted men. It was him 97 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 2: who would lead the first kingdom to rebel against God Babel. 98 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 2: The people of the earth all spoke the same language, 99 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 2: were drawn to one another, and gathered in the land 100 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 2: of Shinar, also known as Babylon. Their collective pride mimicked 101 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 2: that of their forefathers. Let us build ourselves a city 102 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 2: in a tower going up to the heavens, and let 103 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 2: us make a name for ourselves to the heavens. They ascended, 104 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 2: determined to be like God, a mistake once made by 105 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 2: their ancient parents, Adam and Eve. God lamented over their 106 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 2: tower because it represented the same pride that continued to 107 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 2: fracture their relationship with one another. Once again, filled with 108 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 2: both anger and compassion, God said, come, let us go 109 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 2: down and confuse their language so that they cannot mingle 110 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 2: together to build one kingdom under the mission of pride 111 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 2: and arrogance. So the Lord dispersed them all over the 112 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 2: face of the earth. Unable to communicate with one another, 113 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 2: they left the great city and tower. The tower was 114 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 2: then called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language 115 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 2: of all the earth. So the people scattered, forming new 116 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 2: and smaller kingdoms with those they had a common language with, 117 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 2: Just as Noah had declared Shem's descendants multiplied greatly. Out 118 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 2: of the seed of Shem came forth great nation and 119 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 2: people groups, the most important among them being Abram, one 120 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 2: of God's greatest heroes and the father of all nations. 121 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 3: It was a brand new start for Noah and his descendants. 122 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 3: But as I've said before, Noah was righteous, not perfect, 123 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 3: and neither were his sons. We began this story today 124 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 3: with a son who failed to respect his father, the 125 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 3: evidence of an ongoing struggle with pride. The first lesson 126 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 3: we learned today is how pride poisons family relationships. Three brothers, 127 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 3: one whose family line is cursed to live his slaves, 128 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 3: oppressed by the other two brothers descendants. This is not 129 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 3: the unity in community God has designed for us. It 130 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 3: does not reflect the loving fellowship that reflects the true God, 131 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:57,559 Speaker 3: the Triune God. We then turned to the story of Babbel, 132 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 3: a kingdom united with one go. Up until now, there 133 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 3: was only one language on earth. So everyone understood each other, 134 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 3: and they began to talk and plan, and an idea 135 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 3: was hatched. We can be like God. It's the same 136 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 3: lie the serpent told Eve in the garden. Pride once 137 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 3: again taking hold, this time not just in a couple, 138 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:25,079 Speaker 3: but in an entire kingdom. Look what Genesis eleven four says. 139 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 3: And they said, come, let's build ourselves a city and 140 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:32,680 Speaker 3: a tower whose top will reach into heaven. And let's 141 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:36,079 Speaker 3: make a name for ourselves. Otherwise we will be scattered 142 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 3: abroad over the face of the earth. Now, rather than 143 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 3: filling the earth and subduing it as God intended, mankind 144 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 3: has decided to stay in one place and seek equality 145 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 3: with God, to seek fame and recognition and power. This 146 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 3: may seem like a feat of human cooperation, and in 147 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 3: some ways it is, as even God acknowledges in Genesis 148 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 3: eleven and six, and the Lord said, behold, they are 149 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 3: one people, and they will all have the same language. 150 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 3: And this is what they have started to do. And 151 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 3: now nothing which they've planned to do will be impossible 152 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 3: for them. But here's the lesson from this story. Just 153 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:20,200 Speaker 3: because you are creating something great and impressive, it doesn't 154 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 3: mean that it is in line with God's will. Unity 155 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 3: by itself is not enough. Their hearts were set on 156 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 3: making themselves great, making a name for themselves, and not 157 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 3: glorifying God. They were not living with a god honoring 158 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 3: purpose in their lives. So God confused their languages, and 159 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 3: then the cooperation ceased. But here's what is important to note. 160 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,439 Speaker 3: In his solution to the problem. God brought about beauty. 161 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 3: Think about all the wonderful sounds of different languages, the 162 00:10:55,960 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 3: richness of expression that each different tongue brings. Unable to 163 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 3: understand each other, they're scattered into their own smaller kingdoms, 164 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,200 Speaker 3: which very soon would be at war with each other. 165 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 3: Among those scattered groups were the descendants of one of 166 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 3: Noah's sons, Shim, and from that line God was already 167 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 3: working his plan to bring about the ultimate redemption of 168 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 3: the world, beginning with a man named Abram, and we'll 169 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 3: meet him in our next episode. Heavenly Father, thank you 170 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 3: for what today's story teaches us about the dangers of 171 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 3: pride and the importance of being together for the purpose 172 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 3: of glorifying you and not ourselves. Thank you also for 173 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 3: the wonderful beauty of languages that we hear in our 174 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 3: world today, and how one day every tongue in every 175 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 3: language will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the 176 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 3: glory of God. It is in that name of the 177 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 3: Lord Jesus Christ that we pray. Amen, thank you for 178 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:00,120 Speaker 3: listening to Today's Bible in a year podcast I'm pastis 179 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 3: to Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com 180 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 3: app and make prayer a priority in your life. If 181 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 3: you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love. 182 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 3: By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in 183 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 3: someone's life. And if you want more resources on how 184 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 3: to tap into God's power for successful Christian living, be 185 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 3: sure to visit Jaggraham dot org. God Bless This episode 186 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 3: is sponsored by Meta Share, an innovative healthcare solution for 187 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 3: Christians to save money without sacrificing quality. 188 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 2: Welcome to the previous podcast, where Hope is our only bias. 189 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 2: Each day, we'll unpack the most prominent stories happening in 190 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 2: the news and offer a Christian perspective. 191 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: We won't shy away from the hard topics, and we 192 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: won't dilute the hopeful message of Christ. 193 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 2: This is more than a daily brief on the news. 194 00:12:56,679 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 2: It's a way to be informed and transformed. 195 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 1: Listen to Prey News on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 196 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.