Genesis 11
Babylon
People spoke the same language, were told by the Lord to go out and fill and subdue the earth ( Genesis 1:28, Genesis 9:7).
They decided that they knew better – The passage suggests an act of rebellion to the Lord :
- – Settle in Babylonia >> the Lord wanted them to be moving filling the earth.
- – Use bricks hardened with fire instead of stone and tar for mortar >> suggests an aspect of unnecessary self effort – the Lord provided an easier way with building with stone?
- – Building great cities for themselves >> getting God out of the picture, we can do things and organise our lives by our selves?
- -… With a tower that reaches the sky >> we can do great and mighty things with our own effort. We are a power (god) onto ourselves? Present day wrong thinking that science is everything?
- – We will be famous on our own right >> pride – seeking adulation ( worship) from man — present day celebrity culture from sports and entertainment, to politics, and even some Churches and their Pastors?
- -… Keep us from being scattered all over the world >> a direct rebellion to the Lord’s command.
The Lord intervenes.
The Word of the Lord prevails, while heaven and earth shall pass away (Isaiah 46:10)
Some lessons of how good things / intentions turn out to be bad / evil when they go against God’s plan.
All things God created was good if used according to His plan for them ( the thinking that guns don’t kill people, people ( using guns) kill people)
– The strength of unity. Working together as a family and as the body of Christ, for good and not for evil.
– The strength of speaking the same language. Do we speak the language of Christ- the language of Love?
Words have power ( Proverbs 18:21 – power of the tongue – words construct our reality ). Collective words from many people have collective power. What are we collectively saying as a family, as the body of Christ? Words that build or destroy, words of life or death, words of Christ or the devil?
The Lord intimates in vs 6
– nothing will be impossible for man if he does something in unity / in one mind with others and speaking the same language / using the power of the tongue to declare something in collective unity.
The greatest power ( which is the power of God) would therefore be released ( in a situation) if a person is in unity with the Word ( of the Lord for that situation. Believes the Word, Have faith in the Word ) and speaks / declares that Word in agreement / unity with heaven.
God’s intentions for us are never bad but are always good, to offer us a future and a hope and not for evil ( Jeremiah 29:11 ).
Indeed the Lord can make everything that happens to us, whether from Him or the enemy, to work out for our good so long as we keep loving and trusting Him and are pursuing His purposes (Romans 8 :28 ).
The devil uses the same strategy to keep us from the Love and blessings the Lord has for us.
– Promoting strife and disunity in families and the body of Christ. Christians in families and in the Body of Christ are suffering from the bondage and hurts of anger, bitterness and unforgiveness made worse by pride and arrogance.
– Confusing our language. Getting us to speak death into our situations instead of life. No one can curse whom the Lord has blessed (Numbers 23:8 ) , but the devil tries to make us curse ourselves through accepting his accusations ( as accuser of the brethren) against us contrary to the Word of God over that situation.
God’s people indeed perish from lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6, Isaiah 5:13 ).
Do I know God’s Word for the situation that I am suffering…..?
- – Health – By His stripes I am healed (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24)
- – Finances – rent, debts, school fees – My Lord shall provide all my needs according to His riches in glory ( Philippians 4:19 ).
- – Worldly cares and anxieties – The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want ( Psalm 23:1)
- – Stress ( Philippians 4:7) – The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
# Lord I repent for any aspect of my life that I still think and do as if I know better than You the Creator.
I repent of any aspect of pride in my life, all aspects of rebellion in my life, all aspects of relying on my self effort instead of resting in Your Grace and trusting in Your Love for me.
I repent of any time I have craved the acceptance of man over the acceptance of the Lord and relied on the praise of man rather than pointing to Jesus and praising Him alone. Indeed I repent of all the aspects of idolatry that I have engaged in knowingly or unknowingly, either trying to raise myself up as an idol or putting cultural, society, political, religious idols, indeed anything or anyone put above or before the Lord in my life.
I repent of all aspects of anger, bitterness and unforgiveness still lurking in my heart and any aspect of pride or arrogance that is preventing me from surrendering to Jesus the hurts / wounds in my heart.
May I surrender ALL that I am, all that I have and all that I do to You so that You may prosper it according to Your will, purposes and plans so that I achieve all that You have predestined for me to achieve for Your Glory. Indeed may my thoughts, words and actions be synchronised to reflect Your heart in all the situations that I encounter and pursue.
May I speak Your Word into every situation in my life and reject all that is spoken contrary to Your Word in my life and family.
Indeed the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus operates in all aspects of my life and family and negates the law of sin and death from ever operating in my life and family again.
Amen!
Noah
Shem
Arphaxad
Shelah
Eber
Peleg
Reu
Serug
Nahor
Terah
Haran, Abram, Nahor
Haran >>children – Lot, Milcah, Iscah
Abram married Sarai who was barren.
Nahor married Milcah
Haran died before his father in Ur of the Chaldeans where he was born.
Terah took Abram and Sarai, together with his grandson Lot to move from Ur to Canaan. But they settled in Haran and Terah died there.
THE LIVING WORD 4 LIFE 