This week’s class will focus on Genesis chapters 10 through 11:9, and we will look at both the Table of Nations and the Tower of Babel. We will also look at how the Bible teaches what we know to be true today through modern genetics today. In this class we will focus on what the Bible teaches, and then discuss how we see that play out in our world, and in humans, still today.

Defending our faith and developing a Biblical worldview based on our understanding of God’s Word takes time and practice, and must be part of a lifetime commitment we make to the LORD. It should form our purpose and identity in everyday life as we grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, modeling Him to our family, friends and neighbors. As Christians, it is more important than ever to know what we believe, and why we believe it, and then apply that to who we are on a consistent basis, and this can only be done if we know Jesus and what His Word teaches.

All class sessions include a time for prayer and reflection, a presentation, and a Bible study section. You will find the presentation overview and Bible study questions below, with basic answers for your review and, or to use as a leader’s guide.

Watch this week’s presentation on this topic:

Presentation

Foundations Bible Study, Session Eleven: Genesis Chapters 10 through 11:9 – The Table of Nations and the the Tower of Babel

Review and Reflection

At your table groups, do the following:

Prayer cards: Take a minute and write your name on the index card provided, and add any special prayer request you might have. Exchange cards at the end of the class.
Review from last class: What are some important things to remember about the aftermath of the flood and Noah’s family?
Focus verse: Genesis 3:15 – How can you share the Gospel using this verse and connecting it to Jesus’ fulfillment of it in the New Testament?

FOCUS VERSE

Genesis 3:15 Promise
(begins the Scarlet Thread)

“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall^[d]bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (NASB)

From Genesis through Revelation, the Bible is all about Jesus!

SHARING THE GOSPEL:

THE SEED IS HE

– HE IS THE SEED!

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”” Genesis 3:15

“So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.” John 8:28

“From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.” John 13:19

Bible Study

Each week, we are encouraging you to take some dedicated time and spend it in God’s Word. Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

Chapter Reading for Step #3: Context – What does it say?

Foundations Bible Study Class Notes
The Book of Genesis – Chapters 10 through 11:9

Chapter Reading for Step #3: Context – What does it say?

Chapter 10-11:9

10:1-5

10:6–14

10:15–20

10:21-28

10:29-32

11:1-9

Discuss (summarize) the chapters

Step #4 Interpretation Questions – What does it mean?

In chapter 10 we find the generations of Noah’s sons: Japheth, Ham and Shem. Are there any familiar names in any of their descendants, if so, what do you know about them?
What do we know about where each of these people groups settled (Japheth, Ham and Shem), and are any of these places familiar to you (if so, why)?
Whose line will lead to Jesus and how do we know? (Reference Luke 3 genealogy list)
Chapter 11 goes back into chapter 10 and tells the story of what happened after the flood. What did the people gather to do in the “Plain of Shinar,” and why?
Going Deeper: What was the structure they built, and what do we know about it?
What was God’s response to what the people were doing in the “Plain of Shinar”, and why (11:5-8)? Cross-reference by reading Luke 1:46-55 (from Mary’s song to God), focus on verse 51 in this Luke passage to help with the question of both why they did it, and why God responded the way He did.
What was the city called and why (11:9)? Do you know anything about a place called Babylon later on in the Old Testament, and where its modern-day location is?
Going Deeper: What Biblical significance is there to the meaning of the word “Babylon,” especially as it is used in the book of Revelation?

Chapters 10-11:9

1. In chapter 10 we find the generations of Noah’s sons: Japheth, Ham and Shem. Are there any familiar names in any of their descendants, if so, what do you know about them?

2. What do we know about where each of these people groups settled (Japheth, Ham and Shem), and are any of these places familiar to you (if so, why)?

3. Whose line will lead to Jesus and how do we know? (Reference Luke 3 genealogy list)

These questions can be used for researching Biblical names and geographical locations. You can go as deep as you want or you can generalize to find that most of the names end up as tribes or nations in historical records inside and even outside the Bible. Some are also found in prophecy.

The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras.

One example: Magog – In prophecy it is a land/people in the Old Testament, and metaphorically in Revelation, they come up against Israel and God strikes them down (Ezekiel 38:2, 39:6 and Rev. 20:8).
Japheth’s descendants settled in “the coastlands” which ultimately resulted in their dispersal throughout Europe and parts of Asia.

The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim/Egypt, Put, and Canaan.

One example: Canaan – He will be the father of most of the “ites” we read about later on in Israel’s history and are mostly enemies of Israel.
Egypt, we know is a nation still today and has extensive history with the nation of Israel.
Also, Nimrod (son of Cush) – He was the founder of Babel and is believed to be the leader of the building of the “Tower of Babel.”
Ham’s descendants settle the continent of Africa and part of the Middle East.
The Canaanites will be in the Promised Land when Joshua enters the land to take it for the LORD, and they will be a thorn in the side of Israel, but God will use Israel to judge them, destroy them, and/or take them into slavery.
The Canaanites include clans such as…

Hittites – The Hittites controlled an extensive area in the ancient Near East that included Anatolia, which is present-day Turkey. The Bible’s mentions of Hittites in Canaan likely refer to small Hittite colonies. The Hittites were known for their legal system, military strategies, and architectural developments. They worshiped various gods of earth, sky, weather, etc.

Girgashites – The Girgashites seem to have been one of the smaller nations mentioned in Scripture. Extrabiblical sources contain little information about these people. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Girgashites inhabited an area near the Jordan River during the time of Joshua’s conquest.

Amorites – A Semitic people in Mesopotamia and Canaan, the Amorites developed many powerful city-states. In Canaan, their territory extended from the Arnon River in the south to Mt. Hermon in the north. They held territory east of the Jordan, too, but they were displaced there by the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh (see Joshua 12:6). The Bible depicts the Amorites as powerful opponents who enjoyed military superiority throughout the region.

Canaanites – The Canaanites represented a diverse group who demonstrated proficiency in trade, construction, and agricultural production. Archaeological findings suggest that Baal and Asherah were the primary deities in the Canaanite religious system.

Perizzites – Among the Canaanite groups, the Perizzites receive the least amount of attention in historical records. The Bible describes the Perizzites as residing in rural areas rather than in urban centers. According to some historians, the Perizzites were nomads who established small agricultural communities and raised livestock.

Hivites – Biblical texts mention the Hivites multiple times. They occupied regions in the north of Canaan and had connections to the cities of Shechem and Gibeon. The Gibeonites who deceived Israel into making a peace treaty with them (Joshua 9) were of the Hivite tribe.

Jebusites – The Jebusites lived in defensive strongholds in the hill country of central Canaan. They controlled Jerusalem, which they called Jebus. King David later seized Jebus, renamed it Jerusalem, and made it the nation’s capital (1 Chronicles 11:4–9).

The sons of Shem: Eber (the beginning of the name Hebrew), Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram.

Shem’s descendants dispersed throughout the Middle East and Asia Minor.
Line from Jesus back to Shem, Noah and ultimately Adam: (note underlined)

²³When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years old, being, as was commonly held, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli, ²⁴the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, ²⁵the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai, ²⁶the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ²⁷the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, ²⁸the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, ²⁹the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ³⁰the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, ³¹the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, ³²the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, ³³the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, ³⁴the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ³⁵the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah, ³⁶the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, ³⁷the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, ³⁸the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Luke 3:23-38 (NASB)

4. Chapter 11 goes back into chapter 10 and tells the story of what happened after the flood. What did the people gather to do in the “Plain of Shinar,” and why?

(NASB) Now all the earth used the same language and the same words. And it came about, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. Then they said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and fire them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. And they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let’s make a name for ourselves; Instead, we will be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth.”

The people at this time were in complete defiance of God’s command in Genesis 9:1-2 to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”
The people were focused on making a name for themselves (in other words, becoming their own god).
It is interesting to note: We see this again today in the desire for a “one world government.”

5. Going Deeper: What was the structure they built, and what do we know about it?

This structure was a Ziggurat – not a pyramid, but probably a forerunner to pyramids.
Ziggurats were astrological temples used for worship in ancient Mesopotamia, and they appear in human history about this time (matching the Biblical record).
These were usually places of worship and did not have a hollow inside for burial like pyramids.
This tower symbolized the second great rebellion of humanity.

6. What was God’s response to what the people were doing in the “Plain of Shinar”, and why (11:5-8)? Cross-reference by reading Luke 1:46-55 (from Mary’s song to God), focus on verse 51 in this Luke passage to help with the question of both why they did it, and why God responded this way.

The LORD said: “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is What they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.” (Notice the reference to the Trinity=”Us”)

The people were not following God’s command to “go out,” be fruitful and multiply.
They were supposed to spread out and multiply the “image of God” but instead they were multiplying the evil of Satan.
They wanted to reach Heaven and thus become (their own) “god” – idolizing human accomplishment
God confused their language which would also confuse their singular intention because they could not understand one another, and like humans do, they then grouped together in commonality.

The Magnificat

⁴⁶And Mary said:

“My soul exalts the Lord,
⁴⁷And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
⁴⁸“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
⁴⁹“For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
⁵⁰“And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
⁵¹“He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
⁵²“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
⁵³“He has filled the hungry with good things;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
⁵⁴“He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
⁵⁵As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

Luke 1:46-55 (NASB)

Mary speaks of the time that God “scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.” This indicated that pride was the main problem with the people of Babel, and like Satan’s fall from grace, the sin is “pride, lust of the eyes and lust of the flesh.”

Where did the races, multiplicity of languages and cultures come from?

When God confused the languages, the intention and purpose of the people become confused and they could no longer work in unison
Humans began to spread out among the continents with those of similar language and purpose
Through similarity in DNA, and adaptations to the environment, people groups and cultures developed

What do we know about adaptations today?

Modern biology gives us new insights to the characteristics and traits of living things based on their DNA located on the chromosomes inside of every living cell
Humans have 46 chromosomes (23 pairs)
Each parent gives one half of a chromosome to their offspring
There are various alleles and genes on these chromosomes that produce a variety of characteristics and traits in an offspring – that is why we are all individually unique

Characteristics and traits are observed in two ways:

Phenotype: The physical appearance
Genotype: The pair of genes carried by a person that code for a specific trait

Each person carries a pair of gene (alleles), but only one from each parent is passed on to an offspring, therefore allowing for a multiplicity of possible traits.

For example:

Dark skin = Dominant genes will always produce this physical appearance and dominant alleles (part of the gene) cover up recessive alleles when paired with them

Light skin = Produced by recessive genes (a person with only one allele is a carrier)—to get the physical appearance they must have received both parents’ recessive alleles

Variation of skin color = Heterozygous genes—A person who has both dominant and recessive genes (alleles) will usually have a darker physical appearance but can have offspring that are both dark and light (this can include incomplete dominance that allows for variations)

Current understanding of DNA gives us insight to skin color differences (and other traits) based on dominant and recessive genes

Biology quiz: What phenotype (appearance) and genotype (genes) did Adam and Eve have?

Answer: In order to have children with the possibility of all skin colors they had to be middle

brown (phenotype) with heterozygous genotypes:

All combinations of skin color; eye color; tall/short; curly/straight hair; ear shape; nose shape; etc., are possible with parents who are both heterozygous.
Adam and Eve would have been heterozygous for all traits (Noah and his wife would have been as well)

In Biology gene alleles in the DNA are assigned letters. For example, let’s assign dark hair with an A and therefore light hair would be a. Let’s assign dark eyes with B and light eyes with b.

A=dominant trait a=recessive trait

B=dominant trait b=recessive trait

Note: Dominant traits will always show in the phenotype (the physical appearance). Recessive traits can be carried and will only show when the offspring gets both recessive gene alleles from their parents.

If Adam and Eve are heterozygous in both traits they will carry both gene alleles in their genotype, but their phenotype (physical appearance) will display the dominant trait of dark:

Adam=AaBb Eve=AaBb

There are only three possible parent types. Adam and Eve would have to be in category 3:

AABB = Dominant (can only have AABB children who will have the dark traits displayed in the phenotype)

Mom Dad Kids

AABB + AABB = AABB

aabb = Recessive (can only have aabb children who will have the light traits displayed in the phenotype)

Mom Dad Kids

aabb + aabb = aabb

AaBb = Heterozygous (can have all combinations)

Mom Dad Kids

AaBb + AaBb = AABB/aabb/AaBb

Note: This is a simplified explanation of complicated genetics and DNA coding from an introductory Biology course.

7. What was the city called and why (11:9)? Do you know anything about a place called Babylon later on in the Old Testament, and where its modern-day location is?

The city was called Babel, “because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
Modern day Babylon is located in Iraq.
The empire of Babylon plays a major role in Old Testament history as they conquer the nation of Judah and destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and then take the people captive for seventy years at the end of the times of the Kings; this occurs in a time period where many of the major prophets speak including Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and others.

8. Going Deeper: What Biblical significance is there to the meaning of the word “Babylon,” especially as it is used in the book of Revelation?

The word Babylon, when used in other places in the Bible, is always in a negative connotation (anti-Israel or anti-God).
According the Christian Apologetic research site org, as it is spoken of in the book of Revelation, “The whore of Babylon” is an evil world system, controlled by the Antichrist, during the last days before Jesus’ return.
The whore of Babylon also has religious connotations – spiritual adultery with the beast being the focus of an ungodly, end-times religious system.”

DISCUSS

Step #5 Application for chapters 10-11:9: How do I use what I learned? Based on the context and interpretation of chapters 10-11:9, we can now discuss how to apply what we have read to our lives and the culture we live in today, including our witness to others.

The Shelf: Do you have any questions from your shelf?

(Have a place in your notebook or journal to write down questions that arise. This will help avoid rabbit trails or distractions, and you can return to them later on).

HOMEWORK: The Book of Job

As an early narrative, chronologically, we will keep in mind the story in the book of Job is said to have happened after the flood and the other events of Genesis 1-11, but prior to the time of Abraham in Genesis 12.

Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD (especially since this narrative deals with the problem of evil and suffering).

Reading and reflection:

Read through the book of Job (or listen to an audio version) in one sitting to get the big picture of the narrative. Use this framework as the lens for your reading:

God’s Kingdom, sovereignty and perfect character throughout the story
God’s restorative power and hesed (love, grace and mercy beyond comprehension)
Humanity’s fallen nature and imperfect interaction with each other and with God – showing the need for a Savior (Jesus)
A picture of the Redeemer and Promised Messiah of Genesis 3:15 (Jesus)
Keep in mind two important questions: What is God teaching the reader; and where is Jesus pictured or foreshadowed in the people or events?

THE BOOK OF JOB: STUDY QUESTIONS

Author: Who wrote this book? (Who was he, what can we know about him, and how does he fit into this narrative?)
Audience: Who was this book written to? (What was the historical setting of the culture and the people involved both in the narrative, and those receiving it?)
Dating: When was this book written, and when did the events occur? (Include the views of Bible Scholars if there is debate on the dating)
Purpose: Why was this book written? (Get some background and explore intent for the audience then, and also for today)
Context: What does it say? Read through the entire book in one sitting, if possible, in order to get the big picture of the narrative for an overall summary. Then go back and break it down…
Interpretation: What does it mean? Answer some questions as we break it down by chapters and sections. Focus on God’s character, what He wanted the reader to know, and how the book points towards Jesus.
Going Deeper: Re-read and review chapters 1-3

a. What is the interaction between God and Satan, and why?

b. How do we see God’s sovereign control in these first three chapters?

c. What happens to Job and how does he respond to these circumstances?

Please continue to join us each week for Foundations Bible Study – next week starts the book of Job!

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.

Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15