May 26, 2019 created everything in the world to declare Lesson 13 his glory. The Tower of Babel and the What did God say after each part of creation? Mission of God It was good. He created everything for his glory, but he created humans in his image. Does that mean we look like God? Not exactly. Whereas Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 67; creation glorifies God by displaying his power Revelation 5:9-12 and beauty, we manifest his personal attributes like love, grace, mercy, and justice. A tree cannot Application – All believers have an important give you a hug and tell you it loves you. A tree role to play in fulfilling the mission of God. cannot defend the weak and stand against the proud. But a person can display those parts of Introduction God’s character. Genesis 1:28 explains, God What do you think of when you hear the word created us in his image and said, “Be fruitful, missions? Do you picture dirt floor huts, cold multiply, and fill the earth.” He tells them to fill showers, and strange food? Do you picture the earth with image bearers for God’s glory. lonely, isolated villages? Do you picture underground churches and missionaries dodging 2) The Fall: Genesis 3 shady international governments? and Eve disobeyed God, eating the fruit of the tree from which he told them not to eat. At Missions may indeed involve some of those the Fall, sin and death entered the world for the things, but the Missio Dei, the mission of God, is first time. But God said to the Serpent, the one fulfilled at least in part every time we participate that tempted them to disobey God, that someone in replication. The mission of God is was coming (Jesus), born of woman, who would accomplished every time you share the gospel. crush his head, though the Savior’s heal would be In this lesson, we will study the story of the bruised. “I will put enmity between you and the Tower of Babel, how it relates to the mission of woman, and between your offspring and her God, and our role in bringing an end to the need offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall for missions. bruise his heel.” - Genesis 3:15

Though his heal was struck (the crucifixion), Lesson Outline Jesus crushed his head by his resurrection. Man fell because of sin, but the fall ultimately leads to I. Leading up to the Towel of Babel redemption. The gospel is present in Genesis 3. II. The Tower of Babel and the Mission of From Genesis 3 on, the Old Testament looks God forward to Jesus, while sin spreads throughout III. You help fulfill Babel in the End humanity and the world.

In Genesis 4, kills his own brother Abel. In Leading up to the Towel of Babel Genesis 6, people were so bad God decided to The tells the story of Jesus, the gospel, and flood the earth. He told to build an Ark, to us, in four parts: Creation, Fall, Redemption, New save himself and his family. Noah was saved by Creation. We will look briefly at those four parts his faith, as evidenced by his following God’s of God’s story. command to build the ark.1 Even in the Old Testament, people are saved by faith. 1) The Creation: Genesis 1-2

1 May 26, 2019 3) The Redemption: The fulfillment of the of all the earth. And from there the Lord promise in Genesis 3. Full God and human, Jesus dispersed them over the face of all the earth. was born of a woman, lived a perfect life, died on the cross the death we deserved, and The people all spoke the same language and resurrected, conquering death for all who have traveled together when they decided to build a faith. in . Their disobedience can be summarized in three ways: 4) The New Creation: Jesus ascended to Heaven, but he will return to restore what was 1) They decided to settle in Shinar broken at the Fall. There will be a new Heaven Why were they wrong to settle in the plains of and New Earth, where all believers will worship Shinar? God told them to be fruitful, multiply, together – people from every country, every and fill the earth. They settled for less than God’s tribe, every language. will.

Back to Noah. After the floodwaters receded, Can you think of a time you have been tempted God says to Noah and his family, “And you, be to settle for less than God’s will? fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”2 Essentially, he is Give an example from your own life. saying, “Spread out. Fill the earth with my image- bearers, for my glory.” 2) They made bricks and built a city. Why were they wrong to build a city? By making The Tower of Babel and the Mission of bricks and building a city, the people make it clear that they do not intend to fulfill God’s will God any time soon. 1 Genesis 11:1-9 Now the whole earth had one 2 language and the same words. And as people 3) They built a tower so they would be migrated from the east, they found a plain in the remembered. land of Shinar and settled there. 3And they said to Why were they wrong to build a tower? The one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn problem with its tower was not its height, or that them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, they were attempting to reach God. The problem and bitumen for mortar. 4Then they said, “Come, let is their purpose for building the tower. They us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in were not trying to reach God. They were trying the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, to become their own . lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5And the Lord came down to see the city “…let us make a name for ourselves, lest we and the tower, which the children of man had built. be dispersed over the face of the whole 6And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, earth.” and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that We exist to glorify God. These people wanted to they propose to do will now be impossible for them. glorify themselves and make their names famous 7Come, let us go down and there confuse their for the rest of time. language, so that they may not understand one How does God respond? He comes down to see the Tower. Can you remember the most another's speech.” 8So the Lord dispersed them impressive fire ant hill you have ever seen? from there over the face of all the earth, and they Probably not. Those ants might be impressed left off building the city. 9Therefore its name was with their ant hill, its many tunnels, its height called Babel, because there the Lord confused the that might be 1,000 times higher than the tallest ant. Nevertheless, you would have to bend down

2 May 26, 2019 and put your face close to the hill to examine it. curse, and in you all the families of the Of course, God can see all, but the Scripture earth shall be blessed.” highlights just how unimpressive their disobedience is to him, in that their tower to the The word families can be translated as peoples or sky is so small God has to come down to see it. tribes.3 Once the people who settled in Shinar are spread throughout the earth, the groundwork is “…And nothing that they propose to do will now set for every tribe and tongue to be saved be impossible for them.” through ’s descendants. Specifically, the If these people are willing to blatantly disobey descendant of Abraham called Jesus because he God, to the extent of trying to become their own saved his people from their sin.4 gods, no level of disobedience will be impossible. The end of the story of the people who settled in Leading up to the Towel of Babel Shinar may seem sad, and the punishment of the Revelation 5:9-12 9And they sang a new song, people harsh. God simultaneously displays both saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to justice and mercy. open its seals,for you were slain, and by your blood

you ransomed people for God from every tribe and How does God display justice? Their sin does not 10 go unpunished. God was patient with their language and people and nation, and you have blatant rebellion for a season, but that season made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and came to an end. they shall reign on the earth."

11 How does God display mercy? In Genesis 6, God Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and instituted a worldwide flood as discipline for the living creatures and the elders the voice of disobedience. In this instance, God not only many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and allows them to live, but he sends them to the thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud ends of the earth. He makes the people do his voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to will, for his glory. Of course, suddenly receive power and wealth and wisdom and might unable to understand your neighbors, your and honor and glory and blessing!" friends, would be devastating. Nevertheless, God lets them live and makes them glorify him. The Tower was called Babel because it was there God confused the of earth. But there What we do for God’s glory is ultimately for will be a day when that confusion will end, and our good. By doing God’s will, the people who all languages will praise God together. tried to settle in Shinar laid the groundwork for missions. They are an integral part of the story of This is the end of Babel when Jesus returns, and Scripture and human history. In Genesis 12, God people saved from every nation, tribe, and calls Abraham, promising him that his tongue will worship Jesus together. No more descendants will be God’s people. Within that confusion. The Missio Dei will be realized. The promise, he reveals his plan to save all peoples end is already written. Psalm 67 states, (people groups) in Genesis 12:1-3: 1May God be gracious to us and bless us 1Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your and make his face to shine upon us, Selah country and your kindred and your father's 2that your way may be known on earth, house to the land that I will show you. 2And I your saving power among all nations. will make of you a great nation, and I will 3Let the peoples praise you, O God; bless you and make your name great, so that let all the peoples praise you! you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who 4Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, bless you, and him who dishonors you I will for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

3 May 26, 2019 5Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 1 Hebrews 11:7 6The earth has yielded its increase; 2 Genesis 9:7 God, our God, shall bless us. 3 John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids: 7God shall bless us; Baker Academic, 2010), kindle ed, loc. 3729-3752. let all the ends of the earth fear him! 4 Matthew 1:21 5 John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad, kindle ed., loc. 161. John Piper reveals, “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.”5

So, worship is the fuel and goal of missions. People are missing out on the joy of not worshiping God. Yet, that's where history is heading, to a time when people from every tribe, nation, and tongue worship Jesus together. Your life is part of that. Every time you share the good news of Jesus, you are reversing Babel. Every time we support missions, send people, go ourselves, God is using us to reverse Babel. You are helping the nations rejoice.

Why does God need us? He doesn't.

Why does God use us? Grace to us. The joy of glorifying him. We are part of the people spread out at Babel. Now, through Jesus, we are part of God bringing everyone back together.

Application 1) Share the good news for God's glory and your joy.

2) Pray for unreached people groups - the nations, tribes, and tongues that have no gospel witness in their language or presence.

3) Consider taking the gospel to the nations through short-term trips and long-term mission opportunities.

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