And as people journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.As they traveled east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there.And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.And it came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
3 sermons cite this verse
… One speech. And it came to pass as they journeyed from the east that they found a plain in the land of Shinar. And they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. Isn't that interesting? Where was oil first found in the Middle East? Can't have oil without asphalt. Right there in the Bible the whole time. and so verse 4 and they said come let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top is in the heavens let us make a name for ourselves lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth what are they worried about what's going on here Who wants to make a name for themselves? They sound like a little, they sound kind of, what's the word? Narcissistic from last Sunday? They seem, they seem what a little, what's going on here? but the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built now this part is in the new living translation look he said the people are united and they all speak the same language after this or because of this they all speak the same language nothing that they set out to do will be impossible for them notice the criteria God said if they're able to speak the same language and continue to speak the same language, but with this attitude of let's go …
… see it today. So verse one, it says, now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly. They used brick instead of stone and tar for mortar. Then they said, come, let us build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise, we will be scattered all over the face of the whole earth. But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, if as one people speaking the same language, they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other. So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth and they stopped building the city. …
… That would eliminate one formidable barrier. And it came about in verse 2 that as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar. That by the way is the Mesopotamian valley between the Tigris and the Euphrates where the Garden of Eden once was. And they settled there. That sounds innocent enough. But the problem with that is that wasn't God's design. Back in Genesis 1, and they knew this, this was the creation mandate, verse 28. After God made man in His own image, after He created him male and female, verse 28 of Genesis 1, God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Part of the creation mandate was to spread over the whole earth. They had done that. God drowned that evil society, and they were to start all over again with the descendants of Noah. But they didn't want to do that. They wanted to settle in one place. So they said in verse 3 to one another, Come, let us make bricks, burn them thoroughly, that is to say, so that they would be strong, and they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. And they said, Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name. Otherwise, we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth. They knew they were supposed to be scattered over the face of …