Genesis 11:2-4 (New International Version)
2 As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 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 and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
God’s instructions to Noah and his family after the flood are found in Gen.9:7: “But you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out over the earth and multiply on it." Here in Chapter 11 we see men resisting God’s instructions. I wonder if they resisted out of direct disobedience, or if there was something more subtle, less direct.
These people were to spread over all the earth. That’s a scary proposition when you consider that there’s no one else out there…nothing but the wild. So why did they start to settle in Shinar instead of spreading out? Could fear have been a part of it? What about the human desire not to move outside our own comfort level? Maybe they were happy being settled in Shinar!
As they continued in their resistance, their desire is no longer to please God. Their stated desire is to “not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” Direct rebellion!! Don’t miss the progression! Resistance becomes rebellion! No one wants to be in outright rebellion against God, generally. The danger is in not recognizing the subtle resistance that often precedes the rebellion.
Where am I resisting God’s purposes in my own life in order to maintain a comfort level? Have I already progressed to rebellion?
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