In Genesis 11 there is a passage in the Old Testament and it is titled the Tower of Babel. In these verses we are introduced to a man named Nimrod. He is the leader of the Kingdom of Babel. After the Great Flood Nimrod decided that he would build a tower too high for the waters to ever reach the world again. So Nimrod’s reasoning for building the Tower was to protect humanity against another flood. But the real reason for the Flood was man’s wickedness and rebellion which we read about in Genesis 6:5-6, from which man refused to repent. Nimrod looked like a great guy to the outside world. He looked as if he really cared about the people.
Babel means ‘confusion'. It’s where we get the word ‘babble’. Man without God is confused, and only God can help man ’rise up’ and make sense of things. After the Flood, God commanded man to spread abroad, replenish and fill the earth. God told Noah and his sons to scatter themselves abroad across the earth, but instead their descendants came together at Babel. It was man’s first attempt at a one-world movement. Some things never change!
However, we see that Nimrod was rebellious against God. He ”persuaded” his subjects not to credit their strength to God but that they were courageous through Nimrod’s leadership. So as they were building this Tower that was to reach to heaven the construction of the Tower of Babel ended with a show of God’s power. We forget that our arms are too short to box with God. Nimrod’s plan backfired for the Lord confused the language of the people making it impossible for them to communicate effectively enough to finish the construction of the tower.
Nimrod was proven wrong. All of man’s strength and ability even the strength of the mightiest of men is a gift from God that He can choose to revoke at any time. Nimrod wanted to be a king. He wanted to build a tower to heaven. But God never asked him to do that. That was the evil within him. The work stopped because there was a break down in communication. The people were encouraged to be greater than God and God took care of the situation. Since the people were unable to communicate with one another production on the Tower came to a screeching halt. God doesn’t tolerate rebellion! He judges rebellion.
So in Genesis we see the rise of the first tyrant or world dictator, Nimrod. He set out to build the first empire upon the earth. His name means to rebel or to revolt and he lived up to the meaning of his name. Yes, he was considered a mighty hunter, it can mean to hunt animals but it can also mean to hunt people in order to enslave them. He wanted to gain dominion over other people. Nimrod was in rebellion against God, but remember; he’s also very influential, and he’s very wealthy and powerful. So the first lesson we can learn from that is that wealth and power aren’t always a good indicator of how good a relationship a person has with God. Power, wealth, and influence can all be found in abundance in the world, or within the Church. God causes it to rain on the just and the unjust alike.
From this passage in Genesis we see that Nimrod sought to rule over people to control as many people and lands as he could. He wanted to enslave people attacking them as though they were mere animals for the hunt. He hunted people by force, violence and tyranny that oppressed people and enslaved them to his will and purposes. Nimrod rebelled against God. Nimrod led the people away from God by encouraging them to put their security and happiness in the state or government. He led the people to build the empire of Babylon, and the Tower of Babel, all in defiance of God (Genesis 11:1-9) Nimrod was the first world dictator, the first world tyrant, who set out to build a worldwide empire. Nimrod ignored the God of Moses and the result was catastrophic.
His grandfather, and great-grandfather along with the others who survived the great flood left a great legacy to their family. Out of all mankind they were the only ones who believed God. They had found grace in the sight of God. After the floods receded from the earth, the first thing that his great- grandfather Noah did when he came from the ark was to build an altar, and offer a sacrifice to the Lord. This was something that pleased the Lord. But Nimrod would have nothing to do with the faith of his ancestors. Instead of learning from their experiences, he rebelled against their teachings and practices.
He disobeyed the principles and promises of God.
Nimrod had been given quite a legacy to carry forward, but he rebelled against it, and he would have no part of it. His family had found grace in the eyes of the Lord, but he preferred trying to make it on his own. His ambition......."to make a name for himself" and what happened? He basically set up his own religion. Grace glorifies the Lord while religion glorifies the man!
Noah, Nimrod’s great- grandfather built an ark so that his family might be saved!
Nimrod built a tower so that he could make a name for himself!
We see these two attitudes still at work in our society today. Some are concerned about the family structure, the salvation of their family and children; while others are only concerned about the making of a name for themselves. Noah followed the blueprint of God! Nimrod had plans of his own. His religion was secular. Nimrod’s religion is the harlot mentioned in Revelation 17:5-6. The true church is one that is a bride without spot, and without blemish. The World’s church is one that is a harlot. It is filled with blasphemy, abominations and filthiness! If your Church is not glorifying Jesus Christ and Him Crucified then it is labeled by the Lord as harlots and abominations. Regrettably that includes much of modern Christianity as well.
So….How do you want to be remembered? Do you want your name to just be a blot in history or do you want to leave a legacy? What is your legacy? Many want to leave monetary legacies and empires. However, I believe that the most important legacy we can leave this world is our commitment to our faith in Jesus Christ. Have we passed on our faith on to our mates, our children, our friends, our family members, our loved ones, those that we met over the years? Have we passed our faith on to all who would hear about the faith, hope and love of Jesus Christ.
I want my legacy to be that I served the Lord. I want as many generations as possible to be able to look at what I did with my life and realize that the most important thing in my life was my love for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and sharing and teaching others about Him. I challenge you today to resolve to leave your faith as a legacy for those that come behind you.
Remember pride is a deadly virus that will eat away at you and me emotionally and spiritually. It is a great deceiver. Pride has destroyed more marriages and churches than any other thing. Nimrod was attempting to build a world empire without the blessing or direction of God. It is a good practice for each us, from time to time, to check our lives and see what direction our lives are taking. If you find that your life is not following God's direction......it is time to change direction!
Babel means ‘confusion'. It’s where we get the word ‘babble’. Man without God is confused, and only God can help man ’rise up’ and make sense of things. After the Flood, God commanded man to spread abroad, replenish and fill the earth. God told Noah and his sons to scatter themselves abroad across the earth, but instead their descendants came together at Babel. It was man’s first attempt at a one-world movement. Some things never change!
However, we see that Nimrod was rebellious against God. He ”persuaded” his subjects not to credit their strength to God but that they were courageous through Nimrod’s leadership. So as they were building this Tower that was to reach to heaven the construction of the Tower of Babel ended with a show of God’s power. We forget that our arms are too short to box with God. Nimrod’s plan backfired for the Lord confused the language of the people making it impossible for them to communicate effectively enough to finish the construction of the tower.
Nimrod was proven wrong. All of man’s strength and ability even the strength of the mightiest of men is a gift from God that He can choose to revoke at any time. Nimrod wanted to be a king. He wanted to build a tower to heaven. But God never asked him to do that. That was the evil within him. The work stopped because there was a break down in communication. The people were encouraged to be greater than God and God took care of the situation. Since the people were unable to communicate with one another production on the Tower came to a screeching halt. God doesn’t tolerate rebellion! He judges rebellion.
So in Genesis we see the rise of the first tyrant or world dictator, Nimrod. He set out to build the first empire upon the earth. His name means to rebel or to revolt and he lived up to the meaning of his name. Yes, he was considered a mighty hunter, it can mean to hunt animals but it can also mean to hunt people in order to enslave them. He wanted to gain dominion over other people. Nimrod was in rebellion against God, but remember; he’s also very influential, and he’s very wealthy and powerful. So the first lesson we can learn from that is that wealth and power aren’t always a good indicator of how good a relationship a person has with God. Power, wealth, and influence can all be found in abundance in the world, or within the Church. God causes it to rain on the just and the unjust alike.
From this passage in Genesis we see that Nimrod sought to rule over people to control as many people and lands as he could. He wanted to enslave people attacking them as though they were mere animals for the hunt. He hunted people by force, violence and tyranny that oppressed people and enslaved them to his will and purposes. Nimrod rebelled against God. Nimrod led the people away from God by encouraging them to put their security and happiness in the state or government. He led the people to build the empire of Babylon, and the Tower of Babel, all in defiance of God (Genesis 11:1-9) Nimrod was the first world dictator, the first world tyrant, who set out to build a worldwide empire. Nimrod ignored the God of Moses and the result was catastrophic.
His grandfather, and great-grandfather along with the others who survived the great flood left a great legacy to their family. Out of all mankind they were the only ones who believed God. They had found grace in the sight of God. After the floods receded from the earth, the first thing that his great- grandfather Noah did when he came from the ark was to build an altar, and offer a sacrifice to the Lord. This was something that pleased the Lord. But Nimrod would have nothing to do with the faith of his ancestors. Instead of learning from their experiences, he rebelled against their teachings and practices.
He disobeyed the principles and promises of God.
Nimrod had been given quite a legacy to carry forward, but he rebelled against it, and he would have no part of it. His family had found grace in the eyes of the Lord, but he preferred trying to make it on his own. His ambition......."to make a name for himself" and what happened? He basically set up his own religion. Grace glorifies the Lord while religion glorifies the man!
Noah, Nimrod’s great- grandfather built an ark so that his family might be saved!
Nimrod built a tower so that he could make a name for himself!
We see these two attitudes still at work in our society today. Some are concerned about the family structure, the salvation of their family and children; while others are only concerned about the making of a name for themselves. Noah followed the blueprint of God! Nimrod had plans of his own. His religion was secular. Nimrod’s religion is the harlot mentioned in Revelation 17:5-6. The true church is one that is a bride without spot, and without blemish. The World’s church is one that is a harlot. It is filled with blasphemy, abominations and filthiness! If your Church is not glorifying Jesus Christ and Him Crucified then it is labeled by the Lord as harlots and abominations. Regrettably that includes much of modern Christianity as well.
So….How do you want to be remembered? Do you want your name to just be a blot in history or do you want to leave a legacy? What is your legacy? Many want to leave monetary legacies and empires. However, I believe that the most important legacy we can leave this world is our commitment to our faith in Jesus Christ. Have we passed on our faith on to our mates, our children, our friends, our family members, our loved ones, those that we met over the years? Have we passed our faith on to all who would hear about the faith, hope and love of Jesus Christ.
I want my legacy to be that I served the Lord. I want as many generations as possible to be able to look at what I did with my life and realize that the most important thing in my life was my love for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and sharing and teaching others about Him. I challenge you today to resolve to leave your faith as a legacy for those that come behind you.
Remember pride is a deadly virus that will eat away at you and me emotionally and spiritually. It is a great deceiver. Pride has destroyed more marriages and churches than any other thing. Nimrod was attempting to build a world empire without the blessing or direction of God. It is a good practice for each us, from time to time, to check our lives and see what direction our lives are taking. If you find that your life is not following God's direction......it is time to change direction!
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