40 Day Journey - Day 2 (Go West)

I made it through Genesis 10-12 today.  I couldn't stop reading Chapter 11 though.  A few things caught my eye, so I reread it several times.

Genesis 10 lists the genealogies of Noah.  Chapter 11 opens up with these words:

Now the whole 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.

I am not sure, but from the sounds of it, it seems that all these families traveled together and basically stuck together.  That sounds nice, except back in Chapter 9 verse 1, God clearly gives a command after getting off the ark.

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth."

They got the fruitful and multiple part down, but had not filled the earth.  They just formed their own little club and stayed together.  You can know their hearts a little as you read further.  They say, "Come, let us build bricks..." and then again, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city...".  You know why they wanted to do this? Verse 4 continues, "...let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."  This is like the ultimate show of pride, we can all recognize this quickly can't we?

God had blessed Noah and gave him pretty clear instructions - to fill the earth.  And yet these sons of Noah decided they should stick together and make a name for themselves lest they actually do what God commanded?  This is not going to end well.

The only name that is to be made famous is the name of the Lord.  In fact Proverbs 18:10 says, The name of the Lord is strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.  But instead of obeying God, the One whose name is "Strong Tower", they try to build a tower of brick to make a name for themselves.

But God is sovereign, in control over all the earth. You know what He says?  "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language that they may not understand one another's speech."  Verse 8 says, "So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city."

They ended up filling the earth, but not through blessing and God's protection, but through God's discipline.  Another interesting theory to consider...going east in biblical times is often associated with going towards exile or captivity or away from the Lord's blessing.  These families intentionally headed east, they intentionally built a city and tower for their own fame.  They had a choice they could obey God and head straight into His blessing or they could head "east" and receive His discipline instead. They chose east.

What are you choosing?  Are you living inside of God's commands, being cared for and making His name famous?  Or are you making  your own plans and decisions, trying to make a name for yourself? Let me give some advice (learned the hard way). Go west young man (and woman)...straight into your Strong Tower and be safe.