Genesis Chapter 11 Summary
Failure under Noamic covenant. Tower of Babel. Scattering of the people. Ancestry of Abram.
Discussion Questions for Genesis, Chapter 11
- Why did the people desire to build a tower to make a name for themselves in Genesis 11? Do people still desire to build the biggest or fastest whatever? If people still have the desire, what human traits are ingrained in all people, regardless of race or gender? Which human traits do you think are the most harmful in life? Why?
- Genesis 11:9 provides the tower's name: Babel, because their language became confused. We still say that people babble when they do not speak clearly. Are there other words that you can remember that have their roots in Scripture that are not names? How does this reflect the Bible's influence on society beyond the spiritual?
- It was easy to unify and build the tower with the same language. What is the importance of communication between people? Are there any skills or traits more important than clear communication for unity among people? What other skills or traits would be necessary in addition to communication? What do you think would be the most important skill or trait for unity?
- One of the punishments set forth by God after the destruction of the Tower of Babel was to confuse the language. Are we supposed to learn different languages in addition to our native language? Why or why not?
- How are the sins of building the Tower of Babel similar to eating the fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden? How are the punishments similar for the two different events? How is man's knowledge of different things a negative to human relationships with God?
- Humans continue to say that they desire unity and peace as if it were a Godly desire. God confused man's language and spread tribes throughout the earth when they were united for a goal. Jesus repeatedly warns His disciples that man will hate them and that family members will turn each other in as the end of time approaches. Do you think that unity and peace are man's goals or God's goals? Explain your answer.
- Terah, Abram, and Lot lived in Ur in Chaldea with their families, according to Genesis 11:31. Terah decided to take his family to Canaan but made it as far as Haran before he passed away at the age of 205. What do you think makes a person who is 205 decide to leave his native country and travel hundreds of miles by foot to start over in life? Would the reasons only be natural, or would there be political reasons to start over in their lives? We have seen several regions in the world experience an influx of immigrants recently. Why do you think people in countries flooded with immigrants become intolerant, regardless of the immigrants' reasons for moving?
- Abram becomes the patriarch of his family and assumes responsibility for caring for his adult nephew and his family. This is not unheard of in different regions of the world today. Why do you think Americans do not regularly practice "family takes care of family" in today's society?
- Abram's family is heading toward Canaan, and Canaan will become the center of the narrative throughout the rest of Scripture. Why does God select this location to become the focal point of His story? What special qualities does the land possess? What is its location in relation to the rest of the world?
- Abraham's journey to Canaan is the beginning of the saga involving the Israelites. What vital pieces of Israel's saga are identified in Genesis 1-10? Why doesn't God mention the significance of events as they take place, or are we to assume every event, every name, and every detail is significant to the story of God and His redemptive plan for mankind? How should this affect our reading of the Scriptures?
Key Words/Phrase
Confusion (Babel) v. 9.
Characters
Shem, Terah, Abram, Lot, Sarai.
Strong Verse(s)
5, 9.
