BIBLE STUDY FOCUS

OUR BIBLE STUDY FOCUS: To find the trouble in the text, and the trouble in the world; the grace in the text and the grace in the world. We also focus on exposing and peeling away the myths about the texts and bring to the forefront the perceived truth in the texts.
God has a purpose for humanity and in order for God’s purpose to be fulfilled humanity needed to be in complete obedience to God’s authority. In the Book of Genesis Chapter 1:28: God blessed humanity, and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” In Genesis 9:1: God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”
Genesis 11 and its troubles in the text: All the descendants of Noah devised a plan to establish a city in a place called Shinar and settle there in spite of God’s direction to them to fill the earth – make nations. They planned to build a brick tower with its top in the heavens, and to make a name for themselves. They would stay together as a single united people. Just imagine for a moment what the world would look like, and what these people could have accomplished together on ONE ACCORD even if it was the wrong CORD.    

The question is in the text, what was the trouble in building the tower and making a name for themselves? In the world, what is the trouble in building a tower in America, Dubai, China etc.
Trouble in the world: Dubai built a tower with its top in the heavens and China devised to build a tower even higher than the Dubai’s tower. So the question is what do we think is wrong with building a very high tower or sky rise or sky scraper? The trouble in the text is that the peoples’ motive was a selfish one. Today in our world we may have different motives; however they may be selfish ones on the part of government and people.

The people in the text were sent out by God to go and make nations in the whole world. However, they decided to control their existence by building one city for themselves and avoided launching out into the whole world as God had commanded them.
God’s people in the world today are commanded by God to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations. In other words, go out into the world and love all people!!! However, often time we build our own ‘tower of Babel.’ Imagine the church today. Many mainstream churches have exclusively built their own ‘tower of Babel’ instead of opening up their doors and their hearts to people in their communities and in the world to make disciples as God has commanded us. Because of this many church organizations are experiencing division, confusion and even change in church languages. The church today is experiencing breakage and scattering of groups and members. This is no different from the breakage, division, and confusion and scattering of the people at SHANAR while they built the ‘tower of Babel.’

Grace in the text or passage: God’s discipline for Noah’s descendants was not to bring them to ruin, but instead to change their WAY OF THINKING, their direction – direction that would in the end bring them to ruin, not to mention preventing proper relationship with one another and with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the normal growth process in the world.
Building our own generational city or cultural city leads to  self-reliance and a lack of need for God’s help, which leads to idolatry. And God seeks our obedience and our allegiance to Him and not to idolatry.
Genesis 1:28: God blessed the ancient people, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” Genesis 9:1: God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”In New Testament era: Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus directed the church to ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

God’s people were meant to have relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And from relationship with the Trinity, God’s people were to have relationship with one another in all the earth. God is relational, the Trinity is relational and seeks to be in relationship with people within communities. 

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35