Genesis 6-11, Moses 8

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RISING ABOVE THE FLOODS-THE GREAT ESCAPE

ICEBREAKER

As an icebreaker, sometimes to help my students get into this week’s scripture block I like to show them a few comics that I’ve found over the years that deal with the Noah’s Ark story and here they are. I even found a really funny television commercial once here on YouTube about Noah’s ark that makes me laugh, so I’ll put a link to that up above here and also in the video description below if you’re interested. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tZhbalpSNM) And you know, there aren’t many stories that have conjured up more fantastic and miraculous imagery than the Noah and the Ark story. Many a nursery wall has been decorated with pictures of Noah’s ark with giraffe heads sticking out the top, and elephants, alligators, and zebras lining the decks. There’s just something about the Noah story that has captured the imagination. But I can assure you that there is much more to this story than just a cute picture to put on our baby’s walls. Let’s see if we can’t find some relevance between Noah’s day and our day.

SEARCH

The first thing we need to do is understand the nature of Noah’s World. What was his world like? And to do that, you could have your students try this secret phrase activity. Look in the following verses that describe the nature of Noah’s world to fill in the blanks in the provided phrases. The missing word should be able to fit in the accompanying boxes. Then, to figure out the secret phrase, write the letter in the numbered boxes on the corresponding lines in the phrase. The secret phrase will help us to understand a major message of the Noah story. So here we go:

1. The daughters of thy sons have ______ themselves. (Moses 8:15)

a. SOLD themselves. Now what does that mean? Let’s examine these verses a little closer. Compare verse 13 with verse 14 and see if you can find the two groups of people. There are two types of sons in Noah’s world. What are they? In verse 13 you have the sons of God. But in verse 14 you’ve got the sons of men. Well, the sons of God, in verse 14, have daughters. If the sons of God have daughters, we could refer to them, then, as daughters of God. But who are the daughters of God marrying? They’re marrying the sons of men. Therefore, the Lord says that they have sold themselves. They have sold their birthright as children of God and married outside the covenant. Who should they be marrying? I would say that daughters of God should marry sons of God, and vice versa. In fact you do see the opposite situation portrayed in verse 21.

21 And also, after that they had heard him, they came up before him, saying: Behold, we are the sons of God; have we not taken unto ourselves the daughters of men? And are we not eating and drinking, and marrying and giving in marriage? And our wives bear unto us children, and the same are mighty men, which are like unto men of old, men of great renown. And they hearkened not unto the words of Noah.

So here we have sons of God marrying daughters of men. What’s the problem with that. Oftentimes the sons and daughters of men can draw away the sons and daughters of God into hearkening not unto the words of the prophets. Sons of God should marry daughters of God. In our relationships, we should seek to unite ourselves with people who hold similar beliefs and standards. People with whom we can maintain our faith and dedication to God. When we marry those that do not hearken to the voice of God, we set ourselves and our children up to being led to do the same.

2. Mine anger is kindled against the sons of men, for they will not ___________ to my voice. (Moses 8:15)

a. The answer is HEARKEN. That’s really what sets apart sons and daughters of God from sons and daughters of men. Sons of men will not hearken to the voice of God (:15) And we see this problem throughout the chapter. You see it also in verses :20, :21, and :24.

3. And they sought Noah to take away his ______. (Moses 8:18)

a. LIFE. They are murderers then. They are trying to kill the prophet of God.

4. Noah called upon the children of men that they should _________; but they hearkened not unto his words. (Moses 8:20)

a. REPENT is the answer. God never destroys the wicked without giving them a chance to repent first. And usually, multiple chances.

5. And God saw the _____________ of men had become great. (Moses 8:22)

a. WICKEDNESS And as we well know, wickedness never was happiness. So these are not only wicked people, but unhappy people as well.

6. Every man was lifted up in the _________________ of the thoughts of his heart (Moses 8:22)

a. IMAGINATION of the thoughts of his heart. I think this suggests pride. People who lift themselves up and imagine they are better or greater than others.

7. Being _______ continually. (Moses 8:22)

a. EVIL. Now we all commit some evil from time to time. We make poor choices that hurt ourselves and others. But hopefully we feel regret and seek to change those things. But when we become evil continually. When it becomes a part of our nature. When there is no regret. When there is a commitment to it, as Cain did, then we have really sunk to a new low and there is often very little chance of escape.

8. The earth was __________, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth (Moses 8:29)

a. CORRUPT. Corruption suggests decay or depravity. They had decayed from sons and daughters of God to sons of daughters of men, to sons and daughters of the devil.

9. The earth is filled with ____________. (Moses 8:30)

a. VIOLENCE. Noah lived in a very violent society. Murder, robbing, war, abuse, cruelty, bloodshed, and finding pleasure in hurting others. Violence was a big problem in Noah’s day.

Before we discover the secret phrase, let’s cover that final question. What similarities do you see between Noah’s world and ours? Well let’s see. We too live in a world of great wickedness and evil and corruption. I would say that we live in a pre-flood kind of world. A time when a number of the sons and daughters of God are being led away by those who do not believe or hearken to the prophets. We live in a time where many are lifted up in the thoughts of their hearts. A dog eat dog, look out for #1, I’ve just gotta get mine, kind of world. A world where pridefulness and self-promotion are hailed as virtues. We often make celebrities out of those kinds of people. Unfortunately, we also live in a time of great violence. Wars are very prevalent, violent crime happens all over the world every day in every nation. And even if we don’t necessarily participate in violence, at least here in the United States, we are very entertained by it. Movies, television, and video games right now, are incredibly violent. That’s not to say that all movies that have some form of violence depicted in them are necessarily bad movies but, it is something that we should take into consideration. How graphic, how intense, how much, how realistic, and how violence is depicted (whether it’s glorified or not) are all things to consider in what we allow into our home and minds. I don’t believe that watching violent movies and intensely graphic television programs will turn people into murderers, but I don’t think that we can witness bloody horrific violence portrayed graphically and think that that’s not going to have a negative effect on our spirits. I sometimes hear my 9th grade seminary students talk about movies and television programs that they watch, and I think, really? Your parents let you watch that?! I plead with all to consider the kind of influence our media choices are having on our spiritual sensitivities.

Speaking of parents, anyone with children has probably felt some anxiety and concern over the state of the world we are trying to raise our children in. I know I feel this fear. I wonder if I will I be able to protect my children from the influence of a corrupt, violent, evil, non-faith affirming world. I know that I can’t control everything that they hear and see and do, and that’s discomforting. I really don’t want to lose them to the world, and I pray every night for their protection. So what can I do? Is there any escape for me and my family? Is there anything that can help us to rise above the corruption, wickedness, and violence? There is. And the secret phrase holds a key to the answer. What was it?

Don’t miss the boat! If we wish to escape the influence of this wicked world with our faith intact, we need to get on the boat and rise above it.

DON’T MISS THE BOAT

What did God provide Noah and his family with to help them escape their pre-flood world? He gives them an ark. A vessel that helped them to rise above it all. Let’s take a look at those instructions.

Read 6:14-16.

14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

There are 4 Lessons that the story of Noah’s Ark can teach us that I would like to focus on here. For each, I give a little bit of a title.

So Did He

Gopher Wood, 30 cubits, 3 Stories

Pitched Within and Without with Pitch

Lifted Above

SO DID HE

The first principle here is about the why? Why was Noah AND HIS FAMILY saved? What set them apart from everyone else ? What is the key to rising above the floods of wickedness, corruption, and violence? Take a quick look at the following verses and see if you can find a common theme:

Genesis 6:9

Genesis 6:22

Genesis 7:1

Genesis 7:5

Did you notice anything? Noah was obedient to his Heavenly Father’s instructions. Remember back in Moses 8 that the most repeated problem with the people that God brings up is that they would not hearken to the Lord or his prophet. But Noah, was a just man (:9). He was perfect in his generations :9. Take a quick look at the footnote for “perfect” to understand what the scriptures mean here. It’s not that he was without weakness or wrongdoing, but he was a man with integrity—strength of character. He was righteous before God (7:1) and he did according to all that the Lord commanded him (:5). And then my favorite verse of that group—6:22.

22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

I love that last three-word phrase. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all say the same about ourselves and our families? All that God commanded, so did he, so did she, so did they, so did I. The principle. If we wish to escape, we got to follow the instructions.

GOPHER WOOD, 30 CUBITS, THREE STORIES

Related to that principle is what I would call the gopher wood, 30 cubits, three stories idea. I love the specificity of the instructions for the ark. This was an exact and detailed plan about how to construct their mode of escape. Now I believe there are some commandments and instructions that are general and absolutely essential for all of us to continually keep in mind. You know, the primary answers. Go to church, study the scriptures, attend the temple, etc. But I also believe that there are specific instructions that are given to faithful individuals that are more personally directed and tailored to a person’s particular circumstances. For example, I have prayed for specific guidance on what I can do to help my children stay on the gospel path. I have felt that for my family, wholesome recreational activities are key. And so we do a lot together as a family. We go camping and rock climbing, and miniature golf, and vacations, bowling, and going to plays. That may not be the most important thing for all families though. God tailors and emphasizes certain instructions for different people and families. Our patriarchal blessings are a great example of this too. They contain very specific directions for the recipient. In fact, I’ll give you another brief personal example. I was a little shocked when, in my patriarchal blessing, I was specifically instructed to gain a greater appreciation for art. And I have to say, I’m so grateful for that prompting. It has greatly enriched my life.

And that may be a fun question to ask your class. What specific instructions have you felt you’ve received for yourself or for your family. What are some of your gopher wood, 30 cubits, three stories kind of directions?

PITCHED WITHIN AND WITHOUT WITH PITCH

I’m also particularly intrigued by God’s instruction to Noah to pitch the ark within and without with pitch. Now, pitch was a type of tar that would help to make the ark waterproof. As long as they had that pitch correctly applied, they wouldn’t sink.

It may be a good pondering question to ask ourselves why God cleansed the earth in this way. The symbolism of baptism comes to mind. But couldn’t he have done it differently? In a way that was easier for Noah and his family? He could have just smitten the wicked dead with the wave of his hand. He could have sent a famine, or disease, or a war where the wicked just kill each other off. But that’s not what happens. He has the elaborate plan which required loads of work for Noah. This would have been a huge undertaking. Lots of work building this gigantic boat. And we know how big it was comparatively speaking because we have the measurements right here in Genesis 6. So larger than your typical fully rigged sailing ship, but smaller than a modern ocean liner. Then can you picture Noah and his family pitching the entire frame of the ark, inside and out. And that’s just building the ark. What about gathering the animals, preparing their accommodations, and planning for their food and care. Then you have their journey which lasted over half a year. This would not have been an easy voyage. But, it was better than the alternative. Why do it this way? Because God prepared them for it. They were given the means and the strength to accomplish it. Now if I were Noah, I would have preferred an alternate way for solving the wickedness of the earth problem. One without all the challenge and effort. But that’s not typically how the Lord works. He prepares us to bear up under the challenges that we face. Our vessels, so to speak, are pitched within and without with pitch. Our boats are waterproof, if we followed the instructions. When God has the choice between stilling the storms and floods of our lives OR giving us instructions on how to rise above them, I feel he more often does the latter. This is reminiscent of another story we find in the scriptures about building boats. The Jaredites in the Book of Mormon. They too were commanded to build arks of a sort. The Book of Mormon equivalent to “Pitched within and without with pitch” would be their boats were “tight like unto a dish”. God can help us to construct vessels that are pitched within and without with pitch and tight like unto a dish.

What God said to the Brother of Jared could also very easily be applied to Noah:

25 And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?

Ether 2:25

May I suggest that God will do the same for you. And if you will trust his commands then, last principle:

LIFTED UP

See if you can find the results or blessings of Noah’s obedience and trust in God in the following verses:

6:8 Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord

7:17 The ark was lift up above the earth

7:18 And it went upon the face of the waters

7:23 And Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

If we can follow the example of Noah, and do according to all that God commands, and follow the instructions, both general and specific, and pitch our vessels within and without with pitch, then we will be lifted up above the trials and the fate of the world. We will go upon the face of the waters and not be drowned by them, but remain spiritually and faithfully alive.

This promise of Paul beautifully applies here:

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

TRUTH

In summary then

If we do according to God’s commands, then he will provide arks of safety for us and our families to escape the floods and fate of the wicked.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

What are some of your “arks of safety”?

Those vessels of escape could be the temple. They could be our churches. Our homes can act as vessels of protection. The scriptures. The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet. The Spirit. Our covenants. Overall, our obedience. All of these things can help us to rise above the world.

CONCLUSION

So, don’t miss the boat! Be sure to hop on the arks of God. I’m so grateful for my arks. Yes, it’s true, we do live in a miserable, wicked, corrupt world. But we don’t have to drown in it. We can listen to the prophets, we can listen to the scriptures, we can hearken to the commandments of God. We can pitch our arks within and without with pitch. If we do this, no matter how wicked our world gets, we can rise above it and remain alive!

SUMMARIZE 7-8

Now in chapters 7-8 we get the story of the flood itself and I’m just going to summarize here. Chapter 7 describes how Noah completes the ark, gathers together the animals and then the rain starts to fall. And it rains and it rains, and it rains. The ark, of course, is lifted above the death and destruction below. In chapter 8 the rain ceases and after a period of time, Noah sends birds from the ark to see if the water has receded. When a dove brings back an olive branch, he knows that the waters have abated and they, once again, set their feet on dry ground to start life anew on the earth. But chapter 9 is where I’d like to spend a little more time here.

THE RAINBOW

ICEBREAKER

And as an icebreaker, I might do a simple little object lesson. What you need is a prism and what a prism allows you to do is to make a rainbow on the spot. They’re very inexpensive, and you may even have one around the house in a chandelier, or I’ll put a link in the video description below where you could pick one up for yourself on Amazon. But what you’ll do with the prism is turn out the lights, and then shine a flashlight through the prism. And what you’ll see, is a rainbow appear on the wall behind it. At that point you could ask your class if they know what a rainbow is and how they’re made? Simply put, rainbows are made of light, but it’s a special kind of light. It’s light that has been divided up into its spectrum. Just for fun, you may even want to quiz them on the order of the colors of the rainbow, which would be Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. But here’s how I would describe a rainbow. Rainbows are light, in its most beautiful, visible, and even miraculous state. Well, the Lord is going to use the rainbow as a powerful symbol to teach us all something after the great flood.

SEARCH

In Genesis chapter 9, we find a conversation between Noah and the Lord reviewing some of the rules of mortality since he and his family are basically restarting life on earth once again. Noah and his wife are almost like a second Adam and Eve. And so you’re going to see echoes of the commandments given in the Garden of Eden. So in verse 1 you have “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. In 2 and 3 we see the idea of having dominion over the earth. And then we have this little section on the sanctity of life and a condemnation of murder, a huge problem in the violent pre-flood society.

But starting in verse 8 we have this discussion about a covenant. A covenant is a two way promise between man and God. According to verses 11-17 what is the covenant, and what is the symbol of the covenant.

Answer: The covenant was that God would never again destroy the earth by a flood, and the symbol he chose for that covenant was the rainbow. Now as with any symbol or token in the gospel, it’s worth our time to ponder why God would choose this particular object in this particular circumstance. God doesn’t just pick random objects for his symbols. They’re carefully selected and considered for the message that they teach. So I like to ask my class (while displaying a picture of a rainbow) Why is the rainbow a great symbol for God’s promise not to destroy?

A few thoughts. When is it that we usually see rainbows? When do rainbows appear? They appear after storms. After the darkness and the destruction and the fear of a storm comes the rainbow. So what does the rainbow teach us about life? Light and beauty follow storms. As part of our mortal experience, we all face storms and darkness, don’t we? Nobody has a stormless life. Sometimes we have drizzles, and sometimes we face full blown hurricanes and floods. But our loving Father in Heaven does not allow things to remain that way forever. After the darkness, he always sends his light bending back to earth. In a more general sense, during this earth’s history, there have been periods of darkness and apostasy. But God has always sent the beautiful light of his gospel back to the earth following those times. After the darkness and destruction of the flood, God sent a rainbow of mercy to give hope and inspiration to Noah and his family. After the darkness of the scattering of the tribes of Israel, God sent the rainbow of his son Jesus Christ to the Jews. After the great apostasy, God sent the rainbow of the restoration. And in each of our lives, if we can persevere through the storms, if we can hold tight to the iron rod as we press through the mists of darkness, then God’s light awaits us on the other side.

Maybe the Doctrine and Covenants sums up the lesson of the rainbow best when it says, “For after much tribulation come the blessings . . .” (D&C 58:4)

Also, how would you describe a rainbow itself? A rainbow is beautiful light. Colorful light. Light that gently bends towards the earth. Can you think of a better symbol for God’s mercy and care? His mercy and love is beautiful, gentle, reassuring, soft, comforting.

One more thing. But to get this one you have to turn to the Joseph Smith Translation of these verses. You’ll find this at the back of your Bibles just before the maps and photos section. Be sure not to miss the JST’s in your study. They always give added light and understanding. Go to the section for Genesis 9:21-25. It reads:

21 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself.

22 And this is mine everlasting covenant, that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy;

23 And the general assembly of the church of the firstborn shall come down out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which I made with thy father Enoch.

I love that. Rainbows cause us to look upward. God’s mercy and love and understanding will hopefully also cause us to look up to him always and embrace the truth.

I also love that the rainbow represents a connection between heaven and earth. That we can look up and the city of Enoch, or Zion will look down. We can connect with that great city in the heavens, and one day, they will come down and we will go up. You see that same kind of idea in Norse mythology where it’s the rainbow bridge or the Bifrost that connects earth with Asgard, the city of heaven. If you’ve seen the silly Marvel Thor movies, you know what I’m talking about. It’s also an idea found in Polynesian tradition. The Maori also believed that the rainbow was a connection between heaven and earth. Keep that idea in mind as we look at the tower of Babel story a little bit later.

TRUTH

After times of darkness, God always sends rainbows of mercy and love to the faithful to connect us with Him.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Have you ever experienced a rainbow from God? Have you ever had a time when you felt God’s love and light came to you after a storm. Maybe it’s a time when a trial or a hardship taught you something; it gave you experience and turned for your good. Or maybe it’s a story of repentance, where the rainbow of God’s mercy touched your life after the darkness of sin. I know I’ve experienced many rainbows in my life. I remember a particularly dark time in my life when I was not initially hired to teach seminary for the church. It was something that I wanted very badly, and I thought and felt that I had lost that opportunity forever and didn’t quite know where to go or what to do from there. I felt lost, and in the dark. But shortly thereafter, I remember getting this feeling that all would be well. That I didn’t need to worry. That as long as I was faithful, the Lord would take care of me and my future family. And you know, later, circumstances changed, and I was eventually hired to teach, kind of out of nowhere, after I’d kind of given up on the idea. But that interim time was difficult and dark, but the rainbow came. And whether I’d have been hired or not, I still believe that the rainbow would have come in some form or other.

CONCLUSION

I’m confident that if we can follow the example of Noah’s obedience and trust in God through the squalls and cyclones of life, that we too will see many covenant rainbows throughout our mortal experience. The Lord will not and cannot promise us a life free of storms, or floods, or difficulties. But if we keep our covenants, then God WILL keep His to bless us and help us. He will send his beautiful, tender, and comforting light once the rain has stopped and the clouds have parted. Every time I see a rainbow, I’m reminded of that principle. It’s the rainbow principle. And I hope that it gives you encouragement as well.

Now, let’s move past the Noah story and jump to Genesis 11. If anyone was hoping for some commentary on the drunkenness of Noah story and Ham seeing his father’s nakedness at the end of chapter 9. I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you. I don’t know what to do with that story, to be honest with you. I’m sure there are smarter people out there who can offer some insight but, I’ve just never heard a great explanation of it. I think it’s just one of those things in the Bible where we’re missing some details. Something’s been lost to the scripture record over the ages, and I just look forward to the day when we’ll have a more complete understanding of some of these stories. So, as a teacher, I just skip it. There are far better messages and principles to occupy your limited class time than getting bogged down in this one. Then chapter 10 is mainly genealogy. But then we get to chapter 11 and the story of the tower of Babel. A short but noteworthy story.

THE TOWER OR THE STAIRWAY-BABEL OR BETHEL

ICEBREAKER

As an Icebreaker, with my seminary students, I sometimes divide them into groups of 5 or 6 and invite them to build a tower as high as they can in 8 minutes. I only provide them with a box of straws and masking tape and tell them to have at it. It’s really fun to see them hastily construct their creations, and then I pull out a measuring tape and see who came up with the highest tower. Inevitably, somebody on the team with the highest tower is going to ask what they won. Do they get a treat? Did they win? And I just laugh and say, I never said it was a contest. Even if nobody asks that question, I just make sure that I explain that there is no reward for having the highest tower.

TRANSITION

In this part of the lesson we’re going to study a group of people who also built a tower with no reward. The people of Babel. And the story is short enough that everyone could read the entire thing in a short amount of time. Only 9 short verses. THEN, we’re going to compare them to another story in Genesis.

SEARCH

So we’re going to approach this story as a study guide. I’ve entitled it Babel or Bethel. You could give your students the following questions and have them either study alone or with a partner. Here is what the handout looks like.

Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)

1. What were the two desires of the people of Babel? (Genesis 11:1-4 and Helaman 6:28)

· :4

· :4

2. What do you think was wrong with these two desires? Why do you think this displeased God?

3. What were the 4 consequences of trying to build this tower?

· :7

· :7

· :8

· :8

Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22)

4. What does Jacob see in his dream that accomplishes what the people of Babel couldn’t do? (Genesis 28:10-12)

5. Mark all the things you learn about Bethel in verses 12-22.

6. What is our modern-day “Bethel?”

Making a Name

7. The people of Babel wanted to “make US a name”. What’s a better solution according to the following verses?

· Genesis 12:2

· Genesis 17:5

· Genesis 17:15

· Genesis 32:28

ANSWERS

What were the two desires of the people of Babel? What motivated them to build the tower? (Genesis 11:1-4 and Helaman 6:28)

Verse 4 says:

4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

Helaman 6:28 is a little more clear as to the motivation behind the tower. It says:

28 And also it is that same being who put it into the hearts of the people to build a tower sufficiently high that they might get to heaven. And it was that same being who led on the people who came from that tower into this land; who spread the works of darkness and abominations over all the face of the land, until he dragged the people down to an entire destruction, and to an everlasting hell.

So, they wanted to build a tower high enough that it would get them into heaven AND they wished to make a name for themselves. They wanted fame, popularity, distinction. Let’s examine each of those desires in turn.

First, building a tower that would reach the heavens. You might ask yourself what’s so wrong with that. Isn’t that a good desire? What’s so bad about trying to get to heaven? The problem is in the way they’re trying to get into heaven. They’re trying to do it, on their own terms, in their own way. They were hoping to circumvent the commandments of God. In their naïve little minds they looked up at the sky and said, “Well, heaven’s up there. So, if we want to get to heaven, we just need to build a really high tower”. Perhaps they felt that if they could just build that tower, they could “sneak” into heaven. They could climb to the top of their tower, step on out onto the clouds and thumb their noses at God and shout “Ha ha, we’re here. Thought you could keep us out, did you?” They were hoping to enter God’s kingdom on their own terms, not God’s. They wanted to follow the Frank Sinatra method. You know, “I did it my way.”

Do people still try to do this nowadays? Do they try to devise ways to obtain the blessings of God without following his commandments?

You bet they do. And from that desire have sprung many hopeless attempts to find happiness or blessing outside of God’s commandments. Sad thing is it always backfires. In fact, they bring upon themselves the very thing they were hoping to avoid. Verse 4 says that they were worried about becoming scattered upon the face of the earth, and that’s exactly what ends up happening to them.

Let’s liken this idea to our own lives. What are some of the things or blessings that people most desire in this life? Happiness, prosperity, love, power.

But what are some of the ways people try to obtain these things without following the commandments of God?

They want to feel happy, but they don’t want to be obedient to the commandments that will bring them happiness, so they turn to drugs and alcohol or other addictions that bring temporary good feelings, but in the end only bring misery and pain. They end up causing the very thing they hoped to avoid in the first place.

They want to be prosperous, but they don’t want to work hard, so they steal, cheat, or gamble.

They want power, but they don’t want the kind of gentle, persuading power of the priesthood, so they intimidate, manipulate, and exercise unrighteous dominion.

They want the feelings and comfort of a loving intimate relationship with another human being, but they don’t want the commitment and effort of marriage, so they turn to pornography or casual sex.

They want the blessings of God, but they don’t want to perform the obedience required to produce those blessings.

It reminds me of the principle Samuel the Lamanite taught the wicked Nephites of Zarahemla:

38 But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head.

Helaman 13:38

You just can’t do wrong and feel right. Wickedness never was happiness. It’s obedience to God’s commandments that brings happiness. We’ve got to be careful not to build towers of Babel in our lives.

They’re like the people that Jesus referred to when he said:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. (John 10:1)

The people of Babel were trying to climb up some other way.

The other desire of the people was to “make us a name”. They wanted some kind of distinction or notoriety or fame for their works. Again, what’s wrong with this desire? They are going about it in the wrong way. They want to do it their way. They wish to lift themselves up. Make their own name. Become something of their own making. This is not a winning strategy in the end. Therefore. God had some consequences for them.

Question 3 then. What were the consequences the people of Babel faced for trying to build a tower to heaven and make themselves a name?

:7 They are confounded in their efforts.

It just doesn’t work. And it never would have worked. It was a futile plan from its inception. With our modern understanding and perspective of the earth and its atmosphere, we know that no matter how large or tall they built that tower, it was never going to reach to heaven. It’s almost laughable to even consider it. All that effort and time and material they were dedicating to this cause, was a huge waste. But they just couldn’t see that. With their perspective, they thought it could work. I wonder if God ever looks down on us at times and has the same kind of reaction to “towers of Babel”. It would almost be laughable if it weren’t so tragic and sad. “They just don’t get it! This is not going to bring you what you want. It’s impossible. You will never find joy in sin. That’s contrary to the laws of heaven.” I like the word the Lord uses at the end of verse 6. “Now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have “IMAGINED” to do. Trying to find happiness in sin is just fantasy. It’s not realistic. That can only exist in the realm of imagination.

:7 They don’t understand. The Lord confounds their language and now they can’t understand one another. Building towers always leads to confusion and perplexity.

:8 They are scattered. Building towers isolates us from others and destroys relationships and trust.

:8 And eventually, they “leave off” of their goal or efforts. When they inevitably see that it doesn’t work, they give up on their goal all together. And that’s a bitter pill to swallow and many become miserable, disillusioned, and angry at God. Like the armies of Mormon at the final battles of the Book of Mormon whose:

13 But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin.

14 And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die. Nevertheless they would struggle with the sword for their lives. (Mormon 2:13-14)

The people of Babel illustrate a common problem many face in life. They want to get to heaven their own way, and they want to make themselves a name.

BETHEL

For both of these problems, let’s see what God’s solution is. There’s another story in the Book of Genesis that offers us the solution for connecting heaven with earth. And I know this isn’t part of this week’s study, but the comparison is just so good that I think it would be a shame for us to separate the two. So this week, we’re also going to include a story from Genesis 28:10-22 about Jacob. Here we find Jacob on his way to Haran fleeing from the presence of his brother Esau. On the way, he stops for the night, and he has a very interesting dream.

Now. Question 4. What does Jacob see (in his dream) that accomplishes what the people of Babel couldn’t?

Jacob sees a real connection between heaven and earth. It says that he beholds a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven and he sees angels going up and down on it. Now ladder is a bit of a bad translation. A better translation for ladder would be stairway. He sees a stairway to heaven. That’s what the original Hebrew wording suggests. So according to Jacob’s dream, there really is a place that joins or links the earth with heaven—a place where mankind and angels can mingle.

Now let’s read the rest of this section and see if we can discover what place Genesis 28 is talking about. Is this a place found only in the dreams of prophets? Or is there a real location like this on earth. Is there a place we could go if we wished to connect with heaven?

So our next question asks us to mark all the things we learn about Bethel from this story. Let’s read and mark the things we learn about this place as we go.

So we’ve already got that it’s a place that connects heaven and earth, and that angels ascend and descend from it. What else?

13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it,

(so it’s a place where the presence of the Lord is)

and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

(It’s a place that brings blessings to families)

15 And, behold, I am with thee,

(It’s a place where we can walk with God and feel him with us)

and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest,

(It’s a place where we can find protection from the world)

and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

(What we’ve also seen here in this conversation between the Lord and Jacob is a promise being made to Jacob. The Lord is promising him very specific blessings. And later in these verses we see Jacob making a promise to God. Jump down to verse 20 for a moment . . .)

20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:

(So, it’s a place where we make promises with God, and he promises us things in return. Have you figured it out yet? Our final question on the handout was: What is our modern-day Bethel?)

16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place!

(Again, bad translation. Jacob is not afraid and discouraged by this place. Just the opposite. Afraid, in this sense, means respect. And “dreadful” means “awe-inspiring”. This was a place that inspired deep reverence and respect for God. And so what is his conclusion?)

this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Where can we find the true connection between heaven and earth? In the house of God. The temple. The temple accomplishes what the people of Babel were trying to do. The difference is that they tried to build that connection from the ground up, whereas the temple extends that connection from the heavens down. The temple is God’s stairway to heaven. In verse 19, Jacob calls that place Bethel, which in Hebrew means, the House of God.

So, if we want to get to heaven, it’s the temple that will get us there, not our own towers. The temple is the real connection between heaven and earth, God, and man.

A NAME

But what about the second desire of the people of Babel? The desire to make a name for THEMSELVES. Just like with the temple or stairway, God has a better plan in mind for us. Take a look at the following verses and you tell me what the better solution would be. Don’t try to make a name for yourself but . . .

• Genesis 12:2

• Genesis 17:5

• Genesis 17:15

• Genesis 32:28

Now names are very important in the Old Testament. Often, they have meanings and messages behind them. In each of the instances above you see examples of God changing people’s names.

In Genesis 12:2 God promises Abraham that He will make his name great.

In 17:5 God changes Abram’s name to Abraham.

In 17:15 He changes Sarai’s name to Sarah

And in 32:28 we see God changing Jacob’s name to Israel.

Those name changes teach lessons. He wanted to help Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob understand that their covenants changed them. That now they were new people. So how would you complete that statement? Don’t try to make a name for yourself, but let God give you a name to live up to. Allow him to be the source of your title and reputation and inspiration. We can go through life putting all our effort into making names for ourselves, but the names God gives us are far more worthy of that effort. I’d much rather be called Dad, or Father, than superstar or celebrity. I’d rather be called Bishop than CEO. I want to be known as a disciple of Christ rather than BA, MA, or PHD. Now those earthly titles aren’t bad things, but if they take precedence over the greater titles, then we’ve misplaced our priorities. And then, of course, the greatest name we’ve been given is the name we took upon ourselves when we were baptized and which we renew each week in the sacrament. We have taken upon ourselves the name of Christ. Now that’s a name to live up to. So, live up to the destiny that God has laid out for you through your covenants, or in your patriarchal blessing, not some destiny you’ve cobbled together from the limited perspective of your own whims and plans. Let’s be Abraham’s, and Sarah’s and Israel’s, not Babel’s.

TRUTH/CONCLUSION

So the two major truths I feel these stories can teach us:

Choose the stairway not the tower. OR Find your connection with heaven and it’s blessings by keeping temple covenants and not by seeking your own way.

AND

Live up to the names God has given you. Don’t try to make a name for yourself.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Ponder the following questions:

• Are there any towers I’m building right now?

• How could I better use “the stairway”?

• How much effort am I putting into making a name for myself?

• How could I better live up to the names God has given me?

Well, I hope that you’ve been inspired by these stories in Genesis today. What we’ve really seen in the big picture is the contrast between doing things the world’s way or the Lord’s way. Are we going to build towers or are we going to build arks. Are we going to connect with heaven through Babel, or are we going to connect through Bethel and the rainbow. Are we going to make names for ourselves or are we going to let God name us. And ultimately will we eventually find ourselves submerged and confounded or lifted up and enlightened. I pray that for you and me, it will be the latter. Instead of singing “I Did It My Way”, let’s sing “Lord, I Would Follow Thee.”