Genesis:11

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* Verse 1-4 - How soon men forget the most tremendous judgments , and go back to their former crimes ! Though the desolations of the deluge were before their eyes , though they sprang from the stock of righteous Noah , yet even during his life-time , wickedness increases exceedingly . Nothing but the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit can remove the sinful lusts of the human will , and the depravity of the human heart . God 's purpose was , that mankind should form many nations , and people all lands . In contempt of the Divine will , and against the counsel of Noah , the bulk of mankind united to build a city and a tower to prevent their separating . Idolatry was begun , and Babel became one of its chief seats . They made one another more daring and resolute . Let us learn to provoke one another to love and to good works , as sinners stir up and encourage one another to wicked works . * Verse 5-9 - Here is an expression after the manner of men ; The Lord came down to see the city . God is just and fair in all he does against sin and sinners , and condemns none unheard . Pious Eber is not found among this ungodly crew ; for he and his are called the children of God ; their souls joined not themselves to the assembly of these children of men . God suffered them to go on some way , that the works of their hands , from which they promised themselves lasting honour , might turn to their lasting reproach . God has wise and holy ends , in allowing the enemies of his glory to carry on their wicked projects a great way , and to prosper long . Observe the wisdom and mercy of God , in the methods taken for defeating this undertaking . And the mercy of God in not making the penalty equal to the offence ; for he deals not with us according to our sins . The wisdom of God , in fixing upon a sure way to stop these proceedings . If they could not understand one another , they could not help one another ; this would take them off from their building . God has various means , and effectual ones , to baffle and defeat the projects of proud men that set themselves against him , and particularly he divides them among themselves . Notwithstanding their union and obstinacy God was above them ; for who ever hardened his heart against him , and prospered ? Their language was confounded . We all suffer by it to this day : in all the pains and trouble used to learn the languages we have occasion for , we suffer for the rebellion of our ancestors at Babel . Nay , and those unhappy disputes , which are strifes of words , and arise from misunderstanding one another 's words , for aught we know , are owing to this confusion of tongues . They left off to build the city . The confusion of their tongues not only unfitted them for helping one another , but they saw the hand of the Lord gone out against them . It is wisdom to leave off that which we see God fights against . God is able to blast and bring to nought all the devices and designs of Babel-builders : there is no wisdom nor counsel against the Lord . The builders departed according to their families , and the tongue they spake , to the countries and places allotted to them . The children of men never did , nor ever will , come all together again , till the great day , when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his glory , and all nations shall be gathered before him . * Verse 10-26 - Here is a genealogy , or list of names , ending in Abram , the friend of God , and thus leading towards Christ , the promised Seed , who was the son of Abram . Nothing is left upon record but their names and ages ; the Holy Ghost seeming to hasten through them to the history of Abram . How little do we know of those that are gone before us in this world , even of those that lived in the same places where we live , as we likewise know little of those who now live in distant places ! We have enough to do to mind our own work . When the earth began to be peopled , men 's lives began to shorten ; this was the wise disposal of Providence . * Verse 27-32 - Here begins the story of Abram , whose name is famous in both Testaments . Even the children of Eber had become worshippers of false gods . Those who are through grace , heirs of the land of promise , ought to remember what was the land of their birth ; what was their corrupt and sinful state by nature . Abram 's brethren were , Nahor , out of whose family both Isaac and Jacob had their wives ; and Haran , the father of Lot , who died before his father . Children cannot be sure that they shall outlive their parents . Haran died in Ur , before the happy removal of the family out of that idolatrous country . It concerns us to hasten out of our natural state , lest death surprise us in it . We here read of Abram 's departure out of Ur of the Chaldees , with his father Terah , his nephew Lot , and the rest of his family , in obedience to the call of God . This chapter leaves them about mid-way between Ur and Canaan , where they dwelt till Terah 's death . Many reach to Charran , and yet fall short of Canaan ; they are not far from the kingdom of God , and yet never come thither . **** Matthew Henry 's Commentary ****

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