The Bible Course Muestra

The tower, the promise, and Abraham – God’s got a plan  

Reflect 

Pride often comes before a fall. Can you think of an example in your own life?  

How is this reflected in Genesis 11?  

The last major event in Genesis 1–11 occurs when humans gather to build the tower of Babel, declaring that ‘we will make a name for ourselves’.  

Hear the outrageous words of the people in verse 4. The aim? To reach God. To be like him. To be independent of him. This is our human nature. We always want more; we’re always building towers.  

Rarely are we content with who we are and where we are. No amount of money, no career success, no realized dream brings us to a point of ‘enough’. So we constantly seek to ‘to make a name for ourselves’. But God towers above our towers. Note how he has to come ‘down’ just to see what they built. God confuses the people’s language and scatters the humans who were competing with him.  

Note all the promises God makes in Genesis 12. What does this mean for us today?  

With the world falling apart, Genesis 12 cuts to one man, Abraham, minding his own business in Mesopotamia. Abraham is told in Genesis 12.1–3 that through him and his descendants, God’s intention to fix creation will be initiated and carried through. God promises to gather a people (a great nation) into a place (the promised land) through which he will bless the world (global blessing).  

Abraham is told to set out for the land he was promised. Filled with doubts and fear, he falters along the way, but God is faithful. We also struggle on the road we call life. Temptation and fear can easily derail us, but rescue relies on God and not on Abraham. So it is for us today.   

The God of the Bible is a promise initiator and a promise keeper. God has a plan for the whole of creation. It’s no exaggeration to say that the whole of the rest of the Bible is an outworking of these promises made to Abraham. They find their fulfillment in Jesus. His entry into the story changes everything.  

Respond 

Whose name do you want to make great? Ask that God would help you live for his name today.