Genesis chapter 11. Genesis chapter 11. I wish to look at several passages
this morning, several texts, and note the contrasts. As soon as we read them, you'll
understand what I'm saying. I want us to note the contrasting
ideas found within each each verse, each text. And eventually,
it's going to show how our God rules and reigns in all of heaven
and among the inhabitants of earth like Daniel 4 says. And
He does so all to the praise of the glory of His infinite
grace. Let's look at Genesis 11. I've
been thinking about this message for months. I just sat there. My study desk is set to center. Finally, I looked at it the other
day and thought, well, this would maybe be time. Genesis chapter
11 is our first text. Let's read verses 1 through 11. Genesis 11. And the whole earth was of one language and of one
speech that came to pass as man journeyed from the east that
they found a plain in the land of Shinar and they dwelt there. And they said one to another,
go to, let us make brick and burn them thoroughly that they
had brick for stone, slime they had for mortar. 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. And the Lord came down to see
the city and the tower which the children of men built it.
And the Lord said, behold, the people is one, and they have
all one language. And this they begin to do, and
now nothing will be restrained from them that they have imagined
to do. Go to, let us go down, and there
confound their language, that they may not understand one another's
speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad
from thence upon the face of all the earth, and they left
off building the city. Therefore is the name of it called
Babel, because the Lord did there confound the language of all
the earth, and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad
upon the face of all the earth." Now I want us to notice verse
4. This is man's desire. This is
man's will. This is what he has predetermined
to do. Let us go and build us a city,
a tower. Let us make us a name. Let us
make us a name. Lest we be scattered. Lest we be scattered. This is man's boasted declaration
to any and all who can hear. This or that is what we're going
to do, is what they declared. No one will nor can alter this
thing purposed. But I tell you, man since the
fall of Adam has been trying to, verse 4, make a name. Let us make a name. That's what
he's been trying to do since the fall in the garden. For himself,
self-rule, dominion, dominance, and self-promotion. But what
did God do in verse 9? It's interesting how the word
scattered is used in this. Man does not want to be scattered.
Man wants to rule. He wants self-promotion. That
word scattered, incidentally, is to dash in pieces or to disperse. Man doesn't want that. However,
what does God do? Verse 9, Therefore the name of
the place was called Babel, because the Lord did there confound the
language of all the earth, and from thence did the Lord scatter. Same word, scatter. So here's my thought in these
several verses and chapters that we're going to look at. Man has
an idea. Man has his way, a way which
seems right. And then God speaks. They don't
want to be scattered. God scatters them. The way of
grace or salvation or righteousness has one way, one truth, one method. It is Christ Jesus. He's our
only hope, our only path to glory. Everything else, everything else
is going to be scattered. So I ask you, as I ask myself
this, on all these passages and texts of Scripture we're going
to look at this morning, whose will prevailed? Whose will endured? Whose will was wrought out? The same whose will is being
wrought out amongst the inhabitants of men and the armies of heaven,
etc., of the universe. God's will. God's will shall
be done. That's why our Lord told the
disciples to pray, Thy will be done." It's not a question mark. It's a statement. God's will
shall be done. Let's read on. Proverbs chapter
25. Proverbs chapter 25. Proverbs chapter 25. And verse 2, it is the glory of God to conceal
a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter. Man
seeks to uncover, expose, reveal, or search out matters. God, it's
His honor, it's His glory to conceal matters. No matter how
intellectual or wise men, women, boys or girls are, if God conceals
a thing, none can expose it. It just can't be done. It can't
be done. I can give you several examples
of this. The two on the road to Emmaus, who were both believers,
Christ is walking with them and they didn't know who He was until
It says He opened their eyes. Remember Elisha's servant walks
out of his master's hut and sees he's surrounded by all these
enemies of the Assyrian king. He's scared to death. He runs
back in and tells the prophet. The prophet said,
open his eyes. and the Lord opened His servant's
eyes and there was all these other hosts of armies of the
armies of heaven of the Lord of hosts behind. He said, there's
more for us than there is against us. And indeed, the Gospel is
called the mystery of the ages. Learned men, well, I defer to
the scribes and Pharisees, the most intellectual, religious,
People in the world. And they had the oracles of God.
Unto us, says Paul, were the oracles given. Sovereign grace,
salvation, and mercy, it only can be revealed if God decides
it's His glory to reveal. It's the glory of God to conceal
a thing. And people go to church for years
and years and years, and they miss Christ. Why? Well, one,
they're not going where the truth is being preached. But, we pray
for our neighbors, our friends, our children, reveal this Gospel
to us. To us. It's a mystery. It's a mystery
of the ages, Paul says. Turn with me back to Job chapter
12. Job chapter 12. Hold your finger there and turn
to Job 34. Job chapter 12. Look with me at verses 12 through 14. Job chapter 12, with the ancient,
this is speaking of the Lord God, the ancient is wisdom. And
in length of days understanding, with Him is wisdom and strength.
He hath counsel and understanding. Behold, He breaketh down, and
it cannot be built again. He shutteth up a man, and there
can be no opening. He breaketh it, it can't be built
again. He shut it up a man and there
can be no opening I Think I'd say Isaiah in Lamentations chapter
3 understood exactly that principle right there God shut himself
up I can't I can't I've tried to open it. I can't do it I can't
do it. Indeed, what the scripture says,
God in Christ has the keys to life and death. So if He shuts
out a man or shuts up a man, no one can open. He's got those
keys. Look at Job 34. I've always liked this verse,
verse 29. Job 34, verse 29. When God gives quietness, who
can make trouble? When He hides His face, who can
behold Him, whether it be done against a nation or against a
man? God's sovereignty knows no bounds
at all. This is the God with whom we
have to do. Again, dear ones, ask God to
show His face in our substitute. And we shall have quietness,
everyone. Everyone. He gives quietness,
nobody can make trouble. Nobody can make trouble. You
want to know why? How in the world can anybody
who has any kind of sense not get upset and disgusted by things
that are being passed in Congress and approved by the Senate and
all this other kind of stuff because our God's on the throne. Our God is on the throne. Oh, to possess true quietness
of grace and the peace of mercy received, there's nothing like
it. There's nothing like it. Matter of fact, he says it's
the peace that passes all understanding. Why? Because God gives quietness.
God gives quietness. It comes from Him with whom we
have to do. Do not seek it anywhere else. Again, God gives quietness. Man tries to interrupt it. It
can't be done. It cannot be done. Ecclesiastes chapter 7. Ecclesiastes chapter 7 and verse
13. We saw this a little bit this
morning in Lamentations chapter 3. Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse
13, Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight
which he hath made crooked? That's right. Who can make that
straight? If God makes it crooked. I defer,
as I did this morning in Bible class, to Thomas Boston's book,
The Crook and the Lot. The Crook and the Lot. And it's
essential for our growth and grace, the rightness of our attitude
and mind through faith, is to see There's so many crooks in our
lot. There's so many bends and twists and turns. But that's
okay because it's the work of God. Perhaps what He is saying
in our text is God's work is to make things crooked all for
His honor and glory. He has perhaps, our Lord, has
perhaps seen most clearly when our way is turned upside down
and crooked." And Matt made that statement after statement. It's
good for me that I've been afflicted. And if our life is just on track,
which it is, if our life as far as we're concerned is hunky-dory
and we get everything we want, nothing gets in our way, that's
not a good thing. Because we won't grow. Well,
we think we're growing. We may be reading the Bible every
day. We may be attending the Bible class and this and that.
But God teaches through things which He has made crooked. Now, I know in this day and age,
which is, these phrases, the helicopter parents, lawnmower
parents, it's always been the same. Parents have always wanted
it easier for their children than for them. Always. That's
the way it's always been. But that's probably not the best
thing for them. Because they're going to learn
like you learned through adversity, through trial, and through affliction. Now, if your child's out in the
street and a car's coming, use common sense. You go get them.
You make sure they're safe. But, consider the work of God. You're trying to make it straight,
and God's made it crooked. God's made it crooked. I read
an astonishing, I haven't checked it, with anybody else. I really wanted to, but I didn't.
Statement by J.C. Ryle. It's something that I have
always, I always thought this was the truth. Other pastors,
from what I've heard them say, they don't agree. But he made
a comment about the Old Testament believers. Something like, they walk more
by faith than we do. I thought that was pretty interesting.
Because they didn't have, they had to look forward. They looked
forward and they were made to live on the promises. And I got
thinking about that and then he made some other comment and
I can't remember exactly but it was something similar. And
I read to Melinda and she said, yeah, I think that's true. Not that I want things to turn
upside down for anybody, no. Though his way, it is said, is
straight and narrow, the journey of grace is full of twists and
turns, ups and downs, and no elect of God has ever made heaven's
gate without afflictions, trials, or hardship. Why? Because God
makes things crooked. That's the nature of it. How
do we handle it? Do we glorify him? Have we learned
from it? Are we trying to scurry around it and make everything
smooth? You have God's way and man's
way. God's way is crooked often, is
a way of quietness, peace, when people are trying to make trouble.
Now David said, I'm for peace, they're for war. That's the nature
of this world. That's why we're not to be friends
with the world. We have acquaintances of the world. Lastly, Luke chapter 19. This
is where it gets frightening. Luke chapter 19, verses 12, 13,
and 14. and verse 27, Luke chapter 19. And Christ said He was given
an example, a parable, a certain nobleman went into a far country
to receive for himself a kingdom and a return. And he called his
ten servants and delivered them ten pounds and said unto them,
occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him and
sent a message after him saying, we will not have this man to
reign over us. That's man. That's man. Luke 19, verse 14, we will not
have this man to reign over us. And verse 21, here's our Lord's
response, but those, mine enemies, that would not that I should
reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." Here's
man. I'm going to do what I want to
do. I live in America. I can do what I want to do. I've
got rights. Right now, maybe. We don't know
what tomorrow is going to bring. I'm going to do this. I'm going
to do that. I'm going to live my life. And I'm not going to have this
man reign over me. I will come to church because I live under
you in this household. But when I'm old enough, I'm
out of here. And here our Lord, who says,
all who say such things, bring them here, and I will slay them. Once again, in His infinite wisdom,
or finite wisdom, No one is going to reign over us. God says, I'm
going to reign over you. Once again, now it's too late. In this prayer, what's too late?
Mercy is dried up. The day of salvation has passed.
Every knee, every tongue shall confess His Lordship, His sovereign
right to rule and reign. Brethren, I ask you, what about
our friends? What about our neighbors, our
family, our children? There is a day coming, and we
have seen from this book, God's will shall be done and none can
alter it or affect it. I beseech you, bow now. Come unto the One whose decrees
stand. Plead for life everlasting. Plead to Him to open His way
to us. Plead to see Him clear and full
of pardon and forgiveness. Because in every one of these
examples, and there's more, man said his piece, but God has the
last word. Amen and amen to God be the glory. May He give us the ability to
see our God's on the throne. and see it in mercy. Brian, would
you close us?