Session 9

Dispersed (Genesis 11:8-9)

why God gave the place the name He did.

8 So from there the Lord scattered them throughout the earth,
and they stopped building the city.
9 Therefore it is called Babylon,
for there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth,
and from there the Lord scattered them throughout the earth.

Identify:

Call for volunteers to share any experiences they may have had a
with international travel.
(Examples: mission trips, vacations, study abroad, business, and so forth)
Allow a few volunteers to share situations when they struggled to communicate with someone because of a language barrier.

Affirm that such situations can create a variety of emotions,
everything from frustration to helplessness.

Ask:

• Why and how did the people scatter after God confused their language? (p. 79)

Identify:

discuss the significance of the name “Tower of Babel.”

(11:9) The Hebrew word translated Babylon (bavel)
sounds similar to the Hebrew word translated confused (balal),
which suggests jumbling or mixing something.
This wordplay suggests the Tower of Babel could also be known as the tower of confusion.
It is ironic that the people set out to make a name for themselves, yet they ended up being famous only for their confusion.

Ask:

• What do we learn about God’s sovereignty over His creation? (p. 79)

Transition:

God expects His will and desires to be carried out by His people.
Believers can trust God to help them fulfill His purposes.

CHALLENGE

Summarize:

Review these points from this week’s Bible passage:

• Believers must safeguard against selfish motives.
• The unity of believers should be rooted in their obedience to God's plans.
• Believers can trust God to help them fulfill His purposes.

Review:

Discuss how the story of the Tower of Babel relates to each of these statements.
Encourage adults to list ways believers can apply this story to their day-to-day lives.

Discuss:

Discuss ways your group and church can promote a unity that is rooted in obedience to God’s commands.
How is disunity and disobedience to God connected? (p. 79)

Pray:

Close in prayer,
leading the group to thank God for the example in Genesis 11,
for His sovereignty over all,
and for the fact that believers can trust in God and in His purposes.

AFTER THE SESSION

Reinforce the session by texting the group a Tower of Babel image with these words: Are you practicing self-dependence or God-dependence this week? Challenge them to spend some time this week examining their lives for areas where they might be more focused on making a name for themselves than on following God’s directions for their lives.