The Bible Storyline – Lesson 14 – September 27, 2026 – Gen 11

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God Never Takes A Step Backward!

There is a well-known statement that describes the frustration of trying to make progress on something only to continue falling behind. Here is the statement:

One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward

Most people are familiar with the frustration of working hard only to feel further behind at the end of the day or end of the week.

The good news is, God Never Takes A Step Backward. God has never, and will never, be set back in His plans.

We are currently walking through the Bible Storyline as a church. In our series we have established that the Bible’s Storyline is God’s Unstoppable Plan to:

• Overcome Evil
• Restore Creation
• Establish His Kingdom on Earth

Not only is God and His plan unstoppable, it is ALWAYS moving forward no matter what the kingdom of Satan tries to do to stop it or slow it down.

Scripture That Supports This Truth

Isaiah 46:9–11

9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

 

Job expressed his faith that nothing can prevent God’s plans from being fulfilled.

Job 42:2

2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

 

In Psalm 33:10–11, the Psalmist is confident that nothing the kingdom of Satan does to prevent or stall God from establishing His Kingdom on earth will ever succeed.

Psalm 33:10–11

10 The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. 11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

 

Again in Isaiah 14:27, the prophet declares that nothing, and no one, is able to set back God or His plans.

Isaiah 14:27

27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

 

Each of these texts teach the same truth. God’s purpose and plans will never be prevented.

But a person might think that Satan is putting up a good fight. And even though we know God will prevail in the end, He is temporarily being stalled, or facing setbacks to His plans — that is a FALSE belief.

The Kingdom of Satan will not only lose, it has already lost!

God Never Takes A Step Backward!

He does not slow down! God just keeps moving forward with His unstoppable plan.

This sermon examines this truth from our current location in Genesis 11. The previous sermon introduced the NATIONS of the earth for the first time.

Genesis 10 showed that all the nations of the earth are descendants of Noah’s three sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth). The chapter ends with the nations scattered throughout the earth, and already speaking different languages.

Chapter 11 provides the background to the different languages, nations, and people groups. Most people recognize Genesis 11 as the story of the Tower of Babel.

Genesis 11:1–9

1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 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. 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 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, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 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.

 

God Never Takes A Step Backward!

Throughout this series, we have learned that God created mankind to fill the earth with His own image.

After creating Adam and Eve, God commanded them to multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:27).

Genesis 1:26–28

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

 

Being fruitful, multiplying, and replenishing the earth are commands to fill the earth with God’s image. We must never forget that God’s plan was for earth to serve as part of His Kingdom.

Although Satan rebelled against God and was cast out of Heaven, God’s plan has never taken a step back. He moved forward.

Although Satan convinced Adam and Eve to sin against God, it never put God on His heels. He did not take a step backward, He just kept moving forward.

Although Satan convinced Cain to murder Abel, God never took a step backward. He just gave Adam and Eve a son named Seth, and one of his descendants will be the promised seed that will crush Satan, and establish God’s Kingdom on earth.

Later, when Satan had flooded the earth with sin and violence, God never took a step back. He simply sent a flood that destroyed everyone but Noah’s family, and kept moving forward with His plan to overcome evil, restore the earth, and establish His kingdom on earth.

God Never Takes A Step Backward!

God just keeps moving forward with His plans.

In Genesis 11:1–9 we see another example of this truth.

After the flood, God commanded Noah and his family to continue fulfilling the command He gave Adam and Eve to “be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth.”

Genesis 9:1

1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

 

Keep in mind that replenish means to:

• To Fill
• To Make Full
• To Occupy The Whole Of

God is moving forward with His purpose for earth to be filled with His image. Earth is God’s kingdom.

The Rebellion at Babel

Genesis 11:1–4 is another historical attempt of the kingdom of Satan trying to prevent God’s plan to overcome evil, restore the earth, and establish His Kingdom on Earth.

Moses emphasizes the key movements in the text:

Instead of following God’s command to fill the earth, the people agreed to build a unified nation in one place. They stated their purpose in Genesis 11:4.

Genesis 11:4

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.

 

They believed that unity, and strength in numbers, would equip them to succeed in rebellion against God. In other words, they believed that together, they could stop God’s plan to fill the earth with His image, and establish His Kingdom on earth.

Time Out!

As Moses records these historic events, we can just imagine him shaking his head and saying, “Did they learn nothing from all the history passed down to them?”

• Did they learn nothing from Satan’s failed rebellion in Heaven?
• Did they not learn from Satan’s failed attempt to turn mankind against God, which resulted in God’s promise to send the seed of the woman to destroy him?
• Did they not learn from the time God sent a flood to wipe out all humans except Noah and his family?

It is like they are saying, “our ancestors failed, but we are going to be ready for God this time?”

Make Us A Name!

In verse 4 the people at Shinar declared their purpose was not only to prevent being scattered, but also to “Make Us A Name!”

God created us to reflect His image, and for His glory. We are not to chase our own glory. The meaning behind “make us a name” is that the people wanted to spread their fame and reputation to generations behind them. To accomplish something so great that they are held in high honor for generations.

Ironically, they are known throughout history, but not for their great accomplishments — they are known for their great failure.

Humanly Speaking

• Humanly speaking, they put forth a strong effort.
• Humanly speaking, they were a strong and devoted group of people.
• Humanly speaking, they believed they would succeed.

But God

God Never Takes A Step Backward!

The efforts at Babel never even slowed God down. The Bible says He took notice of their actions and purposes. Then God simply and effortlessly confounded their language.

Immediately, the entire project was stopped. The people were unable to communicate with one another well enough to work together.

The people grouped together by language and family. Then they spread out across the earth to live together with those in their own family lines, speaking the same language.

The people were forced to separate into their own geographical areas, build cities and grow into nations that spread out across the earth.

God has a plan to overcome evil, restore the earth to what He created it to be, and establish His Kingdom throughout the earth.

God’s plan includes people from every nation, language, and ethnic group. And God’s plan consistently keeps moving toward that goal.

Some People Never Learn

As we continue studying the Bible Storyline, we will encounter numerous other examples of Satan’s kingdom trying to stop or slow down God’s Kingdom. We will find ourselves shaking our heads and saying, “Some People Never Learn.”

Even as we come to the final chapters of the Bible we find another event where the people of the earth unite together to fight against God.

They bring the most modern weapons of warfare to this battle. They make up the single largest army that will ever assemble in war. But they will fail.

They will not even slow God down for a single second.

Revelation 19:11–21

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

 

Following this battle, Satan is bound and cast into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1–6).

But following the 1,000 years, people are born on the earth and they learn about the history. They have the LORD ruling over them. But many of them will rebel against God and be destroyed (Revelation 20:7–10).

Revelation 20:7–10

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

 

This massive army, led by Satan himself, will actively come against God. But they will not slow God down, much less prevent Him from fulfilling His unstoppable plan.

God Never Takes A Step Backward!

At this time, the Kingdom of Satan is utterly defeated; Satan and all who belong to his kingdom are cast into Hell for eternity.

This will be the fulfillment of God’s unstoppable plan.

God will have defeated evil, restored earth to the purpose and glory God created it to be, and established His eternal Kingdom on Earth.

Application & Affirmations

1. Because God never takes a step backward, I will never fear, worry, or fret over world events.
2. Because God never takes a step backward, I will dedicate myself to the Kingdom of God and reject the kingdom of Satan.
3. Because God never takes a step backward, I will fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples of every people group and nation.