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Teach Them Jesus with Building Bricks

The Tower of Babel: Obedience

Genesis 9:1; Genesis 11:1-9; John 6:38 Old Testament PrincipleObedience

Brick-built workers stack bricks on a tall stair-step tower while the city grows below.

After the flood, God told Noah's family to spread out and fill the earth. But years later, people stayed together in one place and said, "Let's build a tower up to the sky, so we will not be scattered." They used baked bricks and tar to build a city and a tower. God saw what they were doing. He mixed up their language so they could not understand each other, and they had to stop building. Then God spread them out over the whole earth, just as He had planned. Obedience means doing what God says, because His plan is good.

Obedience is doing what God says, because we love Him and His ways are good. God's plan always wins, so it is best to say yes to Him right away.

  1. CreationGod made it
  2. FallWe broke it (this lesson)
  3. RedemptionJesus fixes it
  4. RestorationJesus makes it new

Memory verse

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

John 14:15 BSB

Christ Connection · Better than

The builders tried to climb up to heaven to make a name for themselves, and they refused to obey God. Jesus did the opposite. He said, "I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). He obeyed His Father all the way to the cross, and through His obedience, many are made right with God (Romans 5:19).

John 6:38; Philippians 2:5-8; Romans 5:19

The Big Story · Fall

God made people to fill His world and enjoy Him, but sin makes us want our own way instead of His. At Babel, people tried to reach heaven by building up. Jesus came down from heaven and obeyed His Father perfectly, so we could be brought back to God.

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After the flood, God told people to spread out and fill the earth. But people stayed in one place. They made bricks and built a tower to the sky so they would not have to spread out. God mixed up their words so they could not understand each other. They stopped building, and God spread them out, just as He had said. Obedience means doing what God says, because His plan is good.

Start here

Play "Simon says build." Then ask, "Is it hard to obey right away? Today we'll meet some people who built a whole tower so they would not have to obey God!"

Bible story 6 min

After the big flood, God gave Noah's family a job. God said, "Have lots of kids. Spread out and fill the whole earth!"

Noah's family grew and grew. Soon there were lots and lots of people. They all spoke the same words.

The people came to a flat land. They said, "Let's make bricks! Let's bake them hard." They made bricks out of mud. They used sticky tar to stick them together.

The rest of the story, discussion questions, songs, Live It and prayer are for members.

Try an activity

Build it, then spread it 10 min

You’ll need: A tub of building bricks, Baseplates, Minifigures or small brick people

  1. Pairs build the stair-step tower from the build guide.
  2. Then take it apart. Use the bricks to build tiny homes all around the edges of the baseplate.
  3. Walk minifigures from the tower to their new homes. Say, "God's plan always wins!"
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More lessons from this story

Same Bible story, a different principle.

In the BeginningNoah and the FloodGenesis 6:5-9:17God judged a world full of evil, but He made a way to be saved and kept His promise to Noah.Old TestamentFaithfulnessWith Building BricksNoah and the Flood: FaithGenesis 6:9-9:17; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20-21God warned Noah about a flood no one could see yet. Noah believed God and built the ark just as God said, and God kept him and his family safe inside. Faith means trusting what God says before we see it.Old TestamentFaith

More lessons on Obedience

The same principle in other Bible stories.

Josiah Finds God’s Word2 Kings 22:1–23:25; 2 Chronicles 34:1-33Josiah became king when he was only eight. Years later, workers fixing the temple found God's Word, which had been lost. When Josiah heard it, he was sorry for how his people had disobeyed. He read it to everyone, promised to obey it with all his heart and led the people back to God.Old TestamentObedienceJesus the KingJesus Is BaptizedMatthew 3:1-17Jesus came to John to be baptized in the Jordan River, and God the Father said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," as the Spirit came down like a dove.New TestamentObedienceKings and ProphetsGod Calls Samuel1 Samuel 3:1-21When God's word was rare in Israel, God called the boy Samuel by name, and Samuel learned to say, "Speak, for Your servant is listening."Old TestamentObedienceWith Building BricksThe Wise and Foolish BuildersMatthew 7:24-29; Luke 6:46-49Jesus told about two builders. The wise one built on the rock and his house stood through the storm. Jesus says those who hear His words and do them are like the wise builder.New TestamentObedienceIn the BeginningGod Calls MosesExodus 2:1-3:15; Exodus 4:1-17God saw His suffering people and came down to rescue them, and He called Moses to go, promising, "I will be with you."Old TestamentObedienceBalaam’s DonkeyNumbers 22:1–24:19King Balak paid Balaam to curse God's people. On the way, Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the LORD and stopped, and God made her talk! Balaam could only say the words God gave him, so he blessed Israel three times. God's word never changes, so we listen and obey Him the first time.Old TestamentObedience