The Babel theme is very instructive here;it’s a theme that is picked up at various points in the biblical tradition,OT and NT.It denotes human hubris over against God,embodied in anti-YHWH construals of human community–oppressive empire. The thing that struck me is how the values of Babylon:religion,technology,beaurocratic government,an religious ideology of conquest,etc. is uncomfortably like many of the values we espouse.

I wonder if, in following Clines, these chapters (Gen 1-11) present the narrative unfolding of the spread of sin and the spread of grace? If so, they give us a portrayal of why and how God is against and critiques sin and affirms and enhances grace, which leads straight into covenant which will enable God’s blessing to come to the world.

I like the idea of God being present rather than hidden. The only thing is I do think this presentness of God is for those who have faith, or are in the process towards faith. To the rest, God is hidden. And even to the faithful (including Jesus) this can seem true at times.
God is certainly very active in the Genesis 3-11 narrative. Though unfortunately for many this seems to be an activity of letting people go their way before intervening in judgment.

His idea is interesting. If you have a “grand narrative” view of the Bible, you would expect the material between the fall and the call of Abram to be related to that arc. I think he’s got a good idea of what that connection might be:
Right after the fall we have a picture of a heinous sin that culminates in such wickedness the flood is necessary. Humans are given the chance for a fresh start, but right after the flood we see how well that’s going to go with Noah and sons culminating in Babel. It shows that given a chance, we’re going to screw things up. What can we do? Is there no hope? In answer to the reader’s question, God chooses a man for Himself and sets about to change this situation.
Good stuff.

A cursory review of Gen 1-11 shows God interacting/relating to human beings the way human beings interact/relate with each other. Genesis presents a God in whose Image we are truly made—relational. I’m disappointed that Goldingay had to resort to “anthropomorphism” as a litrary device to down-play the deeply relational (human) aspects of God.

“Is the point of chps 4–11 to show us that on our own we can’t do it?
Very much so. And history since has shown that we cannot do it (live at peace with God and others in our own strength). The present shows it so. Past behavior and present behavior are very good predictors of future behavior!
This warrants a Lament: How long, O God, must we wallow in the dung of our own sinfulness? Maranatha!
“Is it to set up humans for the covenant relationship with God, in the shape of a community, so that God’s blessing can be extended into the world?”
Yes community, on God’s terms. Community, the channel of his blessing to the world. The world may spurn the church but it cannot spurn community. It is in our blood. One day the two (church and community) will be wed eternally.

grace and peace,
yes (i believe) Gen 3:16 is a mega-tipoff of the general direction of the fall — malignant forms of patriarchy, pain, suffering, domination…in the very place where we were meant for grace and mutuality and love without measure…
the first murder amplifies the 3:16 plotline… then Lamech and the trophy wives/kill you threats… amplifies further…shows the escalation pattern…
The flood is among other things an ecological response to human evil…(and as a fisherman i note the preferential treatment of aquatic species)…
i am wondering about the flood… whether it does impede some of the worst effects of sin for awhile? or not..?
(Babel, bad as it is as yes, extreme hubris, does seem less evil than Lamech’s serial killer threats…?)
i also wonder about the way Gen 10 talks about the different languages of the nations and Gen 11 (first section) then talks about all the world w one language…
is this word-play on the meaning of language, one sense literal, another sense, deeper? general? communications theory and practice…???
i agree w the comment (Greg #2) re the simultaneous roll-out of sin and grace… again, an ecological phenomena… (Romans…)… the grace covenants are v different, of course, in nature from the sin patterns…
my tendency is to want to focus almost exclusively on the fish and dolphins … the rainbow sign… the weakness of Abe and Sarah… as the trail of grace…
but in the ecology of God… probably the sin stuff is also v important… to get us to understand consequences, etc etc? (just wish we were quicker studies!)
And whether or not (as Wesley says) the atonement (aka the at-one-ment?) flows all directions in time and place…
What difference is it now making for us who believe…that the Messiah has come?
What does Jesus do re Gen 3:16? and–
How are we, people (M/F) made in the image of God (Trinitarian)now to follow the grace side of the spectrum…?
blessings
tim