Which came first—the Tower of Babel or Abraham?

Would the kids in your Sunday school classroom be able to answer that question?

Understanding biblical chronology is vital for understanding the big picture of Scripture and having “hooks” on which to hang further biblical information. And there’s an easy way to teach the big picture of Scripture—the 7 C’s of History.

These “7 C’s” are taught at our Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky, used in many of our Answers in Genesis materials. I use them in several of the kids’ programs I teach to guests at the Creation Museum because it’s such an easy, memorable way to understand the foundational history of the Bible and the gospel message.

So what are the 7 C’s?

Creation. God created everything in six literal 24-hour days around 6,000 years ago. This original creation was “very good” (perfect).

Corruption. The first two people God made, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God and brought death and suffering into His creation. We no longer live in a “very good” creation; we live in a groaning world.

Catastrophe. Adam and Eve’s descendants became increasingly wicked until God judged their sin with a global flood. This flood covered the whole earth and laid down rock layers and fossils.

Confusion. After the flood, Noah’s descendants gathered in rebellion against God, so God judged their sin by confusing their languages, forcing them to spread out and fill the earth. This event resulted in different people groups forming around the world.

Christ. Jesus Christ, fully God, and fully man, stepped into history and lived the perfect life that none of us can ever live.

Cross. Jesus went to the cross and died in our place. He took upon himself the penalty of death that we deserve because of our sin. Then he rose from the dead, conquering sin and death, and now offers the free gift of eternal life to all who will turn from their sin and who trust in Christ alone.

Consummation. Jesus is coming again! He will make a new heaven and a new earth where there will be no more death, suffering, or disease.

With this framework of history, we can lay the foundation for a biblical worldview. As our founder, Ken Ham, says, “Genesis 1–11 (Creation to Confusion) is the foundation for everything!” And it really is—what is marriage, gender, and sexuality? Go to Genesis 1–11 for the answers. What does it mean to be human? Genesis 1–11. Why is there death and suffering? Genesis 1–11. Why did Jesus need to come and die? Genesis 1–11. And it goes on!

It's also the foundational history that explains what we observe in biology, anthropology, geology, cosmology, astronomy, paleontology, and so on. We can use Genesis as the interpretative lens through which we view science and history because, as I tell kids, the Bible is the history book of the universe from the God who knows everything, has always been there, and has never made a mistake!
And to answer the question posed at the beginning of this blog, the Tower of Babel event happened about 300 years before Abram/Abraham was born (Genesis 11:1–9 and 26–32).

Yes, we need to be teaching kids the Bible’s history chronologically . . . beginning in Genesis.

Avery Foley is a writer and speaker for Answers in Genesis, the Creation Museum, and the Ark Encounter. She and her husband are homeschool parents to five young children and the producers of Building Blocks, a chronological walk through the Bible for kids on Answers.tv.