The Tower of Babel

Introduction

At different times in my life, I’ve often imagined myself in situations where I had become famous. Whether it was becoming the president, professional sports player, or dating a celebrity, there was always some talent or success that makes me stand out beyond others. This is something my heart has yearned for over the years. Even those of us who are shyer and wouldn’t want these particular things often still desire to excel beyond family or friends or those in close circles in order to stand out.

 

The question is not whether we want praise and fame, it natural to the human heart. Rather, one question we must answer is, how do we respond to that desire? We’re going to turn to the story of the tower of Babel to see those two paths, 

 

This story today is the climax of this first part of Genesis.[1] Gen 1- 11 is a fall narrative; it tells the story of how God created a good world and a good home for humanity, then humans fall, then God redeems them in some way, but rather than trusting God, humans disobey or fail again in some other way. The tower of Babel is the third and final major failure story in this first section of Genesis.

 

This story of Babel comes after the genealogy of nations we heard about from Daniel last week. The genealogy of the nations lists the many and fractured nations of the world in that time. After introducing the nations in the form of genealogy in chapter 10, Moses now tells their origin story and how things got that way in this story.  

 

So, onto the story: 

 

11:1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

·        We pick up the story after the flood and the failures of Noah and his son Ham.

·        Their descendants have common speech and unity. Tremendous asset to fulfill God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (9:1).

·        How will they use their potential God has given them? How will they steward this opportunity?

 

2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar l and settled there.

·        Humanity migrating eastward- on a journey. Humanity searching for new source of life.

·        They are moving East. Telling us something. God sent Adam and Eve “East” (3:24). Then on, East symbolizes moving further from God.[2] Example: Cain kills Abel and lives “East of Eden” (4:16).

·        On a journey away from God and into rebellion. We will see this more in journey to follow.

·        Find open place that seems good for home. Rather than obey command God’s command to fill, they “settle.” That is, they try to gather themselves to create place of life by their own power.

 

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar.

·        To construct home, use construction materials. Great potential is on display: they make “brick” when stone is not available and “tar” to hold it together.[3] Tragedy will be how they use gifts:

 

4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

·        This verse reveals what’s in their hearts and their sinful motivations become clearer than ever.

·        They have gone on a journey to build a city. Connects this generation with Cain who after his journey East builds the first city (Gen 4:17). Both move away from God’s presence and oppose.

 

·        Babel’s opposition to the Lord clearer in next verse: “Let us build ourselves a city…heavens.”

·        When Adam and Eve fell, what’s the greatest they lost? God was there. Heaven on Earth.

·        Babel represents trying to bring heaven to earth without any help from God.

·        Babel = human pride = the belief that we can create lasting abundant life on our own.

·        Tower symbolizes what they are after: permanence, transcendence, renown.

·        Human pride tries to fulfill the deepest longings of the heart without surrender to God.

 

·        Clear: This building project is a direct assault against God and his glory.

o   “We may make a name”: Stealing honor that belongs to God alone. City of glory thieves.

o   “Otherwise we will be scattered”: Building this city in defies command at that time.

 

·        Every human and society that tries making a name for itself in the place of God. Babel is not just this city. It’s every city with fallen rulers in a fallen age that seeks it’s own glory. Why Bible calls other cities “Babylon.”  

·        Our beloved city of Minneapolis where many live, is filled with fallen people in this fallen age. In one sense, we live in Babel.

·        Our culture tempts us to live in this same way, making names for ourselves. Are you tempted to walk in that path? Consider with me:

o   Do you strive for advancement at your career more than you strive to love Jesus and your family? 

o   Do you daydream about what your life would be like if you had more money or success? 

o   Do status symbols such as fancy cars, clothing, homes, and trips entice you? 

o   Do you use social media to promote your image and reputation?

o   Do you serve in your church community to receive recognition from others rather than make much of Jesus?

·        Individual ways we try to make a name. Also ways we try to collectively make a name by belonging to a group. One example is through an extreme commitment to politics:

o   Have you attached yourself to a political ideology or movement such that your emotions rise or fall greatly with elections or your side winning or losing?

 

·        I see myself in each one of these! Most of my life I’ve wanted to make a name for myself. Even still I catch myself daydreaming what it would be like to be a famous pastor or politician.

·        Perhaps greatest clue we are trying to make a name for ourselves is we are not content living our days mostly in obscurity, happily serving Jesus without much public recognition from others.

·        The next verse shows us the tragic consequences of the pride of Babel:

 

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building.

·        Human pride grabs the attention of the Lord and provokes a response.

·        Phrase, “came down to see” communicates much:

o   “came down” implies God’s felt and revealed presence was not in Babel. Ultimate flaw: there’s no God. No achievement will ultimately matter if not done for who matters most

o   Also implies that it did not achieve it’s goal.[4] Builders will fail and God get glory:

 

6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

·        God determines to confuse the language of the people, to divide and disperse them and permanently end the construction of Babel.

·        One reason: their goal of building an empire that leads people away from God and into pride will continue. God mercifully brings Babel to an end lest it’s people continue to do harm.

·        In the next verses, we see the power and effect of God’s decree:

 

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel z—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

·        The Lord’s confusion of their language “scatters” them. They came together to resist God’s purpose. God’s purpose prevailed.[5]

·        “Scatter” can describe a defeated army when it breaks formation and flees away. They lost.

·        “Stopped building” half-made ruin would be monument to the destructiveness of human pride.

·        “Babel” sounds like Hebrew for “confusion.” Tried to make a name for themselves. Only thing they made was a city called “confusion.”[6] It’s a taunt.

·        “The Lord scattered”: our passage ends on a sorrowful note. The intro to story of humanity ends on sorrowful note:

o   Human sin has ruined peace and closeness with God.

o   Now, it has ruined peace and closeness with one another.

o   People are now further from God and from one another than ever before.

·        Church, this story warns us this morning… that pride is dangerous above all else. It puts at odds with the God who made the world.

·        One often quoted proverb in NT is, “God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble.” If this is the thing that will put us at odds with God, ought we not to kill it more than all else?

·        This is the situation from which God calls Abraham in next story. Human beings receive here what they deserve for sin, yet God mercifully begins to gather nations through Abraham and offspring. Remarkably, God promises to “make his name great” (Gen 12:2). We feel need for God to gather us together in his presence when so many are so far from God and one another?

 

Jesus

·        Abraham’s ultimate offspring = Jesus of Nazareth. In life, death, and resurrection, he scatters ultimate enemies of sin, Satan, and death. Then, he successfully ascends to heaven. As he rules from heaven, a story in the book of Acts relates back to Babel:

o   In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, God pours out his Spirit on people from “every nation.”

o   When the Spirit falls, people speak in different “tongues” and everyone hears the message of Jesus in his “own language.”

o   These people are “confused” and they “gather together” to hear about Jesus, and thousands are rescued.

o   In the story of Jesus, God humbles human pride and brings people to him for life.

o   At Babel, God slammed the doors to heaven shut on those who were opposing him. In Jesus, God throws open the door of heaven to the nations to all who repent and come to him.

o   If you have opposed God in pride all your life, come to him today.

·        We love this story, don’t we?  That’s why we call our church “All Peoples Church” and our mission is to help “all kinds” of people follow.

·        Do you want to live for something bigger than yourself, that lasts forever, that will bring heaven to earth? Live for the glory and rule of Jesus among the nations.

·        Burden: We must give ourselves to the only work that will matter forever: making Christ’s name great in our city and among the nations.

·        It wasn’t wrong that the people of Babel wanted permanence, transcendence, and a name, what was wrong was that they went about in opposition to God rather than in complete surrender to him.

·        You can work hard at your job and be successful, serve greatly in your church community, or excel in some other way. But where is your heart? Do you want your name great or God’s?

 

Us

·        If our community gave ourselves to this work of making a name for Jesus rather than self, God will use us to build something grand and magnificent.

·        Proud churches divide from one another, humble churches grow and multiply. Friends, pride and insisting on our preferences will pull us apart. Coming together in this city will allow us to build this church, this gathering, to greater levels of godliness and also plant more of these in our city.

·        Proud churches aren’t diverse. Only humble churches can gather the nations together around Jesus. Pride keeps us from coming together.

·        Let’s give ourselves together to Making Jesus’ name great among the nations.

 

Reflect:

 

What’s at least one area I’m trying to make a name for myself rather than Jesus and how can I change my heart and actions so that I’m trying to make a name for Jesus instead?

 

 

 

Benediction:

 

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

[1] B. T. Arnold, “Babylon,” in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner, electronic ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 393.

[2] John H. Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary, ed. Gary Lee (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 134.

 

[3] Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 23.

[4] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Ge 11:5.

[5] Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 24.

[6] Andrew Louth and Marco Conti, eds., Genesis 1–11, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 167. (Quoting Saint Augustine)