Focus Scripture: Genesis 11:4 (NLT)
Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”
The story of the Tower of Babel applies to modern-day life. I can imagine the people of Babel believing that if they built a tower reaching all the way to heaven, they would be able to see the Divine One face to face and, at last, know the nature of Eternal Reality. I can also imagine how clever they felt as they attempted to solve the mystery and gain renown in the process! Their plan, however, did not appear to be God’s plan, for God scattered the people of Babel and confounded their language (Gen 11:4-9).
When I first read the story long ago, I thought God was punishing the people of Babel for their pride as they pooled their knowledge and discussed in “one language and the same words” (v 4) the blueprints for building “a city and a tower with its top in the heavens” (v 4). After the people admitted that their intent was to make a name for themselves, God acknowledged that with one language nothing they proposed would be impossible for them to accomplish (v 5). So God confused their language and scattered them over the face of the earth (v 9).
After further study and reflection on Babel, I have come to believe that God was probably not punishing the people for their inventiveness. Nor, in my opinion, did God deem their actions prideful. Rather, I think God may have looked down in amusement as the people redoubled their efforts to reach the heavens, where they would have immediate and unrestricted access to God, which may or may not have been part of God’s eternal plan. I imagine God’s intent for the people at Babel was not for them to finish the project in record time and under budget.
Instead, I think God wanted the people to focus their thoughts and efforts on working in relationship with one another to discover the Sovereign God and God’s intent for the world. So God laid on their hearts an unquenchable thirst and indefatigable industriousness. Furthermore, God introduced diversity into the process, forcing the people to grapple with hard issues together. The more they grappled, the more God was glorified. The instrument of glorification was not the common language or collective wisdom the people had amassed, but the insights they gained into the nature of God and, therefore, the nature of people made in God’s image.
Prayer
Omniscient God, teach me to keep things in proper perspective as I am on this constant quest to know you better and to love you more. Help me keep my priorities straight. Amen.
From Reflective Renewal: Grace at the Crossroads
