Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:1–9)Today’s news has a president seizing the leader of another country and planning to charge him with drug trafficking. Regardless of how anyone feels about that action, the only way to stop crime is at the source. Today’s “therefore” describes why that city was called by a descriptive word that means to mix or mingle. His created people were planning to stay in one place whereas He had told them to “fill the earth”. God dealt with the source.
This plan reveals how sin had created human independence and self-sufficiency apart from God. They thought they had no need of Him and were confident in their own ability. Even though this is the common result and description of sin (see Isaiah 53:6), in this case, God put a stop to the tower and city because it defied His will to use His people to bless the whole world. This came out later in His call to Abram.
However, it points ahead to humanity’s sinful desire to ensure our own security rather than trusting the Lord, and our desire to make a name for ourselves rather than praising God. It also points to the gospel plan.
“Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”“Let us” points to the trinity. “Confuse their language” points to His power over our understanding” and the rest of the passage looks at the result. God came down much later and in that next time, He did not mix up speech but clarified Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ. His Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and for all who respond, we belong to His family and live together in His kingdom.
Babel is also the name used in the OT for the city of Babylon. As a city, Babylon symbolizes humanity’s ambition to dethrone God and make the earth its own (see Revelation 17–18). This story shows the clash of divine and human wills. Interesting also is that the word “Babel” means “gate of God” yet the writer of Genesis used it as a play on words, this time to show the consequences of sin, and then to point ahead to when Jesus came down to defeat the power of sin and give His people a far greater unity than a tower and city every could.
Jesus, how many times I’ve tried to be my own Savior and attempt things without involving You. The results are always thwarted. Yet in mercy and grace, You use what even those things to change my life. You forgive my selfish ambitions and refuse to allow me to leave You out of my life or gain glory for myself. Thank You for rescuing me. To You be all glory. Amen.
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