Reaching for the heavens ∙∙

Reaching for the heavens ∙∙

Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves – Genesis 11:4

Genesis 11:1-4

1 At one time, all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words.
2 As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there.
3 They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region, bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.)
4 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.”

Philippe Petit’s Daring Feat

In 2002, the memoir To Reach the Clouds: My High Wire Walk Between the Twin Towers captivated readers, recounting the fearless exploits of Philippe Petit. On August 7, 1974, Petit achieved something that defies belief. He stepped onto a thin steel cable stretched 1,350 feet above the streets of New York City, suspended between the Twin Towers. His walk was more than a test of balance; it was a feat of audacity that defied not only gravity but perhaps reason. One wonders, what drives a human being to ascend so high, to risk everything for a few steps along the edge of the heavens?

Humanity’s Ancient Urge

This longing to reach skyward is not a modern marvel nor a recent obsession. It is ancient, etched into the depths of the human soul. Could it be a primal urge passed down from ages long forgotten? The earliest record of such ambition can be traced back to the book of Genesis, approximately 4,200 years ago. It is here that we encounter a rebellious tale involving Nimrod, a mighty leader in the postdiluvian world.

On the vast plain of Shinar (now known as Sumer), Nimrod forged a city and, with it, an audacious project that would echo down throughout the millenia. The pinnacle of this effort was an immense tower that reached to the heavens. It is now remembered as the Tower of Babel. It begs the question, why?

The Choice to Disperse or Defy

Following the great flood, the Father gave clear instructions to Noah and his descendants.

Genesis 9:7 Now be fruitful and multiply, and repopulate the earth.

Due to the extent of human wickedness on the earth, every thought and imagination of mankind was continually evil (Genesis 6:5). This led to a significant worldwide problem. The Father’s solution was a worldwide flood to cleanse the earth of human evil and iniquity. He destroyed every living creature on the face of the earth, except for the eight people and the animals that were safely ensconced in the ark.

As time passed, the population on the planet grew once again. The worldwide flood required a redo of the Father’s original instruction given to Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:28).

Genesis 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth.”

The Father’s design was intentional. He desired for people to spread out and repopulate the earth. Yet, humanity had other plans. However, the people had no intention of following His directions. They had an entirely different plan in mind. Their vision? To build a city and a tower whose top will reach into heaven and to make themselves famous. They feared scattering “over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4). It was an act of self-preservation, pride, and rebellion.

Nimrod and his followers words are recorded in Genesis 11:4: “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 Core of the Conflict

Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with building cities or towers. The issue was not the people’s construction projects. The problem was that they had been explicitly told to spread out and repopulate the earth rather than stay in one place. It was a case of the Father’s plan versus their plan. Such has been the case down through the millennia until now.

Indeed, it’s an intensely personal battle. There is a tug-of-war between diverging desires that runs right through the heart of every child of the King. We are constantly pulled between His path and our own ambitions.

REFLECT & PRAY

Proverbs 14:12 states, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Father, please help me to align my will and purpose with Yours. I often struggle with the temptation to do things my way instead of following Yours.

INSIGHT

Nimrod’s Legacy

At the center of this tower-building rebellion stands Nimrod, a symbol of audacity and human pride. He sought greatness and a legacy among humankind. His ambition was bold. His hubris knew no bounds. “Nimrod’s very name is an encapsulation of his lifestyle. His name means, ‘Let us revolt.’” (James E. Smith).

The tower itself represented more than a physical feat. Its design recalled the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, enormous structures built with mud bricks and adorned with steps. These were acts of religious devotion, stairways to the heavens where people sought to worship their gods.

In Hebrew, Babylon is referred to as Babel, which means “the Gate of God.” The top of these towers was reserved for religious activities, with people constructing such edifices to worship their deities at the summit. This practice can be observed throughout the world, mirrored in the works of the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas in the Western Hemisphere.

For Nimrod and his followers, the Tower of Babel demonstrated their goal to establish religious worship that was independent and autonomous, separated from the Father.

Ironically, for all its grandeur, the tower never accomplished its purpose. Regardless of how high Nimrod’s tower reached, it was never quite enough. They never managed to reach heaven, the abode of their gods. How can we be sure of this?

A Divine Inspection

Genesis 11:5 “But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building.”

When the Father descended to observe the efforts of humanity at Babel, He was not met with a pleasant sight. Their actions displayed blatant defiance and rebellion. Instead of complying with His commands, the people chose to follow their own desires.

Genesis 11:6 “And the Lord said, ‘Look! The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!’”

The Father’s concern was not trivial. He took their intentions very seriously. Victor P. Hamilton reflects on this divine perspective, saying, God does not scoff at the building and consider it much ado about nothing. There is no suggestion that he views it as a joke. He does not laugh at them or ridicule them. Instead, he takes the scheme quite seriously. In fact, if something is not done to abort the project, the consequences can be far-reaching. His concern is also that such a hubris-motivated scheme will become a precedent and stimulation for other schemes.”

The Father’s Solution

The response could have been one of utter devastation. The Father might have chosen to demolish the tower along with the rebels. Yet, such an approach would have been merely temporary. What would stop others from doing it again? Instead, the Father implemented a far-reaching and lasting solution.

Their ability to work together stemmed from shared language, goals, and aspirations. Communication bound them, creating a unified force with no competition among opposing groups. To counter this unity, the Father disrupted their single language, confusing their speech and dividing them into distinct linguistic groups. This ingenious yet simple act fractured their collaboration and forced them to abandon their plan. Problem solved!

A Play on Words

In the Hebrew language, there is a play on words that is not observable in English. Almost all Hebrew words are derived from 3-letter consonantal stems without vowels. Victor P. Hamilton explains that the word for “bricks” is translated from the Hebrew term leḇenim, with the consonant root l-b-n. Similarly, the phrase “Let us confuse” is derived from the Hebrew word naḇela, whose root is n-b-l. Essentially, by confusing their language, the Father not only disrupted their communication but figuratively “unbricked their bricks.”

This poetic symmetry highlights His complete reversal of their building efforts, dismantling their independence at its foundation.

The Danger of Hubris

The construction of Babel’s tower was more than an ambitious project. It was a symbol of their rebellion, pride, and arrogance. Their independence and disobedience to the Father were a dangerous precedent. His concern extended beyond the physical structure. With unified intent and communication, humanity’s potential for rebellion knew no bounds. This risk is underscored in His words, “Nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them” (Genesis 11:6).

This universal truth resonates across time. When we humans pursue an independent and disobedient path, we may find ourselves wandering further from God’s purpose than we could have imagined. Pride and rebellion, unchecked, lead down perilous roads.

Lessons from Shinar

There’s irony in the Father’s solution. By introducing confusion, He scattered them and fulfilled His original directive to humanity to disperse and inhabit the earth. What initially seems like a punishment reveals itself as an act of grace. Sometimes, confusion is necessary to redirect us to the right path.

The plains of Shinar teach us an enduring lesson about the pitfalls of pride and rebellion. They remind us that our plans, no matter how grand, cannot supersede the wisdom of the Creator.

¯_(ツ)_/¯3-16-2

© Dr. H 2025