At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. 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.) 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.” But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world. Genesis 11:1-9
There is a backstory to any
story. The Tower of Babel in Nimrod’s
city, Babylon, is one further step in the evidence of humanity’s tendency
toward evil, not good.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam
and Eve swallowed Satan’s offer of
advancement by knowledge. In some way
the first couple imagined life could be simpler, better for them if only they
knew as much as God; they would be able to make their own decisions. They were as wrong as Titanic’s
engineers. God judged them, and paradise
was lost.
Adam and Eve’s son, Cain,
carried on the family business. He chose
an offering to bring to God. It was
different than what God had demonstrated was acceptable. The offering was rejected. Cain’s life became the unbearable wandering
of a convicted brother-killer – the judgment of God.
In Noah’s day the pretenses
were all dropped, and people just lived thumbing
their collective noses in the face of God.
Wickedness said, I am my own God! They also
were wrong. They suffered the
worst judgment to date. God removed all
but 8 people with a flood that covered the wicked earth. After the flood, God plainly stated what was
(and continues to be) the problem of mankind:
…everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. Genesis 8:21b
With the memory of the flood
still fresh, and the command of God to spread out over the whole earth to
replenish it, man did what man does, the opposite of what God said! Nimrod wickedly and openly defied God; he
gathered the people together and refused to spread out. This is the basic flaw of a sin nature, the pride
of life.
What Was Wrong About Building a Tower?
1.
It
was the Wrong Plan
God had told Noah to spread out. Nimrod, one of Noah’s descendants, rose to
leadership in that early society. Scripture
tells us he became a mighty hunter/warrior.
It was he who conceived and attempted the building of the tower near
Shinar. Nimrod’s whole project centered
on the idea of building a worldwide central control around himself. It was a wrong plan.
We might disagree with God’s
idea, but it is His universe, and He knows the best plan. In verse 4 of our text it says that they were
afraid to spread throughout the earth.
Fear can drive us to many faulty plans.
This is the opposite of faith!
2.
Nimrod
was the Wrong Person
The plan of Nimrod also
centered on the wrong person. Let us make us a name…
In today’s culture, this is the celebrity
mentality; to have everyone know your name; it matters little what you
do to achieve that notoriety.
Once, during his prime,
Muhammad Ali, the great boxer, boarded a plane for a flight. The stewardess reminded him to fasten his
seat belt. He came back at her: Superman
don’t need no belt. The
stewardess was unimpressed, she answered, Superman don’t need no airplane, either. He buckled his belt.
3.
Nimrod
Built with a Wrong Purpose
Ancient ziggurats (towers) were
built like stair steps, a place of access between the gods and earth. Nimrod’s tower was a high place, a place of gaining access to the heavenlies. This was an ancient practice of grabbing for
power. The purpose here was to replace
God’s control with Nimrod’s. Wrong
purpose!
God declared in many ways
that His throne, and His dominion are His – he does not share His glory with
anyone.
“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Isaiah 42:8
Essentially this tower was
the declaration of independence from God.
That is not something God has ever taken lightly. He still doesn’t.
4.
Presumption
A wrong plan, wrong person
and wrong purpose ultimately lead to a presumption that we can possibly replace
God, or His influence upon our lives.
Yet, humanity has tried to do that since Adam.
Nimrod thought he was god-enough
to handle control of this earth. He
said, Let’s make a name – and
he got one! The name Babylon means gate of the gods. But the place is known as Babel, which means confusion. Nimrod and his followers wanted fame; they
got it…they’re famous for their failure.
What Towers Do We Build Today?
Nimrod’s bunch was afraid to
spread out and colonize the world. I
call this love of the huddle.
It’s
that comfort zone where we gather with those we like, and who are like us. I have been like that. When I went to seminary, I had the idea I’d
wind up in some nice, little church where everyone would like me, and it would
be a sweet little huddle forever and ever.
(Talk about presumption!)
In the ministry I have been
treated to some wonderful times – but there have been the other times. I’ve been spat at, cussed at, fussed at, and even had a gun pointed at me.
Yet, even though tempted to quit, prone to complain, and whine a bit,
wanting to stay in the huddle, instead of get in the game – my deep, down inner
self knows that God’s best is still yet to come, but it’s always going to be a
stretch that takes me out of my huddle, out of the comfort zone.
And so, my prayer each day
is, for God to have his way with me, like Wesley’s covenant prayer…God use me,
lose me, abuse me, or whatever else you see fit. Only let me be of service.
What Would God Have US Do About the Towers in Our Lives?
Nimrod had two decisions
facing him when he came to Shinar, he could grab control, or allow the
spreading-out God decreed. He chose
control because that’s easiest, and most human.
What will you do? Do you want the towers? Believe me, it hurts when God scrambles your
language. When you’re trying to control
everything, and the God of the universe begins to confuse everything, and
nothing in life begins to make sense. He
does it so you’ll do things His way.
·
Are you coming to a point in your life where relationships are falling
apart?
·
Do your finances make sense?
·
Are you worried about the election or your retirement?
Decide in your heart;
release control, Nimrod…that’s God’s area!
How, preacher – how do I do
it? Glad you asked…
Begin Tower Deconstruction
Here are a couple of suggestions
about not giving-in to the Nimrod temptation:
1.
Acknowledge God as
your only Tower
God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. Matthew 5:3
To be poor in spirit means to acknowledge your sin before God, to ask
God’s forgiveness, and bring His power into your life so you can live in right
relationship with Him. This is an act of faith. It is the sinner’s prayer. It is the only way to begin dismantling the
towers you may have been building all your life.
2.
Keep Perspective on
who you are, and WHO GOD IS
William Beebe tells about
his friend, Theodore Roosevelt, how they …used
to play a little game together. After an
evening of talk, we would go out on the lawn and search the skies until we
found the faint spot of light-mist beyond the lower left-hand corner of the
Great Square of Pegasus. Then one or the
other of us would recite: ‘That is the
Spiral Galaxy in Andromeda. It is as
large as our Milky Way. It is one of a
hundred million galaxies. It consists of
one billion suns, each larger than our sun. Then Roosevelt would grin and say: Now I think we are small enough! Let's go to
bed.[1].
Our Prayer
Father,
we get it that our towers are all due to crumble. But in our humanity, we want our comfort
zone; we want a little more power to feel safe.
And so we wander from your Word’s commands to scatter, to go into all
the world and preach the Gospel. Rather
we build a little tower of pride here and want to stand around and take credit
for what we have done.
Lord, drive us out
of our comfy huddle; like you drove Adam and Eve from the garden, and Nimrod’s
crew from Babel, confuse us enough so we don’t camp here. Lord you called us to be a people of tents,
not towers. Don’t let the mortar of tar,
and the mud bricks clog our spiritual arteries.
Lord scatter us
everywhere in Your name!
Forgive
us, Lord, for loving our holy huddle more than the cross. Help us to keep perspective that our
salvation comes from you, and nothing will ever be stronger than the tower of
Your love for us. Give us courage to
live outside the towers of pride and reputation; embolden us to travel to the
furthest corners of the earth if that will bring you glory.
Let
it be so in each of our lives…Amen!
Title Image:
By Lucas
van Valckenborch - Grandes énigmes Larousse, Public Domain,
W Unless
noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation
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