INTRODUCTION
The Bible tells us that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" - with more fear than wonder I would suggest! In our relatively short history, we have developed science, engineering, medicine, economics, psychology and many other physical and social sciences to the extent that it is hard to believe we ever have any problems any more. At no point in history has man been so socially and technologically developed; and yet at no point in our history have we ever had so many problems to deal with. Logic would suggest that we are the problem - we are our own worst enemies!
(a) Man’s Ingenuity - Seven Wonders
Despite that, throughout history, man has been responsible for some of the most wonderful ideas and creations. For example, who’s heard of the "seven wonders of the ancient world". For those historically or trivially inclined among us, what were they?
- Pyramids of Giza "Khufu"
- Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- Statue of Zeus "Olympia"
- Temple of Artemis (Ephesus)
- Tomb of King Mausolus of Caria (Halicarnassus)
- Colossus of Rhodes
- Lighthouse of Pharos (Alexandria)
Each of these seven wonders were monuments to man’s ingenuity. Each was a showpiece of engineering superiority, a masterpiece of cultural excellence and - with one exception - fell-ta-pieces a long time ago.
(b) Shinar/Babel/Babylon - The Nemesis from Genesis
Now I’d like us to think about just one of these ancient wonders for a moment - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. I don’t know what they looked like, but if pictures of the pyramids do any justice to the real pyramids, then the Hanging Gardens must have been incredible just to make it onto the list. In terms of beauty, I suspect they would be second only to the Garden of Eden.
But Babylon itself also interests me. Babylon is a place mentioned many times in the Bible. On the plain of Shinar the city of Babel (which we’re looking at this today) was almost constructed, and later on Babylon was built - complete with its Hanging Gardens. The places are synonymous because Babylon is purely the Greek form of the word "Babel".
But not only was Babylon horticulturally significant, the place is also historically and theologically loaded because in the Bible, nothing good ever happens in Babylon.
- The first significant reference to the area is in Genesis 10 where a bloke called Nimrod lives. It’s all downhill from there.
- In Genesis 11, construction on the city and tower of Babel commences and ceases.
- In around 600 BC, the southern kingdom of Judah was exiled into Babylon and some articles from the temple in Jerusalem were taken by Nebuchadnezzar and stored in Babylon on the plain of Shinar.
- A number of prophets - particularly Jeremiah and Isaiah have a lot to say about Babylon.
- And finally, Revelation 17 and 18 refers to the prostitute of Babylon. Chapter 18 in particular uses some extremely rich language to describe her downfall and the hatred with which God views everything she stood for.
All that happens in Babylon is either directly opposed to God, or symbolically presented that way. Babylon epitomises mans folly viewed against the omnipotence of God. It is the symbol of pride and godlessness that must attract God’s judgment.
And so before we even begin, with our 20-20 hindsight, we can see the scene being set for bad news. Babylon, or Babel - is in many ways a nemesis from Genesis. It is a place that comes back to haunt us throughout the pages of Scripture until its final downfall.
1. MAN’S PLANS
I mentioned earlier that the seven wonders were highlights from history. They symbolise mans subjugation of nature as God instructed in Genesis 1 as well as demonstrating man’s creativity and co-operation. But there is one other very important aspect of each of these constructions: With perhaps one exception, they are all classic examples of mankind’s absolute arrogance!
This arrogance is highlighted in the account of the tower of Babel. In Genesis 11:4 we hear men saying "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
Within that one verse, we can see two things that motivate mankind:
(a) Making a Name for himself
Firstly, for man to make a name for himself. To be recognised and applauded for his vision and commitment to excellence. The tower at Babel would be a monument to man himself. It would become a place of meeting. It would become the social, cultural and economic focus of mankind. It would represent the pinnacle of man’s ingenuity and achievement. It would be like winning the right to host the Olympic Games - an icon of engineering excellence, economic stability, foresight and insight. With the completion of the tower, the people of Babel would know they had finally made it - and they would make sure that everyone else knew it as well!
But in the Bible, there are only three names that God promises to make great: Abram (Genesis 12:2); David (2 Samuel 7:9) and His own. Mans attempt to usurp that prerogative is absolute folly. It is something fraught with danger.
(b) Self-determination and Self-rule
But there is a second deeper motivation behind mans actions. Not only would man be demonstrating his abilities and his commitment to excellence, he would also have done it on his own. Who needs a god when man can obviously go it alone successfully. Thus the tower is symbolic of mans desire for self-sufficiency and self-rule.
With such a city and tower, there would be no need to do as God had commanded in Genesis 1 - to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it - because everything man could possibly want would be supplied from Babel.
The idea of the city and tower was one of mans many attempts at independence and self-sufficiency. The very concept of the city and tower of Babel is at cross-purposes with God’s plans for man to rule the earth and relate to Him and so something had to give.
2. AN ACT OF GOD!
(a) God Descends
But how does God respond to mans initiative? Verse 5 tells us "the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building." The Lord "came down". He descended to view mans pinnacle. The greatest of man’s achievements to date is so insignificant when compared to God’s creation. Isaiah 55:8-9 says "’For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ’As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’"
This perspective is also the subject of Psalm 2 where "the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his anointed one. ’Let us break their chains,’ they say. ’and throw off their fetters.’ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them."
(b) God Decides
And yet at this point, God confirms mans own ideas about himself - that man can achieve almost anything that he sets his mind to. God says "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." God concedes that man is almost able to do the impossible because of mutual understanding and co-operation.
God concludes that the best course of action that will thwart man’s plans is to "confuse their language so they will not understand each other." No wonder work stopped immediately. It would have been like "smoko" on any building site in Sydney. This confusion was God’s chosen antidote for human arrogance.
But something else happened - "the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth". Why? Because there was no point in continuing. Without being able to understand each other, there is no point being united and so the obvious occurred ... they were scattered over the face of the whole earth.
Without mutual co-operation and understanding, communities cannot exist and people cannot co-exist. By necessity, people would congregate with others they could at least understand. It is ironic that what mankind had sought to avoid - that is the scattering of mankind - was now accelerated and more disruptive than it ever would have been!
Now some commentaries say this scattering was a natural process over a long period of time, and others say it was instantaneous. Some say the languages were totally different, others say there were only dialects. But whatever the actual physical process, we know that our God was behind it. It was at His initiation that work stopped and people went their separate ways.
One commentary said that the Babel dispersion was basically a special judgment against mankind due to the blatant embodiment of an ungodly spirit that again, following the flood, characterised human civilisation.
At the end of Job’s struggle with the character of God, Job acknowledges God’s sovereignty when he says that "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.".
3. THE REASONS - JUDGMENT OR MERCY?
But should we view the account of the Tower of Babel as an act of God’s judgment or His mercy? I’ll hedge my bets and say probably both - because God’s judgment generally precedes a new avenue of His mercy.
As we look through the history of God’s dealings with us, we see that His judgment is generally used as a disciplinary measure and less often as punishment as such - the distinction is vital. In the case of discipline, God gives us room for repentance, but in judgment, the opportunity for repentance is gone. Examples of His judgment include Sodom and Gomorrah, some specific dealings with Israel (wandering in the desert for 40 years), and extreme cases of disobedience as is the case for Eli and his sons in 1 Samuel. But for the most part, God’s judgment is of a disciplinary nature and so can be seen as a product of His mercy.
God’s act in stopping work upon the tower may have been perceived as God’s attempt to frustrate mans attempt to better himself. But in fact, the act of God is an act of mercy. By frustrating man’s attempt at achievement and independence, God is trying to point man back in His direction. Man’s plans were not in accord with God’s and so God tried to turn man around .
CONCLUSION
(a) The Greatest Wonder - Redemption
This leads us to the greatest wonder of any world - whether ancient, modern, natural or spiritual - that God has plans for man’s redemption!
In looking at a historical account as we are, it is imperative that we take a step back - to stand back and look for God’s hand upon history. The judgment against mankind recorded in Genesis 11 was precipitated by man’s ungodliness. Man sought to do three things:
1. Make a name for himself
2. Congregate in a city dedicated to man’s own ideas about himself, and in so doing
3. Prove independence from our Creator.
Each of these acts of defiance was in direct opposition to God’s plans for man. Despite the futility of mans attempts to make a name for himself, it is the attitude of man that is more frightening. It is not so much the act as the arrogance behind the act.
And so the name "Babel" stands, not as a monument to mans ingenuity, but rather as a reminder of mans sin. The name commemorates not success, but failure.
It is interesting that the first two chapters of the Bible talk about creation as it was originally designed - as perfect. And it is only in the last two chapters of Revelation that we are given a real view of the new creation. All the chapters in between (all 1,185 of them) are taken up with the question of how God will restore mankind to the position He intends for us.
Part of the answer was found at Pentecost as described in Acts 2. There the holy spirit came upon those present with immense power as the power behind the name of Jesus was unleashed. At that time, the linguistic confusion stemming from Babel was replaced by linguistic fusion - Babel describes the scattering of people following their inability to communicate with each other, whereas Pentecost describes a gathering of people as they are united under the name of Jesus.
Revelation chapter 22 gives us the rest of the answer. We are told something about the new city that God is building and we are told it is for us who have the name of Jesus on our foreheads. Revelation 22:3-4 says "The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads."
We have the name above all names on our foreheads. Compared to the hope we can have in such a future, living here is liking living in a garbage heap - and we call it home!
But in Jesus, we have the name above every other because in Philippians we read that "God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." Jesus is the name. We have no need to make a name for ourselves - because Jesus has been given the name above all others and His name has been given to us.
(b) So What? The Message for Today
So what? What is there in this ancient story for us today? And how should we respond? There are a number of questions I believe it poses for us here:
- Are you trying to make a name for yourself, to honour your own name at the expense of God’s?
- Are you trying to build any "Babels" or monuments to yourself, or are you really seeking to build a dependence upon our God?
We often do things contrary to God’s plans and seek to make a name for ourselves. Paul’s advice to the Colossians in this regard is worth hearing: "and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Paul tells us that all of our actions and words should be in Jesus’ name for His glory.
But how can we do that? A number of years ago, we heard an acronym to remember before speaking or acting. The acronym was THINK. Can anybody remember what those 5 letters stands for?
T Is it True
H Is it Helpful
I Is it Inspiring
N Is it Necessary, and
K Is it Kind
I began this morning by quoting from Psalm 139 that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". But that is only half of the story. That phrase in context actually says "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
The fact that we are fearfully and wonderfully made is not a reason for rebellion against our creator, but a cause for praise of our Creator! It is only in the act of praise and worship with our whole lives that we function as designed - not by building cities and names for ourselves - but by building up His people and honouring His name.
I have one last question. This week, as people see you and talk to you, will they see only you, or will they see the name of Christ on your forehead?
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© Gary Bennett
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission.
