Tower of Babel question

[Binary]

Genesis 11:6 “The LORD said, “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.”

Any insight about what this could mean? I generally think of Genesis as “here’s the best understanding we had of God at the time of this writing,” and it allows us to get a basic understanding of man’s relationship to Him. But this passage seems to be making a claim about humanity that is obviously false at face value.

 

[Phyllo]

Genesis 11:6 “The LORD said, “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.”

Any insight about what this could mean? I generally think of Genesis as “here’s the best understanding we had of God at the time of this writing,” and it allows us to get a basic understanding of man’s relationship to Him. But this passage seems to be making a claim about humanity that is obviously false at face value.

I think it could mean that if we all spoke the same language there is nothing that we could not accomplish. So now were are all different peoples with different cultures and we see how that is working out.

This is from the Haydock commentary
Ver. 6. In deed. This seems to be spoken ironically; though the effects of weak mortals, the sons of Adam, when pursued with vigour and unanimity, will produce great effects. These builders had conceived an idea of raising the tower as high as possible, hyperbolically, to touch heaven. (Haydock

 

[TimothyH]

My understanding of the story of the Tower of Babel stands on the following verse:

Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth." (Genesis 11:4)

The root of the problem with what they were doing is that they had bought into the same belief and practice that Adam and Eve did, the lie of the serpent in the garden - that they can be like God.

The woman answered the snake: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, or else you will die.” But the snake said to the woman, "You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.” (Genesis 3:2-5)

You will be like God. That is satan’s second biggest lie, right after “You will not die.”

The bricks and bitumen mortar of the people who build the tower are of their own ingenuity. They trust their technology and the power of their own mind. And they use it to “build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves.” In building the tower “with its top in the sky”, they are trying to be like God, to reach the status of God by their own ingenuity and by their own power.

And what is important to remember is how all through scripture, God renames people so that their identity is taken from who and what they do in relation to God, not in relationship to their own acomplishments. Names are extremely important in the Bible. God names man but lets man name the animals and beasts in Genesis 2 and in so doing, man gets his identity from God but the beasts get their identity in relationship to what they mean to man. God renames Abram and Sari to Abraham and Sarah and so gives them their identity and gives their life purpose. God changes Jacob’s name to Israel and so names a nation, calling it “His chosen son.” And God himself changes Simon’s name to Ceaphas/Kepha/Petros/Rock. And so the builders of the tower build not for God, but to make a name for themselves. Their identity is not based on who and what they do in relationship to God but in who they are and what they do in relationship to their own acomplishments and what they think of themselves.

Once God has a look, he puts a stop all of that pretty quickly.

Miscommunication has cuased wars. Tens of thousands have died becuase two leaders misudnerstood each other. And because of Adam and Eve, we have lost the ability to communicate with God himself directly. This is a huge problem, one which we try to address by building our own tower’s to the sky in our own minds, thinking that we are so great when our identity should be rooted in who we are in relationship to Jesus.

To me its a story of pride and fall. And of humility before God. Do we build ourselves a city and tower or do we build God a city and a tower? I’m reminded of the Psalm…

Unless the LORD build the house, they labor in vain who build. (Psalm 127:1)

-Tim-

 

[perdido1144]

The root of the problem with what they were doing is that they had bought into the same belief and practice that Adam and Eve did, the lie of the serpent in the garden - that they can be like God.

The woman answered the snake: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, or else you will die.” But the snake said to the woman, "You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.” (Genesis 3:2-5)

You will be like God. That is satan’s second biggest lie, right after “You will not die.”

Good parallel, Tim - I really like the convergence you point out between those two passages.

 

[Binary]

Timothy, thank you for that excellent explanation.

 

[TimothyH]

Thanks for the kind words but the content is ultimately from The Great Adventure Bible Study series by Jeff Cavins. The study titled “The Bible Timeline” is excellent and will impart all sorts of information like this, and more, for one to reflect on.

This study alone has opened up the scriptures to me in whole new way. I now understand the story, not just parts of it, and see Jesus in a whole new light. I understand, in some small way, how Adam and Eve are related to the Tower of Babel and how that relates to Noah and how that relates to Abraham and King David and so forth, and how all is ultimately related to Jesus. I realize now that the story of the Bible is not about Abraham’s obedience or Adam and Eves lack thereof. I understand that it is a story of trust.

God teaching his children to trust him. If someone asked me “What is the Bible about?” I would answer that it is the story of God teaching us that we can trust him.

I recommend this study to everyone. (no, I don’t work for them )

-Tim-