The Tower of Babel

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Remember the Tower of Babel? It is a short Bible story, only nine verses in Genesis chapter eleven. Easy to skip over.

After the flood God blessed Noah and his sons and told them to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. They started out okay, fanning eastward, but when they came to a plain in the land of Shinar, they decided to stop.

And they said, Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth (Gen 11:4).

Now if you thought this tower was in deference to God, to worship God, to get closer to God, you would be wrong. No. This was in defiance of God. To – in similar fashion to the famous “I Wills” of Satan – to ascend into heaven, to be like the Most High. They had no need for God. They could handle it themselves.

There wasn’t much for building materials in Shinar but that didn’t stop them. Where there is a will there is a way. And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar (Gen 11:3). They worked like ants without a king. Except they had one and just didn’t know it. He goes by many names, but you probably know him as Satan.

God came down and to see what they had begun and realized what they were capable of with one language and one evil motive. It took very little time for them to revert to the days of Noah: The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Gen 6:5).

He foils their plan by confounding their language, forcing them to abandon their cause and scatter over the face of the earth.

So how did that work? Well, it slowed them down. But it never stopped them. Over the centuries and millennia man has surreptitiously been rebuilding that tower, trying to create a world that has no need for God. One that is correcting all His errors. Given enough time, they are sure they will have ascended into heaven another way despite what Jesus said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1).

To be sure, there have been remarkable advances in medicine and technology. Daniel prophesied  these things: But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased (Dan 12:4).

But was glory given to God for these advancements? No. Man took the glory for himself. God messed it up. We fixed it. God said we would work by the sweat of the brow, but we thwarted that idea. We have luxuries unimaginable a few years ago that continually make life easier. Man continues his final efforts to create life in a test tube and eventually eternal life. Then there will be no need for God whatsoever.

But there is only one problem with completing this tower, this final creation of utopia. Man! The weak link. Because despite the increase in knowledge, despite medical and technological advancements, despite the belief man is evolving and getting better, he hasn’t changed an iota in six thousand years. They still believe that through the repetition of falsehoods, false mantras, education, reeducation, and evolution that somehow wars will cease, peace will prevail, and love will conquer hate. Beginning with Cain, generation after generation has never given up on that idea despite showing absolutely no signs of improvement. Ever! They are good at pretending, though. Emperors parading in new clothes.

So, fast forward to today. How are they coming along? Well, they might have made more progress except they have become confounded as to how finish it. You have groups that believe the bricks for this tower should be made up of social equity, diversity, inclusion, free love, free money, and a person’s right to choose whatever lifestyle they desire. They may believe in God but massage scripture to match their selfish desires. God is love and Hell is a metaphor.

Another group is focused on reforming the rival groups. They base it on what they call conservative values. You have the God, Guns, and Country people. Then you have white nationalists, the moral majority, and Christian Nationalists. The only thing Christian about that group is the name they attach to their cause because salvation of souls is not their prime directive. Conformance to their values, a legalistic reformation of society no matter what it takes is. They are okay with a generation holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof (2Tim 3). Their gospel of Christ is clouds and wind without rain.

All these groups claim the moral high ground, but the bricks of both towers are being laid with the slime of self-righteousness. The true church, like the church of antiquity, doesn’t get much press. It quietly preaches the gospel of Christ. They preach Christ and Him crucified as Paul did. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified (1 Cor 2:2).

The goal of trying to make a better world without the blood of Jesus Christ is a fool’s paradise. It’s trying to enter another way. They are thieves and robbers (John 10:1). Trying to sew a new piece on an old garment makes the tear worse. Putting new wine into old wineskins will cause the wineskin to burst. But new wine must be put into fresh wine-skins (Luke 5:37).

Trying to patch up man, to believe he can become better, that he can improve himself, is a delusion. The only possibility for man is to become a new wineskin, a new creation. Out with the old. In with the new. This meme holds true. Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new (2 Cor 5:17).  You must be born again (John 3:3).

Salvation comes only one way, through the grace of Christ and solely on His work on the cross. And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved (Acts 4:12). And all we have to do is believe.