Week 30, Day 1: The Tower of Babel
Today’s Reading: Genesis 11:1-32
Some thoughts from the reading…
After the flood the people traveled east to a plain in the land of Shinar. This is the area where the empire Babylon will arise later (modern Iraq area), Dan 1:2. Here they decide to build a tower whose top will reach into heaven. They wanted to make a name for themselves. It is strange to me to consider why they wanted to do this. Some have suggested that the tower was intended to be some kind of safe haven in the event of another flood (the people used tar for mortar which might have made the structure water tight). This doesn’t make since though since God had made the covenant never to destroy all of mankind with a flood again. Whatever was the reason behind their actions they set about making what sounds like a massive tower (its top would reach into heaven). God “came down” to see what the sons of men were doing. This is an interesting image to consider. The aspect of God checking up on man and “coming” to see what they were doing. What He finds does not please Him. They would be able to accomplish much if left in this state. So God confused their language and thus they were scattered. This accomplished the purpose of God when He had told Noah to go out, be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth. Confusing their language would cause them to be scattered over the earth and fill the earth. But the confusing of the languages also seems to accomplish keeping man from being too boastful. The goals for building the tower seem to be man centered and selfish. Making a name for themselves and reaching to heaven all sounds very boastful things.
The other thing that stood out to me from the text is that when God saw what was happening with the tower He said, “come, let Us go down…” The use of us here reminds me of Gen 1:26 when God said, “let Us make man in our image”. Who is the “Us”? Is God just having a conversation with other heavenly beings? I believe here we have a reference to a conversation among the trinity. I am not sure that this can be proven beyond the shadow of a doubt but it seems likely.
Note that as the genealogies are mentioned in this chapter how the length of man’s life is quickly changing. He is no longer living as long. It is a mystery to consider why this would be. Did something about the flood change things so that man was not able to live as long? Obviously something changed because very quickly man’s lif span is shortened. Also, I think that it is funny to consider how much stock we put in our medical advances and yet the average life span is 78 or so. And here we picture people back then as know nothing shepherds and yet their life span was for a period of time so much longer. Their age length is an interesting thing to consider but no real answer to what caused the change in man’s lifespan can be found.
This chapter concludes with an introduction to Abram and Sarai. Very key figures who we will soon find out more about.
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