Monday 2 June 2025
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (v. 4)
Background
I remember once seeing a picture depicting the Tower of Babel. In the picture it overshadowed the mountains, passed through the clouds, and then went into space and almost to the Moon. This picture fascinated me as, at seven years old, I only wanted two things: to be a cowboy and an astronaut. Sadly neither dream was fulfilled. But that image has always remained with me. I remember thinking how cool it would be to build such a high tower, although I did always wonder how they managed to build a tower in space without dying!
What was probably built at Babel was a ziggurat; a pyramid-like structure with steps up the side. There would normally have been a temple at the bottom and a small shrine at the very top. It may not have been as big as my childhood image, but to those who built it I imagine it looked just as impressive. And this is the point: this tower was not built to honour and worship any god, but simply to show off how great they were. It was a symbol of pride and an attempt to stay together.
On the sixth day God created humankind and instructed them to multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28) and when Noah and his family left the Ark they were instructed to be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth (Genesis 9:1, 7). But at Babel, probably during the lifetime of Peleg (see Genesis 10:25), while in the shadow of their Tower, the people were defying God and putting themselves ahead of God.
This story highlights the problem with humanity. It shows that the attitude and behaviours of the pre-flood population didn’t disappear in the water, it survived in the people of the Ark, in Noah and his family. We often concentrate on the Tower and the behaviour of the people and miss the other narrative in the story, that God never stopped caring, even coming down to earth to see the issue. In the confusion that would have followed, God brought an order that ensured the survival of humanity.
To Ponder:
- Is there a ‘Tower of Babel’ in your life that is keeping you away from God?
- Has there ever been a time in your life when order and a new way of being came from disorder?
Prayer
God of compassion, give us the wisdom to see what it is that keeps us from you, give us the courage to confront it, and the strength to put it aside. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Stuart Reed
Stuart is a presbyter in the South East Cornwall Circuit and lives in Looe with his wife and their labrador. He is currently on a mission to find the best pasty and icecream in Cornwall.