Genesis 11:2-9

2006.Dec.09 13:13

Long Division

Read Genesis 11:2-9 | Full Chapter

I’d like to start by quoting myself

[A]ny unity between humans tends to result first in greater sin against God, then in division with each other. It is that we humans, in our quest for godhood, will ally ourselves with those we deem less powerful (up to all other humans) in order to prove our godhood against Him who most certainly is greater.

Bearing that thought in mind:

[The settlers in Babylonia] said: Let’s build a city with a tower that reaches to the sky! We’ll use hard bricks and tar instead of stone and mortar. We’ll become famous, and we won’t be scattered all over the world.But when the LORD came down to look at the city and the tower, he said:These people are working together because they all speak the same language. This is just the beginning. Soon they will be able to do anything they want.
(Genesis 11:3-6, CEV)

God’s solution is to make the people speak different languages,

So the people had to stop building the city, because the LORD confused their language and scattered them all over the earth. That’s how the city of Babel got its name.
(Genesis 11:8-9, CEV)

The settlers are a group of Noah’s descendents who have stopped in Babylonia ("a plain in the land of Shinar" (Genesis 11:2, KJV) ). Having settled for a moment, they decide to build a large, brick tower. Their stated goals are two-fold:

1. To be known by other groups of people (to be famous).
2. To retain their group’s unity; perhaps under the assumption that this tower would be an easily identifiable gathering point.

My statement above discusses humanity unifying in sin against Jehovah, but it initially seems a leap from the building of this tower with the above purposes to some sort of attack against God. The first goal is not really noble, and certainly implies pride, but who hasn’t longed for a bit of fame? (Probably lots of people, but lets ignore them for the sake of cheesy rhetoric, ‘kay?) The second point can be seen as a pretty good thing.

The clarity of this group’s sin can be seen in omission. There is no record of this group at all acknowledging Jehovah. They are using new technologies and their “unity” to build something that is about themselves and for their own purposes; they rely on other humans instead of God (possibly each saying to him/herself that he/she is using the others).

God, in reviewing the construction, makes a fascinating statement: “Soon they will be able to do anything they want.” I have to assume that this is not an admission of potential omnipotence of humanity, but rather that God sees how humans will convince themselves of their omnipotence. In fame and power (e.g. via technology), this group would more easily ignore God in their own self-worship and perceived self-sufficiency.

To confront this, Jehovah confuses their language and scatters the group “all over the earth”. In this case God directly divides up the settlers, although this usually is an activity humans perform on our own. Without this “unity”, and in particular without the ability to effectively communicate, Jehovah causes humans to reveal to ourselves our own self-destructiveness and impotence; that is, to see our godhood for what it is: a lie built on pride. As I said in my last entry, God clearly desires intra-human unity, but it must be built on a relationship with Him to be true unity. History clearly demonstrates that what we normally call unity is really explotation. God, instead, desires a body which works together and acknowledges the need for each part to be working in harmony. And, then, a shared language will be a blessing, not a tool for the most proud and ambitious to exploit those slightly less-so.