Genesis 11:3-4 - The Tower of Babel - The People Scheme Against God
 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
Wow. The arrogance of man. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I wrote in Genesis 11:2 - The Tower of Babel - One Language, but Multiple Settlements that there were multiple settlements on the Plains of Shinar that all spoke Sumerian. According to scripture, Nimrod founded or ruled four of them. However, speaking the same language wasn’t enough for them. As you see in verses 3-4, they joined to make a single center. They appear to have had several goals in mind…
- To unite within a single city
- To remain united
- To reach the heavens
- To establish a legacy
- To prevent themselves from being scattered
We already know that God was not to look kindly upon their work, and in fact scattered them later, as they feared. But, on the surface, what is so wrong with with their goals? Take the uniting of several settlements. Is this this really so bad? After all, the premise of the United States was based on uniting the original 13 colonies, for strength, structure, and resolve against the motherland of England. And, overall, the results have been wonderful. But, if we look at the people’s hearts at Shinar, we will see what was wrong with letting them get strong.
These were people with the goal of greatness; the goal of the colonies was to be left alone. The people of Shinar wanted a name for themselves that would endure, they also felt threatened. They knew that that if the natural order of things was to endure, they would scatter automatically, perhaps because settlements were tending to form in smaller autonomous groups, or perhaps there were concerned that people would leave, or perhaps they perceived a desire by God to keep them from forming such a large society. Whatever their reason, they needed a way for a larger group to endure. They needed a center, something everyone could see and gather around… even from a distance. But while history proves that such tactics can work, the bigger the group is, the more need there is for leadership, and where there is leadership there is power, corrupting power. Put the potential of corrupting power into the hands of a group that wants a legacy, and they might indeed see themselves bigger than God. At the very least, their eventual king will, and his subjects may accept that, when God should have been their king.
God appears to give mankind choices; mankind tends to choose the wrong thing.
- God gave Adam a garden and a helper; Adam chose to eat of the apple.
- God spared Cain after Cain killed Abel; Cain went and started a city, and time when people would not call on the name of the Lord.
- God gave man the ability to farm, and docile animals to keep them company; man chose not to farm, enjoyed eating the animals, and partying.
- God gave man the ability to mate, form a relationship, and derive pleasure and fulfillment through it; man chose the pleasure over the relationship.
In the case of Adam and Eve, God expelled them from the Garden. He punished Cain for killing Abel. He then left man to himself, until He came back to see their depravity. For #3 and #4, God saved the righteous Noah, and sent a flood. Now, mankind was at it again. Even with a hint in their words of what God might do, their choice was to scheme, to get around it. Sometimes I wonder how God can be so patient. But, it’s because we are like children. Parents show patience and set an example until its clear that their child needs correction. They correct, and start a new beginning. For man, this appears to be a natural cycle of life.
And so the child-like people of Shinar schemed… to get around the possibility of being scattered and forgotten, they would build a tower. It would reach the heavens. It would replace God. It would keep them united. It would be seen for miles. But, it would also provide a center for rule. It would give them an ego. It would crowd God out of their hearts. Their impressive goals were probably the worst thing they could be doing right now for themselves, and they were about to begin…