Day Three

“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 and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’” (Gen. 11:4)

Scripture Reading: Genesis 11:1–9

We humans struggle with the fear that God is trying to cheat us. God’s command that we fill the earth with our offspring (Gen. 9:1) was a blessing—not a curse. God was wooing our ancestors to the spacious places He had created for them.

We humans again thought God was trying to cheat us when He made known His intention for us to glorify His name. We wanted our own name. The Tower of Babel was about humans making a name for ourselves. Our attempt to build “a tower that reaches to the heavens” was a means of planting our feet presumptuously on God’s turf. We misunderstood—all creation is God’s turf. I can almost imagine the Holy Trinity with drawn brow, intently watching our efforts to build the tower. Had our actions not been so galling and rebellious, the scene might have been comical.

God’s response? “If they’re this foolish and self-centered, they’ll try anything.”

Brick after brick, we humans sought to determine our own fate. Despite all the efforts, we never imposed our will on God, but God imposed His on us.

“Come, let us go down.” The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit loaded up and headed down. What a scene. Imagine it! “The Lord scattered them . . . over all the earth.” They experienced the world’s first tumbling lesson.

Even today people rebel against God and insist on making a name for themselves. The many people who have attempted to climb Mount Everest provide a modern-day parable. They spend fortunes, suffer all manner of maladies, risk relationships, and endanger life and limb. They experience a level of cold no average person can imagine to trudge past frozen bodies. But do you know what mystifies me most? If they make it to the top, they can’t even enjoy the thrill of victory. Their heads pound. They’re disoriented. Their lungs nearly collapse. They suffer snow blindness. They stand on top of the famed Mount Everest for five minutes and begin a hasty descent while they can still breathe. Why do they do it? For the sheer accomplishment of climbing to the highest peak on earth and the accompanying notoriety. Ironically, by the time they achieve the goal, most of them can’t even remember their names.

Sounds rather like the Tower of Babel doesn’t it? We humans want to make a name for ourselves. If we only understood that when we devote our lives to the glory of God, our existence on planet earth will leave marks—eternal marks.

Those who reject God unify over one thing—every person’s right to make a name for himself. They cheat themselves of the most glorious of all privileges: to bear the name of Jesus, the One and Only. And at His name . . . every knee shall bow.