For Ourselves

Rob Laukoter

The Story of the Old Testament: Genesis • Sermon • Submitted a year ago

Genesis 11:1–9

Tower of Babel

Confusion of Tongues at Babel

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Prayer

Anti-God State of Mind

I want to start this morning with a quote from C.S. Lewis, from his book, Mere Christianity: There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.

If you were to guess, which vice do you think he’s talking about, this vice that has captured us all, even though we all hate it? It’s pride. C.S. Lewis makes the argument that pride is the number one vice, like the ring of power, the one vice that rules them all. It is, in his words, the complete anti-God state of mind.

He continues: According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison. It was through pride that the Devil became the Devil: Pride leads to every other vice. It is the complete anti-God state of mind.

I hope you’re hearing that - he throws out quite a list there - greed and anger, you could add sexual immorality, deceit - are mere fleabites in comparison. Pride is THE sin, it puts us in absolute opposition to God.

Pride leads to me jealousy, because I hate that others have what I think I deserve. Pride undergirds anger and vengeance - remember Lamech, Noah’s father from last week, who killed a man for injuring him? Cain will be avenged seven times, but Lamech, seventy-seven times! Pride spurs critical, condemning hearts within us - I’m better than that person. Our stubbornness, when we refuse to admit we’re wrong, when we won’t humble ourselves before God and recognize our need for him, and what needs to change in our lives - and that we need his help and power to do it.

Today, as we continue our journey through the Old Testament, book of Genesis, we’re going to consider the story in Genesis 11, the Tower of Babel.

Now, it’s short, kinda random, even a little strange, this story. But it’s vital, because, as I hope you’ll see, the themes we find here make their way through the whole of Bible.

To put the story in proper context, I want to take us back to where we ended last week, story of the Great Flood. If you remember, when Noah and his sons and their families and all the pairs of animals came off of the ark, that God re-iterated to them his great creation command, “As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

So, the command is clear - go out, fill the earth. We’ll see how they’re doing with that command.

This brings us to Genesis 11:1-9...Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 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.” 5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” 8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel —because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Babylon as the anti-Kingdom

So, initially, they are doing exactly as God commanded, they are moving out throughout the earth, filling it. And, as you might expect - they’re not all supposed to be nomads, constantly wandering - they find a place and settle there.

But notice what they start doing - and even more importantly, why they’re doing it.

We learn that they have developed technology for making buildings out of brick, which is huge, because now they don’t have to quarry the stone and transport it long distances. So, with this brick-and-mortar technology, they plan to build a city, a city with a great tower, one that reaches to the heavens. So far, so good.

But notice how they describe why they want to build this city and tower: Let us build ourselves a city…so that we may make a name for (who?) ourselves. Because if we don’t do this, what will happen to us - we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.

God’s command is super clear - go out into the earth, be fruitful, fill it. Their response. Nope, we’re staying put. Right here. Instead, we’re going to build - for ourselves - a big city, a great tower - so people will see how great we are. It’s the sin of pride, the complete anti-God state of mind.

It’s no wonder that this city / tower, which becomes known as Babel - or by its more commonly used name, Babylon, becomes an archetype in the Bible. Babylon becomes symbolic for any kingdom that is absolutely against God, for a kingdom that is against God. Babylon is complete anti-Kingdom of God.

Of course it is Babylon itself that God uses centuries later to scatter the Israelites (which seems a little ironic). That takes place in 587 B.C. - Jerusalem is conquered by the Babylonian empire and many of the Jews are taken to Babylon into exile (the book of Daniel takes place in Babylon).

In the book of Revelation, prophecies are spoken against Rome, kingdom that was persecuting the early Christians. But Rome is not named, it’s described as a women with her name written on her forehead. Her name is “Babylon the Great, The Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth” (how would you like that tattooed on your forehead!). It goes on to describe the fall of Babylon (Rome).

Because Rome was the Kingdom coming against God, it was anti-Kingdom of God. That’s what Babylon came to represent.

The Great Humbling

So what does God decided to do with these people who are working to build for themselves a great city so that they might make a name for themselves and not have to be scattered? He humbles them.

They have been unified in their cause, building the city and the tower, so God brings dis-unity among them.

Which is interesting, because normally we think of unity, as being unified, as a good thing. The Bible talks a lot about our unity: Jesus himself prays for our unity and works to protect it in John 17:11...I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 4 to make every effort to keep the unity we have in the Holy Spirit, reminding us that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. One.

But the issue is not simply being unified - the other critical question is what unifies us. A mob is generally pretty unified. If we’re unified by our hate of others, that’s a unity that divides, destroys. If we’re unified because we want to be seen as special in some way (we want to make a name for ourselves), that’s a symptom of pride, that’s not good, either. That’s a clique, elitist.

God recognizes the evil they are unifying around and so he scatters them, by confusing their language so that they are unable to understand each other. One moment, they’re all speaking the same language, the next moment they’re speaking what they think is the same language, but it all comes out as gibberish.

Speaking of language, there’s a fun little play on words here: Hebrew word for the verb “to confuse”, is balel - similar to name of the city, bavel, Babel. Think of our own English word, babble.

So God brings upon them the thing they feared most - to be scattered. God humbles them, all this work they were doing for themselves, making a name for themselves - and God comes against them in their pride, confusing and scattering them so they can no longer be unified in their work against him.

A little sneak peek to two weeks from now, but we’re going to see how this scattering will play into God’s plan for redemption, as he will begin to work his salvation for humanity though one group of people in particular, and it all starts with Abraham.

God isn’t just scattering them out of jealousy or insecurity - he’s doing that so that they might be unified by the good. Through him, in his name. We were all made by God, in his image, made for God. “There is one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4) God’s humbling is always so that we might be built up together - in him.

How God will do this is foreshadowed through one of his prophets, Zephaniah 3:9. Listen carefully to this prophecy: For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord.

So, when does God do this, changing speech of peoples in order to unify them in the name of Jesus Christ? At Pentecost. 40 days after Jesus is crucified and rises from the dead, he ascends into heaven. 9 days later, on the Feast of Pentecost, 120 of his first followers are gathered in that upper room when the Holy Spirit comes in power on them, wind blowing, tongues of flame appearing on each of them. Pentecost is the great reversal of the Tower of Babel.

Instead of one language that everyone speaks, but no one can understand, the Holy Spirit gives them the power of languages. They are enabled to speak languages they never knew so everyone in the city of Jerusalem, no matter where they were from and what language they spoke, could understand.

What is it that they understand? The good news of Jesus Christ. Peter gets up and preaches to the crowd, teaching them that everything that they are experiencing is God’s work, God pouring out his Holy Spirit in power, as promised by the prophet Joel: In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people...And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

And what is that name that everyone must call on? Jesus Christ of Nazareth. As Peter says in another sermon (Acts 4:12), Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

It’s the great reversal. Because of their pride, their anti-God state of mind, God confused and scattered those who were seeking to make a name for themselves by building the great city and tower of Babel. But now, through the power of the Holy Spirit, God is working to bring together all people who willingly humble themselves and call upon the name of the Lord, who will call on the name of Jesus Christ.

By the way, God’s desire for us to be scattered has not changed. We are to continue to go and be fruitful and multiply in order to grow the Kingdom of God. This is the Great Commission of Matthew 28, Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Again, in Acts 1:8, Jesus speaking to his disciples right before he ascends into heaven and shortly before the events of Pentecost: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

You’re going to be scattered all over the world - in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and in Hurricane and Culloden and Milton and all of Teays Valley - you will be my witnesses. God brings us together, unified in the name of Jesus Christ, in order to be scattered, to go into the world to share with others the great news of Jesus.

I started this message talking about the one great vice, pride. That complete anti-God state of mind. To show how corrupting it can be. Those people in the story of the Tower of Babel had a great inclination - to be unified, to come together for a greater cause. But because they were filled with pride, their cause was evil, making a name for themselves.

If pride is the vice is that leads to all the others, then humility, the willingness to surrender, to submit to God, is the virtue that leads to all the others. I won’t turn to God until I humble myself, recognizing my sin and my need for Jesus and his forgiveness. I can’t learn to love others, truly be for them, with a servant’s heart, if I’m puffed up with myself. How can I live in obedience to Jesus if I resist his teaching, his wisdom - which is exactly what pride leads me to do?

Spiritual Disciplines

Spiritual Discipline of Servanthood - serving others, is the practice that fights pride and all of its manifestations in us (vanity, stubbornness, jealousy, exclusion).

Look for small ways to love others, to be attentive to them. Willingness to be interrupted. What does it look like to bear the burdens of others? To embrace your own weakness and limitations?

Begin with prayers of humility, humbling yourself before God and before others.

To put into practice “Gospel intentionality”, to take seriously that God has called you - you and I - to be those who share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. who go and make disciples of all nations. Or, as we put it here at PCC, lead others into the abundant life of Jesus Christ.

I’m not saying that this means that you have to go to another country, traveling evangelist, but to suggest that God has already scattered us for this purpose.

He’s placed Christians everywhere - in every town in every state. He’s placed you on your street, in your neighborhood, put you at your workplace. He’s placed us as a church in this neighborhood.

Shift your mindset, embrace this truth (surrender to it - humility). Write a Scripture passage on a note card, place it in your card, as you go to work, short time of prayer, offering yourself to be used by God. Make a prayer list - doesn’t have to be long (3, 4, 5 plus) people you commit to praying for on a regular basis, people that don’t know Jesus. Invite the Holy Spirit to come in power in you.

Inspiration: Image of the Kingdom of God, people from every tribe...

One of the most beautiful images of the Kingdom of God, of what God intends, comes from Revelation 7:9-10...After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

This great multitude, people of every background - every language spoken, every nation that has existed, every people group - which is an amazing thing to think about, every one - gathered together, unified in praise and worship of God. They’re standing before the throne, the King, to God himself, to Jesus - it all belongs to you Jesus. This salvation we have, it belongs to you, you gave it to us.

All these people unified through their love and devotion to Jesus. I hope that, above all else, this is what unifies us. That we’ve seen the beauty and glory and goodness of Jesus, we’ve been enthralled by his wisdom, our hearts melted by his mercy, we’ve been strengthened and encouraged by his loving presence in our lives. And that day by day, this is more and more true of us.