Last week, we studied the table of nations (Gen 10). Genesis 11 introduces a new story, with the use of the word "now". As readers, this signals to us that events in this chapter mark a new section in the ongoing narrative.
(A) The theology of Babel: the Creator God who hates pride and opposes it (Gen 11:1-9)
At this point, the entire human race was united by a common language and culture (Gen 11:1). We are told that they had "one language and the same words", and had some form of technology to make for themselves bricks and mortar (Gen 11:2-3). Life continued after the flood, and people began to spread out and repopulated the earth, rebuilding their lives in the process.
The people decided to build a city and a tower. Looking at verse 4 in detail sheds light on their motivations:
| "build ourselves" | All the building in the previous chapters -- the ark, the altars -- were commanded by God or for God. Here, however, their effort and resources, the zeal, mission, purpose, goal towards a self-serving desire and vain ambition for personal pleasure. |
| "a city" | In Gen 10:10, we read about Nimrod who founded places like Babel. Cities were for self-preservation, safety and protection. The very intent of building this city was unlike promise and provision of God in the Noah account, where God protected His people from nature, other men and His own wrath. |
| "and a tower with its top in the heavens" | A tower, in that time, was like a ziggurat, which had religious connotations. In building a tower on their own initiative, it was a show of self-worship and godlike aspirations, thinking they could get to God Himself and return to Eden-like relationship on their own. The height of the tower also meant that everyone could see their accomplishment. This was a clear expression of human pride, with a transgression of the creator-creature distinction. This, as we read later, will lead to some disastrous results. |
| "let us make a name for ourselves" | Their actions were motivated by the fame and praise of self, seeking the worship of other men. This horizontal, relational need, is a vertical problem, and is offensive to God. At the heart of it, it reveals a desire to be more than other men, to be above them. Very naturally then, it so easily leads to breaching the creature-creator distinction. This is not unlike our society, a society that prides itself on meritocracy. We are told to work hard for our success, but sometimes we do not realise that we are unable to make a name for ourselves and God at the same time. |
| "lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth" | The people also feared for their lives, and believed in strength in numbers. The building of the Tower revealed fear and insecurity, anxiety in trusting God's instructions and will, even though he stated it explicitly in the chapter before. The building of the Tower and the city, were clearly for self-preservation. |
This passage, and Genesis continues to make a mockery of human ambition. It shows us again and again that God is not a God of our own imagination. Even our greatest works do not get us far, and when man tries to usurp the place of God, it leads to disaster.
How does God respond to Babel? In verses 6 to 9, we are shown that God is not threatened by their actions. He confuses them and proceeds to fulfill His plans and purposes. They were so worried about being dispersed over the earth, and at the end of this account, we are told that "the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth". What does this tell us? It reminds us that God will fulfill His purposes, even if man goes the opposite way. This is also a God who hates pride, because when we are prideful, we contend with God for His rightful place.
(B) The genealogy after Babel: an instructive bridge for faith and hope (Gen 11:10-26)
The next set of verses is another genealogy or toledot. It is the fifth toledot in the Genesis account, and Moses included it here to teach the ancient Israelites something about human life. What were the previous accounts for?
In the first account (Gen 2:4), we were given the generations of "the heavens and the earth when they were created". It focused not on how things were made, but on the One who made all things.
The second account (Gen 5:1) told us about the generations of Adam. It highlighted God's promise to fix all things through the descendants of Adam, and God was advancing His plan, even early on.
The third account (Gen 6:9) gave us the generations of Noah. Noah was an account of God's judgment, and he was a 'new' Adam, one that God chose to carry out his plans and rebuild the world after the flood
The fourth account in the chapter before (Gen 10:1) told us about the generations of the sons of Noah -- Shem, Ham and Japheth. The promise of Genesis 3 was moving on.
Here, in chapter 11, we have 10 generations being highlighted, the generation of Shem -- from Shem to Abram. Read together with the genealogy in Genesis 5, we see a total of twenty generations from Adam to Abram. This genealogy also has some differences with the ones before. There is an absence of the standard phrase --"and he died", as this was not written to focus on the consequences of sin. We also see a shrinking of the life span of the patriarchs after the flood.
(C) The contrast to Babel: the meek person that God loves and raises up for hope (Gen 11:27-32)
In verse 27, we zoom in to the 6th toledot that leads us to a very important biblical character: Abram. What do we learn about him from this passage?
Abram was the not the firstborn son (Gen 11:27). This is unlike the standard pattern of genealogies!
Abram was not a Hebrew (Gen 11:28), and idea picked up by Paul again in Romans 7.
Abram was married to Sarai, a barren woman (Gen 11:30 c.f. Is 54:4). Being barren in that time came with it shame and confusion, and a difficult life.
Abram was not a God-worshipper (Gen 11:31 c.f. Jos 24:2). In fact, he was a moon worshipper! Ur, where Abram lived, was the leading centre of lunar religion. The city was dominated by a massive, three staged ziggurat built by Ur-Mannu during the beginning of the second millennium BC. Their names come right out of the cult of moon worship. Terah’s name is related to the word yarf-ah “moon” and yerah, “lunar month”. Sarah is the equivalent to the Akkadian sarratu, “queen” and was the name of the wife of the moon god Sin. Milcah is the same as the goddess Malkatu, a title of Ishtar, daughter of the moon god.
This was the man that God called (see Gen 12). Abram was a humble recipient of God’s amazing grace (c.f. Rom 4:2-4). There was nothing in Abram that merited God’s call. Yet this was the man God chose and called! It was in darkest Ur that Abram saw the glory of God and heard the call to depart and go to a land that God would show him, and he convinced Terah to leave with him. Verse 31 told us that when they got to Haran (another center of moon worship), Terah would not budge. So dutiful Abram bid his time until Terah’s death, after which he was off again to the promised land.
We will read on about Abram's life in our next series (Promises Kept!) but what does lessons can we learn from Genesis 11? We see Abram as a stark contrast to the pride and self-preservation of Babel. Abram did not choose to make a name for himself. Rather, he followed the call of God, who promised to make a name for him and make him a blessing for the nations. In Matt 1:1, we read that from the line of Abram came Jesus. The point of Abram and his obedience, was not an end in itself, but pointed to one that was to come. Jesus was the only one who worshipped God wholeheartedly and obeyed perfectly, even when tempted with a way to make himself king of the world. And it is through Jesus, that real blessing and restoration came into our world.
Genesis 11 presents to us two ways of living, either one of pride and self-preservation like the people of Babel, or one of humble faith and obedience like that of Abram, and ultimately Jesus. What choice will you make today?
“Why does God hate pride so passionately? Here’s why: Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him. Charles Bridges once noted how pride lifts up one’s heart against God and “contends for supremacy” with Him.” (p31, Humility, Mahaney)