A STUDY IN GENESIS

As promised at the beginning of this series, Genesis is a book of answers. However, at times, those answers can be controversial. Today we are examining one of those. Genesis chapter 11, the Tower of Babel.

As always, God’s Word needs to be taken seriously. That means we can assume it is accurate and that our understanding is what needs to be sharpened and re-examined to make sure it aligns with God’s Word. Chapter 11 is no different, we must take the same approach.

If you ever watch the United Nations summits, you will see that virtually everyone is talking about peace, unity, and some form of togetherness. This call to action is quickly followed by the carrot of global peace. However, the second they walk out of the room, they are at odds with one another. Nevertheless, this brings about a unique question.

What would the world look like if mankind was united?

We need not wonder, but look at God’s Word for a moment in human history and see that exact moment being played out. Let us examine what God commanded Noah and his descendants to do.

Genesis 9:1 “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” God told them to fill the earth. Did Noah’s descendants listen? No they did not.

Genesis 11:1-4 “Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake [them] thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top [is] in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Now some will read this and immediately say, “Look at these idiots, they believe they could make a tower to get to heaven.” However, this would be an inaccurate statement. How do we know this? Look at the very next two verses. Genesis 11:5-6 “But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people [are] one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.”

God is confirming that their idea will work! “Now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.” In other words, “Together they will accomplish their goal.” So what is it exactly what they were trying to do?

We know that the leader of this group is, Nimrod. Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Genesis 10:8-12 “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that [is] the principal city).”

This we will need to break down and examine. At this point, we know at that mankind is one group. Nimrod is leading them. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, which is where we get the towers name.

Now this is where the English does not do us justice. We might think that Nimrod is a great archery hunter or something. But that is not the meaning here. The Septuagint and the NASB I believe get the closest to the original meaning. Let’s first start with the Septuagint. If you do not know who the Septuagint are, I would encourage you to examine the rich history of Godly men preserving God’s Word for the masses.

Genesis 10:8 “Now Chous became the father of Nebrod. He was the first on earth to be a giant. He was a giant hunter before the Lord God. Therefore they will say, ‘Like Nebrod a giant hunter before the Lord.”

Now the NASB.

Genesis 10:8-9 “Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.”

Both give us insight into the reality of what what exactly God’s Word is identifying. Nimrod, who was in charge of the first united nation, is in fact pursuing something God just destroyed. The Lord is watching him do it, because Nimrod is hunting before the Lord. Now some might be saying, how is this possible? Or is this taking the text a little too far? Not many Pastors, Bible scholars, and theologians take this stand. And that is ok, because we are taking God’s Word seriously and in doing so, we follow where the text leads us. Examine just a few chapters before this, in chapter 6.

Genesis 6:4 “There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore [children] to them. Those [were] the mighty men who [were] of old, men of renown.” I am here today to tell you, that the very first dictator, started off human and was mutated into something that God destroyed in the flood.

Genesis 10:8 “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.” The word “began” is the Hebrew word “Halal” which means to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, and begin. This profanity is done through sexual rituals. I do not know how, but somehow, Nimrod sought after how to make himself into Nephilim. This should scare you! His first act is becoming Nephilim, his second is to make humankind build something to reach heaven to thwart God from scattering them. What does this mean for us today? Does it mean globalism is bad? Does it mean we shouldn’t strive for peace with our national neighbors? Certainly not! But it means that peace truly only comes from Christ. It means that if the world is united under a leader other than Christ, maybe he shouldn’t t be trusted. I am reminded about Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Satan has his own seed. This verse identifies two bloodlines! The first is Satan’s seed, but the final seed is Jesus Christ.

While we might not know the technology behind the Tower of Babel, we would be foolish to believe it was primitive. I believe based on scripture that Genesis 11 events and the construction work happening was based on gene manipulation and quantum physics. That tower was not by length going to make it into Heaven but was going to make it there. This is thought to be impossible until modern known science reveals it is not outside of the impossible. This might sound arbitrary or even absurd, but allow me to explain. If God thought it was silly and their attempts were not going anywhere, why did He find it necessary to act? He had to do something or they were going to succeed! Next week we will dive into the discussion God has and exactly what He does to mankind.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL