Make a name for youself!

"Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;" - Ps 127:1

See Genesis 11.1-9

“So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city” (Gen 11.8). Is it important to see why God does not simply destroy the Tower of Babel? Perhaps it is if we consider the fact that it is not the building, the technical invention or the attempt at civilization facilitated by it, which constitutes the evil against which God takes His measures. It has more to do with the fact that “They said, ‘Come, … let us make for ourselves a name…’” (Gen. 11.4).

God’s judgment is not against the advancement of culture. Rather, “the Lord came down …” against the way in which humanity tries to facilitate and affirm and maintain itself, to make itself a name, to play the part of Providence. God’s judgment is against any attempt or intention of humanity to achieve a name for itself independently of God Himself.

You see, once humanity’s contrived object was taken away (unity through culture) the building process ceased automatically. “That it could cease shows that it was not harmless in intention but directed against God and therefore evil”, says K. Barth. According to Ps. 127.1, the building process had to cease because it was in vain. Again, Barth points out, “Everything is in vain, and moves self-evidently to destruction sooner or later, that is ventured by man with the same intention as this building” of the Tower of Babel.

enjoy, ron

Confusion of Tongues!

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

(1525 – 1569)
The Tower of Babel
oil on panel (114 × 155 cm) – 1563
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

I don’t speak in tongues? That is, I don’t speak often in tongues! Unless, of course, speaking some (very little) Greek, Hebrew, Latin, German and/or French counts. I can sometimes think in tongues, however. I wonder if that counts? Still, I’ve been accused of talking in ways that need serious interpretative help. Say what?

I believe in tongues! Even supernatural tongues! Mind you, I have to listen lovingly to catch it; and sometimes I do, especially, with regard to my grandchildren. Say what? You need something to drink? Milk? “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men…” (1 Cor. 3.1). Are you sure?

At first blush, tongues reminds me of the ancient Tower of Babel incident recorded in Genesis 11. Recall, after the great flood, Noah's descendants settled in some remote lowlands near the Euphrates. At that time, they spoke a common language and formed a single, close knit community. Harmoniously, there was one tongue and no one was excluded.

Now we read in Genesis 11.4: "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." Call it the Tongue Tower! Notice the tower had to serve as a landmark to keep people together, despite the fact that God had commanded Noah and his sons to 'replenish' the earth (Gen. 9.1). Also, rainbow or no, a great tower could be used as a safe haven in case of a new flood.

God looked down upon these busy folks, and concluded that in all their industry they were actually trying to rival him. That’s idolatry! So he decided to discipline them with the Confusion of Tongues. Since people could no longer understand each other, they were scattered over the earth at last. The site of the event would from that day on be known as Babel, apparently meaning 'confusion'.

I understand this feeling of bewilderment! I was listening the other day to a couple of Muslim’s interact in an aisle near me at the Wal-Mart. Say what? That evening, I attended a prayer meeting where two of my friends went off into tongues over a pressing issue. Say what?

Let it be known that tongues are important but not at the expense of love (1 Cor 13.1).

enjoy, ron