The Blueprint of Babel

“Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens…”  Genesis 11:4

 

I would really like to have seen it.  

Architecturally, Babel’s tower was surely impressive.  Its base was bold enough to bolster height which would climb to the clouds.  Its sides were surrounded by a city able to contain its ambitious inhabitants.

Babel was built with bricks—one by one.  The abundance of sand and sun assured never-ending supplies, so the blocks were fashioned and then fastened—held together by a mortar of tar and a motive of pride and preservation.  “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.”

The name of God was not enough.  They wanted one of their own, so they set out to leave a legacy by living for themselves.  One by one.

God came down to inspect.  He noticed the foundation was them not Him, and since the priority of this project did not meet code, He confused the speech of the laborers.  Unable to understand each other, they scattered away from each other.  One by one.

Babel was never completed.  No certificate of occupancy was ever issued.  The unfinished tower stood in the desert as a desolate monument to the grand plans of men—minus God.

In vanity, they built up.  And God came down to scatter.

In humility, we look up.  For God came down to gather.  One by one.

Live your life by God’s design and not by Babel’s blueprint, for only what lifts up Jesus today will last past tomorrow.