Genesis 11, Matthew 2

Monday, Dec 10, 2007 – Brandon Hatmaker (Genesis 11, Matthew 2)

(Genesis 11)

What an interesting story reminding us about our sinful nature. God had recently given a new covenant to Noah and his sons marking it with a sign of restoration and safety. I would imagine each one of them had a firm understanding of the authority of God, His power, His love (the list goes on and on) and yet here in Genesis 11, just a handful of generations away, Idolatry enters with scene. The tower of babel was the chief seat of that idolatry. Instead of continuing to uphold our end of the covenant, we build idols and seek ways to achieve forms of “godliness” ourselves. Can you imagine how foolish it would be to build a tower in which we really thought we could reach heaven?

Verse 4 says, "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 word “name” comes from the Hebrew word “renown”. By it’s own definition, they were literally saying let us create for ourselves a “memorial of individuality, by implication, honor and authority.” It doesn’t denote, necessarily, an actual “name” but more so a “position”. In this context, their position was in relationship to heaven and celestial beings (angels), and God himself.

I’ve always been confused about this scripture and wondered why God didn’t just appreciate their desire to be close to Him. Here’s why: They weren’t trying to be close to God or do something to honor God, they were trying to position themselves on par with God. They were trying to be gods. That’s always been a HUGE problem with God.

Verse 6 shares some insight. “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.” He was saying, geeze, if they’ll do this, they’ll try anything!

God was not making a statement of FACT that nothing was impossible for them to achieve. He was making a statement of what they believed. He knew that if they felt any type of success in this building (which in our humanity, we always measure our success by our standards, not Gods) it would only create more self-destructive tendencies. This wasn’t an overnight project, this probably was taking years, imagine the cultural shifting that was taking place during this project of tangent “hope”.

He said, “nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” Key words, “for them”. It was THEIR reality. But, it was NOT reality.

In their own minds, if they tried this, there was nothing they wouldn’t try. The Hebrew says that “nothing would be restrained” in their “plotting, devise, and purpose”. God was NOT creating more of a dependency upon Him, he was protecting them from themselves.

But as we know, God took care of things. How? Did he wipe them out again? No, he promised he wouldn’t do that (although he could, since man had already broken their side of the covenant). He simply confused them, and sent them on their own way.

Was God afraid they would actually reach heaven? No, of course not. I believe that the Tower of Babel was a form of grace. Mankind was up to something terrible. They had lost their focus. They were replacing God in their minds. God stepped in, and separated them from themselves. Kind of like breaking up a fight with your brother. Like only a father would.

Father, thank you for saving us from ourselves. Thank you that you know what our nature and our weaknesses are. Thank you for intervening in our lives.

(Matthew 2)

It’s amazing what happens in our carnal minds when God is calling us to do something spiritual that “disturbs” our lifestyle, “disturbs” the pattern of something we want to keep doing, “disturbs” our grip on something we’ve always thought we had “control” on, or “disturbs” an area of life we’d rather God not change.

I guess that’s how Herod felt when Jesus was born, “ When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” What TERRIBLE things followed.

God, may we see the areas in our life that you want to change as a blessing. Help us to see it as a joy on our journey that we might have such a faith, that even what might seem as a disturbance, can be seen in the way you intended. May that strengthen our faith and our dependency upon you.