Tower of Babel, January 5, 2013 10:25 PM

Genesis 11:1-9, the Tower of Babel.

Babel is the origin of Babylon, which through the Bible becomes the epitome of unspiritual political power, the nemesis of God's people. First spoken of here in Genesis, at the decline of Israel it plays the crucial role of the conqueror of Israel and the destination of the exiled captives, and it appears in the final chapter of the story, in the book of Revelation, where it is referred to as "the Great Whore." In that final prophecy it falls to the power of God.

The name "Babel" has a basic meaning of "confusion," and the symbol of Babel, and by extension, Babylon, has been interpreted by many to mean just that: confusion. There is the cognate word, babble, and the story is of the confusion of languages. Down through the centuries, when a split or reformation has occurred in the Christian church, those who are rebelling and leaving behind a church organization they view as flawed or even as having abandoned the true faith have sometimes labelled the organization they are leaving as Babylon. One group I knew declared that all denominations, who spoke in a variety of ways with differing interpretations of the Christian gospel, were to be understood as Babylon, and all true, faithful Christians were obliged to come out of "Babylon" to stand with the faithful remnant as the Jews left their exile to return to Jerusalem. That interpretation does not stand up to scrutiny, however.

What does Babel and its tower really symbolize? In this short passage we read that, prior to God's intervention, the people of the world all spoke one language; one translation says they spoke "with the same pronunciation"; another says they used "the same vocabulary."In other words, they could communicate very well, with a minimum of misunderstanding. It says they were all "one," that is, united. They had a single purpose, to reach God by building a tower, which was probably a ziggurat, a stepped tower that would contain an altar at the top.

God declares that they can't be allowed to do it, because if they succeed, "nothing they have a mind to do will be beyond their reach." God steps in and magically causes everyone to suddenly be speaking a different language, so they cannot understand one another. Their unity is shattered, and they are dispersed over the land. The tower, incomplete, is abandoned. The reason for God's action was their arrogant pride, in thinking that by their own efforts they could reach God and make a great name for themselves. Their unity was a worldly unity, a unity based on sense consciousness, on external effort rather than on inner spiritual growth.

The story probably derives from a primitive myth about how different languages originated, blaming it on humanity's hubris and God's magical intervention. While there may be some truth in the idea of a common root for all, or most, languages, it probably didn't happen this way! What you and I can take away from the symbolism of the story, however, is very valid to this day.

How are we instructed to come to know God? "Be still and know that I am God." "Stand still, and see the salvation of The Lord." "For it is by grace you are saved through faith; it is not your own doing. It is God’s gift, not a reward for work done" (Ephesians 2:8–9, Revised English Bible). We do not manifest Christ through our human efforts, by "doing" anything; we manifest Christ by "being." It comes from within. We don't build a great church by great salesmanship, superior management, or skillful fund-raising; we build a great church by fostering spiritual growth in people.