The Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9) is about people who built ‘a tower that reaches to the heavens’ (v. 4). God responds by saying ‘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’. God is not worried they might actually overthrow him, as He had to bend right down to see this ‘grand’ structure (v. 5). Rather, God is concerned about what may happen if humanity is left unchecked in our collective apostasy.
The people’s sin was they were trying to ‘make a name’ for themselves (v. 4), which is the exact opposite of the meaning of life. God didn’t create the world because he was lonely or bored or in need. The Father, Son and Spirit have all been pouring out their love, communication and glory into each other for all eternity. God is self-sufficient. Rather, He created the universe to spread his glory, so that others could enjoy that infinite glory (awesomeness) as well.
Rather than bring glory to God’s name and enjoy His glory forever, the people of Babel were trying to make a name for themselves and enjoy the accolades that come from such a reputation. This can only end in misery. Take Will Smith for example, whose act of pride at the Oscars in 2022 came before a huge fall. All attempts to show people we’re valuable will only ever lead to misery, as making a name for ourselves goes against God’s design for humanity.
Real joy and satisfaction in life comes from ‘calling on the name of the Lord’ (Gen 4:26), which means to worship (ascribe ultimate worth) to God. Thus while the many languages, cultures and races have brought much strife to our world, they are also a reminder that real joy and satisfaction in life comes from enjoying God’s glory, not our own.
