Man’s Rude but Towering Attitude

A Devotional Series from Genesis

Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)

8/6 Reading Portions: Judges 20; Acts 24; Jeremiah 34; Psalms 5-6

Genesis 11:3-4

And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

PRIDE

If you can remember back to Cain, he was “a worker of the ground” (Gen 4:2); or literally, a slave or servant to the ground. Cain’s offerings were not made by faith, as Abel’s were (Heb 11:4). I have preached in the past years that Cain’s offerings of the produce from the land may have been the best of the crops; however, they were offered with an attitude of “look what I’ve done for You, God?” No faith. No humility. No acknowledgement that the best we have to offer God—or anyone—comes by the grace, mercy, and longsuffering of God alone. The attitude of Noah’s descendants during this venture was no different. It was Cain’s pride on a congregational level. In the third verse, we read of the excitement of their enthusiasm (Come), the exuberance of their physical strength (let us make bricks), and the arrogance of their ingenuity (and burn them thoroughly). In the fourth verse, we read again of the excitement of their enthusiasm to forsake God (Come). Instead of “looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Heb 11:10), they wanted to get to heaven by their own strength (build… a city and a tower with its top in the heavens). Instead of waiting upon a name that is above every name (Phil 2:9-10), the only name by which men may be saved (Acts 4:11-12), they wanted to make a name for themselves. Rather than keeping the command of God to be “fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 9:1), they defiantly refused to be dispersed to fill the earth God’s image-bearers. It is written,

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12; 16:25

We’re witnessing a kind of Tower of Babel mentality in many aspects of our lives today. In churches (so-called) over the past thirty years, we have seen worldly gimmicks and earthly methods used to cajole congregations into giving, service, and even into salvation. American politics since 2008 seems to echo exactly what we read in the construction of Babel’s tower: “Change We Can Believe In” and chants of “Yes we can.” Followed by “Make America Great Again,” which was followed by “Build Back Better,” “Finish the Job,” and “Keep America Great.” Again, it is written,

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

When our eyes of faith are upon the Christ of Scripture and upon the truth of His cross, it will humble our souls and confound whatever dialogue is taking place in our minds which leads us away from our loving Messiah.