Now, it’s time to unfold why this account is given attention in a series about worship. As I said when talking about Noah, everyone worships. The question is whether that worship is acceptable to God or not. Clearly, something wasn’t right, and it has to do with worship. So, what was wrong with the worship here at Babel?
The tower that was built on the plain of Shinar was designed for worship. Of that, there is no doubt. What worship would have taken place on top of that tower, it does not tell. The tower was never completed, so there can be no clear answer. But there are clear hints in the passage that tell us it was one of two things.
The tower may have been built to worship a false god. It was probably a ziggurat, built to be what came to be known as a high place. There, at the top of the tower, closest to heaven, sacrifices would be made to whatever gods were invented or named by then. Perhaps priests had already been designated to make the sacrifices and say the prayers. Perhaps they were already offering up the unthinkable—child sacrifices. Perhaps they were doing detestable sexual things up there in the name of worship. Perhaps they were offering up animal or grain sacrifices to the gods in order to achieve healing, or good weather, or a win for their local sports ball team that weekend. Mankind invents false gods and idol worship wherever they go, it seems.
The passage in Genesis does not mention worship. It does not mention false gods. But it does mention people. These people say they are going to build a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, “so that we may make a name for ourselves . . ..” It would be fair to call this Humanism v1.0. They were doing things to build up themselves. So they were proud that their tower was going to be the tallest in the world. They were self-sufficient enough to not need God, because they were very capable all on their own, thank you very much.
Whatever else their motivation, they wanted their tower to reach up to the heavens, not because they wanted to MEET a god up there, but because they wanted to BE the gods up there, with a Name for Themselves! Make a name for ourselves. A father called his son a name
...she bore a son and called his name Seth, Genesis 4:25
and people called on the name of the LORD.
. . . people began to call upon the name of the LORD. Genesis 4:26
Adam was even given authority over animals when he named them.
And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. Genesis 2:19
Here they want to make a name for themselves.
. . . let us make a name for ourselves, Genesis 11:4
This ironic twist of words is no mere coincidence. Mankind was taking charge of their own identity, being master of their own fate, captain of their own destiny. In other words, in rebellion against God.
. . . remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:12-13
But God, who is rich in mercy, had another plan for His people. It was a better plan than the false choice between worshiping ourselves as God or worshiping idols which we invented and fashioned and named—and then served!
Of course, God’s plan includes the concept of unity, just as surely as Babel’s did. But God’s version of unity is the real thing, not the counterfeit kind. God’s good plan even includes building a great edifice that dwarfs what all the people in the world could build on their own. God’s plan overcomes language barriers, religious and ethnic differences, rich and poor, educated and uneducated.
This is God’s better plan:
And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. . . . you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Ephesians 2:17-22
Remember how I said that everyone worships, but the difference is whether or not that worship is acceptable to God? Worship is not acceptable or pleasing to God if it somehow does not walk with God, work for God, instantly, willingly, and completely, or if it does not preach for God. Furthermore, in this passage I think you could say that worship done in a self-styled manner is equally unacceptable to God. They may have been sincere in their beliefs, and put forth much effort in the cause, but if it is not based on truth, it is unacceptable.
You could say that at Babel, people had accepted a substitute for God. Whether it was humanism or idolatry, people had accepted some elaborate imitation instead of the real thing. I imagine that there was such a feeling of pride and accomplishment, and that in the worship there were so many warm fuzzies there that it seemed impossible to view it as forbidden idolatry. But no matter how nice the building materials, no matter how high the tower (so to speak), no matter how many songs are sung and dances danced and words recited and rites performed, it is still nothing more than a human invention, and it does not please the One True God.
(Good thing you and I are not susceptible to humanly-derived substitutes for authentic worship today, ain’t it?)
YOUR ENCOUNTER
“But this one is so painful
Just can’t let go
Keep it close
Hold it tight
It slows me down in time
I fall again, I cry
And as I’m laying down I’m laying down my pride
You had to lay me down to make me see the sky
So though it may be painful
The hurting still feels good
And I believe it’s joy that makes me want to cry
So I’m ready now to do Your what
To find Your hidden why
And I’ll lay down my wings
So You can teach me how to truly fly
So Lord, take this idol
I lay it in Your hands
So You can make me into what You want
according to Your plans
And if You send me pain
Well, that’s okay
You’re teaching me to be
Like Christ
And He endured so much for me
And Lord take this idol
I lay it at Your feet
And I am willing now to follow You
That where You dwell, there I may be
If I delight in You You promised me the desires of my heart
So here I stand
a broken man
But ready now to start
You said to me
“Obey, just obey.
Don’t you think of excuses
Don’t find others’ abuses
Just obey.
I’ll you’ll take this step of faith
Then I know you’ll understand
But first you have to place it
In my hand.”
Let’s pursue this matter of true worship from the perspective of Babel. Three quick exercises involving your imagination. Don’t stop too long to think about your answers. Ready? Begin!
1. Imagine that you have exactly 10 seconds to grab anything in your house and run out the door. If you stop to think, you won’t have time. Go! What did you gather in your mind’s eye just now? Why did you choose that? What would you have chosen if you had more time to think about it and plan in advance? What does this exercise tell you about your priorities and goals in life?
2. Now let’s go for something you really could plan for. Imagine that you have died at a ripe old age, and the people who are your family and friends have gathered (we’ll just say that they are all still alive, for the sake of this exercise). One by one, those closest to you get up and talk about you. What do you want them to say? Is it what they probably really would say? What does this exercise tell you about your priorities and goals in life?
3. One more: You stand before Jesus at the Great White Throne. He says, “Is there anything that you loved in life more than you loved me?” What is the first thing that comes to mind that you would confess? What does this exercise tell you about your priorities and goals in life?
Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 2 Peter 3:14
You might say that for every person, our greatest temptation is to build a tower to substitute for Christ. Sometimes we put an idol of some sort in the highest place of honor in our lives, and sometimes we put ourselves there. But there it stands, built brick-by-brick in our imaginations and our actions. Has God shown you a tower you have built that does not honor Him? Any areas in your life that God has revealed to you, in which you have not had Him as first place? Confess it to the Lord, share your confession with someone, and then let the Holy Spirit use His wrecking ball and tear down that tower in the name of Jesus!