“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.’”(Genesis 11:4)
In this 3rd year of the pandemic, we look forward to things getting back to normal. However what we have experienced in this past few years should really be considered the norm in light of the fact that the history of mankind has been marked by hatred, violence, warfare, suffering, and animosity with brief periods of peace and prosperity at least for some. It is also true that from time to time a few idealistic human beings have come forth to try and unite peoples and nations under the rule of one world government or leader. All have succumbed to failure due to the greed and depravity of all human beings but also because of the action of God Himself.
We see God’s action in response to man’s hubris clearly at Babel. After the flood, the population of humanity grew rapidly. And with the growth of humanity came an increase in wickedness. Mankind as a whole was filled with self-centeredness and pride, just as it is today. And much like today, people wanted to celebrate themselves and their achievements. These days people proclaim their greatness on social media or television, but the ancient people met together at Babel to build a city and a huge tower into the sky. The goals of modern day glory seekers was the same as those at Babel: immortality and divinity, the proclamation of the nobility, autonomy, and strength of wonderful human beings. But those ancients had rebelled against the greatness and glory of Almighty God.
The Lord God stepped in to halt mankind’s efforts at unity Babel. He scattered human beings across the earth by confusing their languages so that any attempts at cooperation between peoples led only to frustration, acrimony, and enmity.
Mankind is still seeking to achieve that unity through various means: social movements, technology, government, the media, and eclectic spirituality. All such means are attempts to break down barriers and assert control over others. They are all doomed to fail. Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, Socialists, and the UN may seek to make all people one, but it will not and cannot happen without the work of the Lord. True unity comes only by faith in Christ and the action of the Holy Spirit.