Lessons from Babel

Bible Reading: Genesis 11:1–9

 

One of the greatest insights I gained from the story of the Tower of Babel came through a sermon by Pastor Tom Hayes in Stonebriar Community Church, Frisco. For years I only thought of the people's pride. They wanted to "make a name" for themselves. But I had overlooked another serious sin—their deliberate disobedience to God's command!

 

After creating Adam and Eve, God commanded them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it" (Genesis 1:28). Following the Flood, God repeated the same command to Noah and his family twice: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1,7). Yet at Babel, the people said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth" (Genesis 11:4).

 

They were not merely building a tower to make a name, they were resisting God's revealed will. God had commanded them to multiply and fill the earth and ‘filling’ is not possible without scattering!  

 

How often we do the same! 

 

We pray for God's blessing while we resist His commands. We want the blessings of obedience without the cost of obedience. Sometimes God calls us to forgive, but we cling to resentment. He calls us to witness, but we remain silent. He calls us to serve, but we give excuses. Like the builders of Babel, we become more committed to our own plans than to God's will.

 

The irony of the story is profound. 

 

The very thing they feared became the very thing God accomplished. They did not want to be scattered, but "the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth" (Genesis 11:8). No human plan can frustrate the purposes of God!

 

The Tower of Babel reminds us that disobedience often disguises itself as wisdom. The builders wanted security, unity, and significance, but they sought these apart from God's will. Whenever we substitute our plans for God's commands, even for seemingly good reasons, we repeat the sin of Babel.  

 

Then, the question we have to answer today is: Am I following my own plans, or am I obeying God's command? 

 

My friend, as believers, our calling is not to build our own kingdom but to participate in God's kingdom, trusting that His purposes are always wiser than our own.

 

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I have followed my own plans instead of obeying Your Word. Give me a heart that delights in Your will, so that my life would bring glory to Your name. Amen.

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