How important is the Tower of Babel to the greater biblical narrative? We discuss Genesis 11, its spiritual realm backing, and why it matters to us today in this episode.

Music:
“Kid Kodi”
Blue Dot Sessions
www.sessions.blue

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Creation Corruption Continued

Introduction

In our last lesson we discussed the corrupting influences of the evil spiritual forces on the creation in the Fall of Genesis 3 and the Flood of Genesis 6. Before the narrative shift of Genesis 12 takes place, there is one more occasion where evil spiritual influences worked to lead people astray: The Tower of Babel in Genesis 11.

Notes About the Attribution of Evil

In the New Testament, we read of a singular evil entity, or at least attribute all evil to a singular being, Satan.

“Satan” is actually a Hebrew word meaning “adversary” (Yahweh is even referred to as being a “Satan” in Numbers 22:22 among others places).

It isn’t until the New Testament that Bible readers encounter a singular evil entity, the devil, as a seeming ringleader of all demons, evil, etc.

For Jewish students, this singular idea of evil develops during the second temple period of time (post-exile Judaism writings), but even there (in places like Enoch, Testament of Moses) multiple evil beings are described to us.

Summary: The Old Testament teaches that there are multiple evil spiritual beings involved in leading the creation into further corruption. This was the common belief among Jewish people both in the Old Testament period, and into Jesus’ day. 

These beings are usually either angels who rebelled against God, or the products of that rebellion which are referred to by a number of names such as “Nephilim”, “Rephaim” and “Anakim” (note, Deuteronomy 2 gives us the additions of regional terminology for these beings like “Emim”, “Zamzumim” and “Caphtorim”). These beings were noted as both being a problem and prevalent on the earth.

The Tower (Genesis 11)

In Genesis 11 the stage that is set for us is this:

Whole earth had one language and the same words.

People settled into an area.

They began to build things.

One Language

The Hebrew here is very interesting. At first read it appears to be rather redundant, but it’s not, at least not entirely. 

“words” – This word means speech, and is also translated as “saying” or “commandment” throughout its many uses (~1500 times) in the Old Testament. 

“language” – this word shows us multiple times in the account (11:1, 6, 7 (2x). It is a word that communicates speech (“language” is a good translation), but it is also translated/used in this way: “shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding”. 

In a sense, Gen. 11:1 is telegraphing part of the issue taking place here. Because the people have one shared language, they all share a border together as one people. This isn’t inherently bad, in fact this is God’s desire when properly done, but it is bad here because the people are united in rebellion against God. 

Settling Down

Up to this point, God has given only a few commands, but there’s one He’s given on a few occasions to his creation: “fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28; Gen. 9:1, 7)

God’s expectation for His creation is mobility. 

We will see this type of behavior in Abram in Genesis 12.

Note as well, that we’ve already seen this settling down idea arise before, with Cain (Gen. 4:16)

Here we are seeing blatant disobedience to remain in one place instead of fulfilling God’s command to move about the earth (as well as the desire to make a name for themselves). 

Building Up

We should also note that the founder of Babel here is from the line of Ham, the one who was cursed after the flood (Gen. 10:6-20). Also from his lineage come the Philistines, Egypt, Nineveh, and the occupants of Canaan’s land that Israel will war with much later on. The inhabitants of this land are those who are part of easily corruptible lines.

Jewish thought at this time (as we read in the last lesson) is that spiritual beings were responsible for introducing tools, drugs (plants), astrology, etc. to mankind.

Consider “Nimrod”. Nimrod is linked to the founding of this city, where the tower is being built. He is said to be a “mighty” hunter before Yahweh. Don’t let the “before the Lord” fool you. That is not necessarily a positive (see Job 1:6). The word “mighty” is seen only once before this moment, in Genesis 6 in reference to the “Nephilim”. What the writer wants us to see is the continued influence of evil forces in the creation. 

According to Jewish thought, it is not just the Nephilim but also rebellious angels who are to blame. In Jewish thought, many angels rebelled against God, came together and made a covenant together against God on a mountain (1 Enoch 6).

“1. And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. 2. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: ‘Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.’ 3. And Semjâzâ, who was their leader, said unto them: ‘I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.’ 4. And they all answered him and said: ‘Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.’ 5. Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. 6. And they were in all two hundred; who descended ⌈in the days⌉ of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it.”

To summarize, God’s creation are being led in rebellion by rebellious beings (both angels and Nephilim) against Yahweh by building their own sacred space and becoming “gods” themselves. 

Disinheriting the Nations

Deuteronomy 32 speaks to the time God scattered the nations at Babel saying:

“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
    when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
    according to the number of the sons of God.
 But the Lord’s portion is his people,
    Jacob his allotted heritage.”

Notice “borders” here. This is not the same word as before, but does describe the events of the Tower of Babel. The people are divided, and new borders are given to the new people groups that now existed. Notice as well that these people are divided according to the number of the “sons of God”. This phrasing ties these divine beings to these physical people biblically. 

Psalm 82 adds to this idea by giving us a glimpse at what is going on in these others nations, while God interacts specifically with Abram and the eventual nation of Israel. 

“God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness;
    all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, “You are gods,
    sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die,
    and fall like any prince.” Arise, O God, judge the earth;
    for you shall inherit all the nations!”

Notice again the mention of the “gods” being in places of judgment over people groups/nations. They are failing at exercising the justice of God, which leads to their ultimate downfall. This Psalm ends with the reversal of Dt. 32:8, God inheriting the nations that have been disinherited.

Summary

We can summarize in this way: when God scattered the nations to their own devices, He moved to focus and guide a specific people group from Abraham (because of his willingness to “go”), but God did not leave the nations completely alone. He placed beings to watch over them. Some of those beings would fulfill God’s expectations, others would fail and succumb to seeking their own power by becoming worshiped and leading nations astray. 

The hope is that the LORD would eventually inherit all the nations again. This would come/is coming to pass through the actions of Jesus.