Bible Question: I came across a situation where I had to write a paper on Christ in the OT. One of the scriptures under inspection for the general reading was Genesis 11:1-8 the story of the tower of Babel (don't ask me how this had to with Christ in the OT, cause I honestly don't know). The professor gave the verses but wrote his own version of the story with the people being oppressed by the rulers of Babel to build the tower and having many languages and then a commond language, intsead of one common langauge in all the earth. He did have God confuse the one language at the end of his version. There were other things in the paper. I wrote citing the actual verses in full that there was no oppression, the people as one got together and built the tower and there was one common language in all the earth. I got and A on the paper, but he wrote and I quote,"I took liberty to do some deducing, but the Bible doesn't contradict it". Did I miss something in the text? |
Bible Answer: Finding the Lord in the Tower of Babel This is rich with imagery, and can have multiple interpretations and applications. I have but a simple measure of the Spirit, so find what you may. We know that the building, the true temple of God has as its cornerstone Christ himself. He is the foundation, and is also the stone 'cut without hands' in Daniel 2:45. He is both the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20) of the building, and that which destroys all constructions not of the eternal life God has provided, i.e. the kingdoms of man in Daniel, and many other inferences. So man (or the children of man) has crafted for himself a building and a city, one of protection, yet made of brick, and of the hand of man. They intend to 'reach heaven', or in other words, exist in a place beyond the confines of here and now. They want eternity, yet have not sought God for that life. There is a parallel in that these 'children of man' have chosen for themselves what is right, what is correct, of their own judgment. Adam and Eve perceived the benefit of deciding of ones own accord, and were similarly barred from access to life. God similarly 'debated' their case (Genisis 3:22), before removal. I put quotes on the debate, as that is a separate issue. The judgment of God upon a unified people who have taken up the image of God's intention yet not according to God's foundation and material is a picture in itself of what Christ did in removing the old contract, the law. He came in judgment of that, and fulfilled that judgment. This is the context of the prophesy of Christ initiating the Olivette discourse (Mat 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6), "... no stone left upon another ..." No conflict with whatever other interpretations of the discourse come about, I simply mean that the focus of the old system at the time of His earthly ministry, the second temple, was destroyed, and all those in the city, Jerusalem, were scattered (or perished). If you (figuratively as the reader and a Christian, nothing personal) step beyond a bit of linguistics, and just think for a moment, did not God intend for you to partake in His eternal life? From the very foundation of the world? Are you not now part of "one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do: and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do."? In the Spirit we are one people, we are of one faith, one word, one intention. His will is worked out in us by faith, and nothing can stop that purpose. You also as a believer in the Messiah, are a partaker of the inheritance of Christ, and nothing has been withheld from Him. The picture of the body of Christ is here, the picture of the judgment of Christ is here, even some of the metaphors used by the Lord in His earthly ministry are here. And I am sure that there is so much more than that in these few verses, yet I am but a speck, God wisdom is boundless. Hope this helps a little. |