The Day God Judged the Tower Builders
Why do men build cities? Why do they build towers? Why do they try to make a name for themselves? Why do they not wish to spread out and fill the earth? These are some questions raised in Genesis 11, on the day God judged the tower builders.
To understand the answers to these questions, we must leave that day in 2147 B.C. and travel back 1996 years to the beginning of time (4143 B.C.). On that first day, God had just judged Adam and Eve (Gen 3). They had been deceived by the serpent, into believing they could be gods (Gen 3:5)…if only they disobeyed their Creator/Sustainer God.
In the fall of man (God’s judgment), Satan wrested dominion of the world from man (Acts 26:18). As the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), the devil continued to deceive Adam’s progeny (Jn 8:44). Humanity was enslaved to sin (Rom 6:6). Sin is lawlessness (1 Jn 3:4). The deceiver convinced man that he still had free will to choose between good and evil, but there was no one who did good, not even one (Rom 3:12). In truth, man’s nature, that is, his inclination to do what he does, was now dominated by sin (Eph 2:3).
Prior to God’s judgment of the whole earth in Noah’s day (Gen 6–9), the Lord gave this grave assessment of humanity, ”Then the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Gen 6:5).”
The Great Deluge did not wash clean the hearts of Noah’s family. Some of their hearts were still deceitful and desperately sick (Jer 17:9). Some walked according to their sinful flesh and in the futility of their minds (Eph 4:17).
It was a mere 340 years between the Great Flood and the Tower of Babel. The Bible tells us that Noah lived, three hundred fifty years after the flood (Gen 9:28). In other words, the tower builders were all members of Noah’s family (Gen 9:19). He was watching them build their cities (Gen 10).
Noah is called, “a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet 2:5).” After the flood, the Word of the Lord came to Noah, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Gen 9:1, 7).” This was the same commission given to Adam at Creation (Gen 1:22, 28). If there ever was a clear directive to humanity, it was this command from God.
Gravitating toward one another to form into cities, Noah’s posterity must have heard their old man tell them what they were doing was wrong (Gen 10). Still, in the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23), according to His eternal decree, all things have their purpose. The city of man was destined to occur over and over again and everywhere. We will have cities waiting for destruction, even to the last days (Mystery Babylon — Rev 17–18).
It was a dark day when God scattered humanity in His right judgment, but in their ongoing rebellion, city building continues, today. Our towers to the heavens have never been higher. The lust of men’s hearts, to make a name for themselves, is as vibrant as ever in history.
Floods, scattering nations, raining fire and brimstone (Sodom), wars, and disasters of diverse kinds have never slowed man down, on the wide way leading to destruction (Mt 7:13). When whole cities burn (Sodom; Chicago; Nagasaki; Pompei), or towers crumble (New York), or famous names are shamed over and over again, there is no repentance. Men are hell-bent on hell.
For this reason, a final day of judgment has been appointed by God, on a future date known only to Him (Mt 24:36). All of creation will be subject to His judgment by fire (2 Pet 3:10–12). Disasters in the world are merely precursory judgments of this unique day when Jesus Christ returns in glory to judge the living and the dead (Mt 24:29–31; Acts 17:31; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5), who will be resurrected (Jn 5:28–29), body and soul, for the purpose of sentencing unto eternal punishment (2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:11).
When your city burns, is flooded, or is laid waste, then remember the Scriptures. When your tower burns, sinks, or crumbles to the ground, then remember God’s Word. When the prosperity of the wicked (Ps 73:1–14), who are known as household names, comes to shame, then, remember that it is written.
May we all be so inclined to remember the city of our God (Rev 21–22), and the Lord, our strong tower (Prv 18:10). May we ever exalt His name above all other names (Ps 148:13; Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9). May we spread out to where He sends us, as His ambassadors (2 Cor 5:18–20), and wait for Him to gather us to heavenly Zion, to Himself, to the praise of His glorious Name.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
September 15, 2022
