Divisions deliberately caused by God?

LostintheFog1999

Assuming that you don't dismiss Genesis outright as a collection of myths, I was musing about the actions of God as recorded in Genesis 11:1-9 regarding the building of the Tower of Babel.

This origin story for the multiplicity of languages in the earth has God getting annoyed with humans for staying in one location instead of filling out across the whole world.

Yahweh could have stopped the tower being built by collapsing it by means of an earthquake, sinking sand, or an extreme gale. Even using an angel to kick it over when everyone was tucked up in bed asleep. But no, instead he muddles up the vocabulary and grammar and made brand new languages creating division and confusion.

What's more he didn't scatter them and send them off in mixed multicultural groups, but instead He lets them wander off in tribes and family groups. Very insular. And no doubt the family heads quite quickly drawing up "them or us" survival techniques for their own tribal family. (Genesis 10:5.)

What is the most divisive thing in the world leading to wars and conflict?

Isn't it usually other nationalities, different tribes, people who speak a different language to your own. A grab for their land, wealth or possessions, or to take their women for the purpose of breeding. Surely God must have known that his actions would eventually lead to divisions and human casualties in time?

He can't really blame humanity for fighting each other as it was him (if you believe this Genesis story) that caused the division in the first place!

raymond frantz

Very interesting thank you, the following might be some reasons why God caused the division.

After the biblical flood, people began to repopulate the earth. But instead of distributing throughout the world, they concentrated into a single region and decided to build the tower of babel. Under the rulership of Nimrod, a large group of individuals began construction of a tower. It makes one think of the pyramids which was a colossal waste of time. The pyramids are an excellent example man’s extreme hubris. It took years to construct each pyramid, using slavery to accomplish it. Why did the pharohs have so much pride in such an offensive construction project ? Did the pyramids benefit Egyptian community as a whole ? No. It was simply a construction project of extreme vanity. It was a waste of time, energy and resources.

Similarly the tower of babel was a colossal waste of time. The mission statement of this construction project, was to show others (and God) that man could attain greatness by himself, and that he doesn’t need God. The tower was a metaphor for the idea that man could reach heaven without God’s help. Such is the hubris of man. The word “babel” means another gate/God, which is a metaphor for another way into heaven. Instead of relying upon the Lord to get into heaven, the tower of babel symbolized the idea of another way of sneaking into heaven, by man’s works and not by the works of the Lord (by His grace, through Jesus Christ). Clearly there is no backdoor into heaven. There is only one way into heaven, and that is by Father God’s grace, through the redemptive works of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is Jesus’ final atoning sacrifice on the cross that erases all of our sins, thereby allowing us to enter into heaven.

So in response, God confounded their languages and caused them to disperse throughout the world. Why do this ? Recall in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden. They were expelled because they desired to be more than they are, to become as gods. We see in this lust for power, a parallel with the devil (satan) who wanted to not only be God, but also be higher than God. This theme is found throughout the biblical accounts. Man not being content with what he has, and always lusting and coveting for more. The tower of babel, reveals the dangers of a single human authority figure.

All of the people were under a single dictator (Nimrod). So that if that dictator became evil, then evil would disseminate throughout all people. However, as the people formed into nations and distributed across the world, under multiple leaders and kings, this made it much more difficult for the entire world to become evil via a single corrupt leader. This is the same reason why Jesus called for the formation of multiple, independent churches not under a single authority. This would help prevent the corruption of all churches, by poisoning a single authority that dictates all churches under a single authority structure. We see this mechanism with the U.S. Constitution, where we have checks and balances built into the construct of government power.

peacefulpete

Here's a take on the story you may not have considered. The Flood stories are dropped into and interrupt the narrative. They form a section (6:5-9:19) of material that identifies Noah as a Flood hero rather mashed together.

It was apparently dropped here because the narrative mentions a Noah as a vine grower who invents wine and takes away the curse on the ground by providing "comfort". (5:29) (9:20,21) The meaning of his name.

Different traditions about a man named Noah, one the flood hero, the other a farmer who brings consolation from the curse on the ground by making wine. Remove the section and the narrative flows unbroken and eliminates all the contradictions created by its insertion. The 120 years lifespan limit, the Nephilim appearing after the flood, Nimrod as one of the "mighty" men/Nephilim.

Interestingly the isolated tower story (9 verses) also was sewn into the narrative without any real continuity. The story was a short origin tale explaining languages through the clever play on the Hebrew word bālal "confuse" and the name of the Akkadian city 'Babel.

The connection to Nimrod is made by readers only because Babel was said the beginning of his empire. Nimrod is not part of the tower story at all. The mention of the city Babel offered the compiler an opportunity to drop this short tower legend into the narrative just like he had done with the Flood story.

raymond frantz

So let me get this right, you don't believe that Nimrod was involved with the tower of Babel? Also why do you think someone added this intersection about Noah?

enoughisenough

Here is a rather odd thought that came to me. All the people in one place and one language if you believe the Bible and Almighty God found that NOT GOOD...Now consider what the WEF have up their sleeve. Brain chips in everyone so you don't even have to speak to communicate and crowding people into their proposed cities and control the people. Even without the brain chips, A I can translate...The WEF's plan is to take over the land and herd everyone into these cities. If you believe the Bible, this too is in opposition to God Almighty and there is an behind the WEF. Not sure I am being coherent here in my ramblings. It's sort of like history repeating itself.

peacefulpete

Ray...Yes. Genesis is an especially obvious collection of stories from north and south that were collected and somewhat woven into a single text. This produced much inconsistency and duplication. The compiler was more interested in preserving disparate traditions than perfect harmonization. Surely you have seen this in the 2 creation stories, the two flood stories, the 2 genealogies, etc. The basic J (itself with layers J1 and J2) narrative seems to have been the most complete and formed the basic outline. The standalone Flood stories (J and P) placed into that narrative where they are, creates a number of storyline issues. Why are there Nephilim in Cannan when they should have drowned in the flood? Why are there people living hundreds of years after God decreed a limit of 120 years? (J has no one living older but P does) for examples.

Nimrod is one of the Nephilim, 'mighty ones' but that is lost on readers because of the Flood stories interruption.

The standalone J Tower story never mentions Nimrod and was inserted into the narrative at the mention of the city's name. A convenient spot but it doesn't fit the narrative again. Notice in chapt 10 before the tower story there is already a table of nations and empires (itself an insertion) Notice too that 10:31 is continued at 11:10, interrupted by the tower story.

29 and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab; all these [are] sons of Joktan;

30 and their dwelling is from Mesha, [in] thy coming towards Sephar, a mount of the east.

31 These [are] sons of Shem, by their families, by their tongues, in their lands, by their nations.

---------------INSERT TOWER STORY HERE---------------------------

10 These [are] births of Shem: Shem [is] a son of an hundred years, and begetteth Arphaxad (GLOSS two years after the deluge).

11 And Shem liveth after his begetting Arphaxad five hundred years, and begetteth sons and daughters.

12 And Arphaxad hath lived five and thirty years, and begetteth Salah.

13 And Arphaxad liveth after his begetting Salah four hundred and three years, and begetteth sons and daughters......................

punkofnice...you don't believe it,

No. You're correct, Nuffy, I don't.

he has a plan to take the whole system down.

I should think Biden and Putin are more likely to do that if they start tossing nukes at each other.

The way human society has gone, there seems little evidence for a bloke in the sky anymore.

Vidiot

You’d almost think God was either…

a) …unaware of the concept of “unintended consequences”…

b) …unable to actually predict the future, or…

c) …has some problems with impulse control.

Doesn’t seem particularly “godly”, but hey, WTF do I know?

Divisions deliberately caused by God?

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