Here, in the land of
Shinar, we humans want to make a name for ourselves (Genesis
11:4a, English Standard Version here and following). We have no interest in
being named by Yahweh and responsible to him. We want to think of ourselves as
autonomous in relation to Yahweh, as self-centered rather than theocentric,
even if thinking so only binds us more tightly to false Olympian gods.
To avoid being dispersed over the face
of the whole earth (v. 4b), to avoid the curse of Cain, we imagine we need
only to do as he did and work with one another to build a city or, today, the
Global Technological System (GTS). There we may completely ignore Yahweh,
construct a whole shared worldview in which we imagine ourselves the measure of
all things, and thoroughly subordinate his creation to ours. From there we may
even proclaim our towering arrogance by launching rockets into space, thereby
imagining we are mocking Yahweh where he lives.
But Yahweh does not sit
idly by and watch us commit collective suicide. [Yahweh] came down
to see the city and the tower (v. 5). Yahweh sees it and knows the
rejection of him it embodies. Rather than simply destroying this symbol of
rebellion with a bolt of lightning, he confuses our language. He slows our ability
to work together in our rejection of him and, at least temporarily, we abandon
the effort. We made our plans but, unexpectedly if graciously, Yahweh intruded.
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