“Let Us…”

 January 4, 2023

”Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to each other, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone and they had tar for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top reaches to the heavens. And let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” Then Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower that humankind was building. And Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people with one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. So now nothing that they intend to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand each other’s language.” —Genesis 11:1-7 

This is one of the oldest stories in the Bible, given to explain how people who came from a single family (Noah) could have such diverse languages. On the surface, it seems like God is acting like a petty tyrant, confusing their language simply because he doesn’t want the competition of these people for whom nothing will be impossible if they stay together. 

It’s more than that, of course. The plan was for humankind to populate the entire earth, which would not happen if they carried out their plan to simply stay put. Among other things, the stress on the environment would have been unsustainable, but the real reason given for God’s confusing their language was that they were attempting to usurp God’s place, climbing to heaven by their own works instead of by grace. They were out to “make a name” for themselves, rather than lift up the name of the Most High God.

The irony is complete; three times they uttered the words, “Let us…” whereupon God uses that same phrase against them. The “us” of v.7 is a hint at the Trinity, where the Father and the Son confer and commune with each other in the power of the Holy Spirit.   

The sin of those early people is ours, too. We are ever eager to make a name for ourselves, to prove that we are someone important. We erect buildings and monuments to convince ourselves and others that we are in control and are people to be reckoned with. It’s pride, pure and simple, and it destroys those whom it controls. God confounds our plans so that we can discover the grace and beauty of his plans which come to us only by faith.

St. Paul’s words are good here:

“[Jesus], being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“ —Philippians 2:6-11 

The name of Jesus is the only one worthy of our worship, so instead of making a name for ourselves, lifting high the name of Jesus is the only way to end confusion and redeem the unity which was lost at Babel.