Genesis 10-13

"Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."

The tower of Babel has always been one of those intriguing points in Scripture for me. Why does God go down and confuse their language? What's wrong with the people building a great city and making a name for themselves? I think the best answers lie earlier in Scripture.

How easy is it to be a dependent person when you have everything you could want and everything is going just as you want? Some of the worst moments of my faith walk have been when I have assumed full control of my life and believed I could not only handle everything perfectly, but that I was doing a great job on my own! It was at times like these that God has "confused my language" and allowed things to get a little bumpy, challenging, or outright fearful.

To a large degree, that is how I feel even this morning as I write. I have a "tower of Babel" of my own... literally, a house that I have been building for over a year now in Oldham Co, KY. My intentions had been glossy: build a nice house doing most of the work myself and sell it to make a large profit and use the money to buy or build again for my family. It was a master plan. It was my chance to "make a name" for myself.

From early on in the projects there were red flags, but I pressed dangerously through them. The house plan we picked was enormous, yet I would not switch. The bursting of the housing market bubble was being predicted but I ignored it. I even remember watching TV while I worked out at the YMCA as experts were discussing their reservations towards those trying to get in the market with a market home to make a quick dollar... exactly what I was seeking to do, but I never took off the rose-prim glasses. I ignored the warning signs. "God will take care of all that," I continued to tell myself. "He will make it work out perfectly."

I had never built a house before. I just knew I could do it. So I began. There were times very early when I did question myself and my motives. And even though I could have walked away, only out $625 for the house plans, my pride would not let me. I had told too many of my plans. I had convinced my wife of the deal. I could not back away. It would be obvious failure and fear. I..., I..., I...

But my immaturity showed itself early. My partner (the expert upon whom I was relying... though he neither had done something like this) and I used numbers two year old to calculate the budget for the project. This proved disastrous for us. Only one line-item in the budget came in under cost during construction. This undersight was worsened by Hurricane Katrina which struck just after we had committed to the home. Katrina ballooned prices and we fell further from our projections.

We had planned to live there for two year (obviously to avoid capital gains) as I finished up seminary. We would then move to our first ministry and have a good start on a nice home. But early on as bills mounted we realized we would not be able to afford the cost of living hike. We discovered it would be cheaper to take the gains hit than try to manage in the lap of luxury for a while. So we had to put the house up for sale. This was a step back for sure. I had already sent out Christmas letters to family and friends with our new summer address on it!

Then in April, God began altering the plans even further. We began the interview process with a church in Northern KY. By July, He had called us to move. The house was not done (I had intended to be done by June), but we felt this was the right thing to do.

Where are we now? Continuing to learn. Still with a small punch list, I have moved some things back to Oldham Co and will be living alone in my "tower" commuting back to NKY to see family and to work. The house remains on the market. No buyers in sight. God has certainly brought "confusion" to my world. I had been trusting in myself. He needed to bring me back to reality, a reality of dependence upon Him. I trust Him and I know that I am learning from Him. I just don't know when it will end.

So I think those Babel-onians of Genesis 11 and I have a lot in common. Why were they scattered? They also ignored God. After the flood, God had reaffirmed His command to be fruitful and multiply, filling the earth. Yet they decided to plant and build a great city in their honor. Their perceived unity did not create dependence on God, but rather a mob mentality unwilling to be bent towards God's promise. God had begun the offer of a Savior from Genesis 3. But man walking in rebellion would feel no need for Him. So God chooses to break them down that they might be reached individually, weak and needy. It is why he first chose Abram, Deut 7:7.

And it is one reason why today, He still allows families and individuals to experience pain and frustration. He is teaching dependence and obedience. He is offering His Savior through these clear pictures of our neediness. He can only work with who are willing. Where are you today? Among the Babel-onians trying to build your self-reliant world around you? or have you found the God who offers us real life and salvation?

The name the Babel-onians attempted to make for themselves was made with bricks and tar... things that will always perish over time. The name God offers us is Christ... the Savior whose name and deeds will never perish for eternity. I think I'll take the second one, please.