Why Was The Tower of Babel Waterproof? 💌
Thinking we can evade God’s will
Reading time: 4 mins
Hello! Long time, no writing. Apologies for the unexpected hiatus, but I’m back and feeling optimistic about the next little while here on Substack.
In today’s article:
The tower of Babel was built to be waterproof, in case God sent a second flood.
Humans through the ages have refused to submit to God’s will, and try to seize control for themselves.
God is God. He is sovereign over His creation.
The story of the tower of Babel comes in Genesis 11, after the Flood narrative. It's not exactly chronological - in Genesis 10 we're told that the people scattered (v 32) - but it is a fitting end to the Creation story. From Genesis 12, the Bible zooms into the story of Abraham and his descendents, the Israelites, who become God's chosen people.
The tower of Babel reveals the prideful bent of human hearts. It shows our inclination for making much of ourselves, and a total resistance to God. God clearly gives His will, but instead of obedience people try to construct a way around it.
Sovereignty-avoiding building materials
In verse 3, the author specifically notes the building materials that the people were using:
They had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. (Genesis 11:3, NIV)
The plain in Shinar is geologically located in an alluvial plain, so mud would have been the material available to them (as opposed to stone in the mountains). If baked, mud bricks became waterproof, although this was considered an expensive operation so often only the outer bricks were baked.
Tar (or bitumen) was a common waterproofing agent used in Bible times. We see it being used elsewhere in the Bible as well, for example on Noah’s ark (Genesis 6:14) and in the basket that kept baby Moses safe on the River Nile (Exodus 2:3).
According to Josephus, the Jewish historian who wrote ‘The Antiquities of the Jews,’ the purpose of the Tower of Babel was to build a high enough structure that the people could escape God’s wrath if He were to send a second flood. This is why their building materials were waterproof.
They saw the Flood and what God could do, but instead of turning to reverence and obedience, they tried to come up with a way of outsmarting Him.
They didn’t trust His promise (Genesis 9:11-17), and instead they tried to ignore Him and circumvent His will.
Universal human compulsion: to be like God
The people tried to make God redundant in more ways than one.
The tower they were building would reach the heavens, but there's no idea of access to God or wanting to worship Him. Instead, they were looking to make a name for themselves. They wanted to be God.
Again, it’s the same idea of searching for self-sufficiency and independence from God. It’s the resounding call of our society: ‘We don’t need God.’
It's the height of arrogance isn't it? To think we can be outside God and His will.
Not too many chapters previously, Adam and Eve chose not to trust God’s definition for good and evil, but to determine it for themselves. Tragically, humans are terrible at defining good and evil - we’re beset by selfishness and pride and idolatry. In the same way, the builders of the tower at Babel refused to acknowledge God’s wisdom, or submit to His will.
And this is God’s will for us: that we live holy lives, set apart for Him.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16, ESV)
Therefore, anytime we stray from living as He has called us, we are essentially displaying this same rebellious spirit, lifting our bricks in protest.
God is God - rebellion is not tolerated
God’s response in verse 6 seems a little strange. On the surface it appears as though He is threatened by what they are doing.
And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.” (Genesis 11:6, ESV)
Christopher Ash, writer-in-residence at Tyndale House, explains:
God cannot allow human beings to succeed in playing at God. The objective fact is that he is the only true God, the creator and sustainer of the universe…if he allows rebellion to go unchallenged and unconstrained, there will be no limit to the reach of evil. (Christopher Ash, Redeeming A Broken World)
God is the Creator of the world. It’s not possible for people to subvert His plans. Over thousands of years, humans have tried to seize authority and define their own way of living, outside of God’s instruction. It always ends in tragedy.
God’s will will be done. Whether or not we choose to participate in the outworking of His plan, it will be accomplished. This is His world and He rules over it.
Our God reigns
The people knew that God was powerful enough to send a massive flood, and instead of honouring Him, they tried to circumvent His dominion.
But we cannot avoid, escape, or outsmart Him; our God reigns over all.
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