Description
The full meaning behind the Tower of Babel could never have been understood until our modern-day studies “caught up” to some of the descriptions contained within a few key words of this story.
Traditionally this has always been the text to embody the thought of teamwork and unity. I have heard some very good sermons, in the sense of unity and the accomplishments that can result through unity. Unity isn’t the total picture to this story, neither is building a tower. We have to see past the tower to question why it was built. The objective of this tower, as traditionally taught, was for the builders to climb into heaven. As this was an act of rebellion to God, why did they try to climb into heaven? As primitives, did they think they could pull God down?
If they were trying to literally climb into heaven, why did they build the tower in a plain? Our understanding of this story has for centuries taken on this rather childlike image. In the past, there was no other evidence to conclude anything else. Back then; it would not have been an important issue. There was nothing else that challenged or threatened our faith by these thoughts. Most would accept this matter as one of the “mysteries of the Bible” and let it go.
