What was the big deal about building a tower to heaven? A theory about Babel and Genesis 11.

OK so my brother Ben sent me this comment over the summer:

Why did God have a problem with the Tower of Babel but not us going to the moon?

That’s because we never went. That’s Biblical. Put that in your library and smoke it.

Now that’s actually a really smart question Ben. I don’t really know what the library part meant but you got my gears turning with the first part. A lot of us hear the story of the Tower of Babel as kids, the story about a group of people who tried to build a tower that reached heaven. 

And God said He wasn’t going to allow mankind to do this. It’s a really fascinating comment God makes

In Genesis 11:6

…this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

God slapped this down pretty hard. He confused the speech of the peoples, which means He switched up all their languages, and therefore they couldn’t finish the project so they all went their separate ways, and now that’s why now we have to take 4 semesters of French class to get a Bachelor of Arts degree.

So why did God have such a strong reaction to this? Why did He literally say that if the Tower of Babel was constructed, mankind would truly become capable of anything? I mean, just because of a tall building?

If the problem with the Tower of Babel was just about altitude, then yes, space travel raises a lot of theological questions for us.

But what if the Tower of Babel is not what we thought? What if the problem with the Tower of Babel was not how high it reached, but what it was capable of doing?

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. 

Turn to Genesis 11, and let’s get weird.

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0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - The Full Story

10:15 - What Did Babel’s Tower Do?

14:45 - Ziggurats and Pyramids

21:30 - Gaps in My Pyramid

23:15 - Mailbag

26:00 - Closing Thoughts

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Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!