The Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1-2 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

Everybody is on a journey. Even if you never leave the place of your birth, you are on a journey. Your mental actions, emotions, environments, education, all the various aspects of you are leading you somewhere. When you graduate from high school you are in a different place and a different person than when you started. You are a product of all that you come in contact with. As you live changes are constantly happening. With the right kind of leadings you are led into a relationship with God, but if you are only led by your fallen nature your journey will end up in the land of Shinar or some place similar to it.

The land of Shinar was not only a geographical place; it was also a spiritual place. The Hebrew word for land is ‘erets: the ‘erets of Shinar is comprised of all the ingredients of Shinar. Shinar had its beginning as the kingdom of Nimrod, who was a descendant of Cush. Therefore Shinar was all that involved the evil characteristics of Cush and Nimrod. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Genesis 10:10. Asshur (Assyria) Mizraim (Egypt) were brothers of like spirit to Nimrod (Genesis 10:6, 11-13).

Genesis 11:2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

So these people from the east were gravitating to the land of Shinar. Once there they decided to live there, which meant they and Shinar would become of one likeness. The land of Shinar was a general geographic term for what is today Iraq.

Genesis 11:3-4 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

 

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                                                             The Tower of Babel
                                                             by Lambert Dolphin

 

They had brick for stone. So they made their city and tower with brick. Stone is that which is made by God. Brick is man’s imitation and substitute for what is made by God. The true church is made of living stones. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. I Peter 2:5. The false church is made of brick, man’s imitation of God’s creativity. This is what Jesus accused the Pharisees and scribes of doing. Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men…Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Mark 7:7-9.

The antichrist spirit loves captivating God’s people and making them make brick. That is what Egypt, Shinar’s spiritual companion, did to the Hebrews. Egypt works hand-in-hand with Babylon to lead God’s people into bondage. The taskmasters of Egypt use the whips of “thou shalt” and “thou shalt not” to keep Christians in bondage. There are very many churches today of brick, built on the commandments and doctrines of man.

Genesis 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

Whose top may reach unto heaven in the Hebrew is literally “whose head is in the heavens,” which is figurative language to describe churches or edifices of impressive and monumental proportions. Today we call them mega-churches. They wish to make a name for themselves like those at Shinar. Many ministers have missed the will of God because they wanted to make a name for themselves. The bigger the churches are the less the people get what they need; they become spectators instead of a ministering body. A congregation of a few thousand people doesn’t mean you are doing great things for God; it means you are doing less. The Lord has led us differently. We meet in homes in small groups and everybody participates and learns how to function as the Body of Christ. Christians, in general, are not being taught how to be members of the Body of Christ. They don’t know how to function!

Let us make a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. The will of God can’t be done staying in one spot building a tower to reach into heaven. The Early Church almost fell into that same mold. Jesus gave them instructions on what they were to do before He ascended: Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses of Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8. In other words, don’t stay in Jerusalem and build a tower! After Peter delivered his sermon on the Day of Pentecost three thousand souls were saved (Acts 2:41). After Peter’s second sermon about five thousand believed (Acts 4:4). Uh-oh, looks like we’re building a tower. But God knows what to do about that. He knows how to get them out of Jerusalem and scatter them abroad. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles…Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word. Acts 8:1,4. But for the persecution the church at Jerusalem could have become another tower of Babel in the ‘erets of Shinar.

As we said before the ‘erets of Shinar is not just a geographical place. It is a spiritual place where all the evils of the fallen nature of man are trying to reach into heaven, and to many people it looks very good for many of God’s people are drawn to it and captivated by it. We find this spiritual tower in the Book of Revelation. It is called: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. Revelation 17:5-6. This Babylon the great is the same spiritual force that Paul spoke to Timothy about. Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. I Timothy 4:1.

How does Mystery Babylon become drunk on the blood of the saints? The blood speaks of life (Leviticus 17:14). When Jesus shed His blood on the cross, it meant that His life was being released for us. Babylon the great is said to be drunk on the blood of the saints when she takes away the life they could have had by maturing in Christ. Any church that is guilty of not bringing their members into spiritual maturity under the Lordship of Jesus Christ is also guilty of becoming drunk on the blood of the saints. That is spiritual abortion. And too many of today’s ministries don’t even know what spiritual maturity is.

Revelation 18:2-4 Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Why does God say, “Come out of her, My people”? It is because that is where they are, and He is not talking only about the Jews. The bulk of Christianity is playing around with Babylon, committing fornication with her. COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE. Babylon the great is the tower of Babel.

Copyright © 2008 by Henry DuBose

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