At what lengths are we willing to go to show how successful we are? How many awards would it take and in the end would it really be worth it? Consider the world’s tallest artificial structure which is the 829.8-metre-tall (2,722 ft) Burj Khalifa in Dubai (of the United Arab Emirates). The building gained the official title of “Tallest Building in the World” and the tallest self-supported structure at its opening on January 9, 2010. An obvious image of pride and success but is a half mile in the sky too high to make a statement? In ancient Babylon, King Nimrod wanted to make a statement, a statement in the form of a tower.
The location of the tower was in Shinar, in ancient Mesopotamia on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. Bible scholars believe that the tower was a type of stepped pyramid called a ziggurat, common throughout Babylonia. Genesis 11:1-4 NKJV — Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 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. Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:5-9 NKJV — But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
The building of the tower and the reason why was not in line with what God had desired for the generations that followed Noah after departing the ark. God knew the tower would only lead the people away from Him. The goal of the people was not to glorify God and lift up His name but to build a name for themselves. God observed what a powerful force their unity of purpose created. As a result, he confused their language, causing them to speak many different languages so they would not understand each other. By doing this, God thwarted their plans. He also forced the people of the city to scatter all across the face of the earth. Through their disobedience, the people received what they had feared.
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The image of power and strength was the representation the tower gave. It also became a message to God that the people didn’t need God and that the height of the tower meant that they could rule heaven as well as earth. A danger we face in our modern age. Jesus has been “expelled” from our public schools, Christian displays are no longer wanted in public venues and figures or images of sports idols, rock stars and even false religious leaders are constructed and worshipped as symbols of our great society.
Exodus 20:3-6 NKJV — “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
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Somehow we have forgotten or just ignored one of the commandments God gave us;
Building skyscrapers and towers are a great spectacle for people to enjoy especially the observation towers where in some places you can see into the next state but they were never meant to reach God and challenge His souvrenty. Our belief and faith in the Lord should be the foundation and skyscraper we should be building to reach God. The Lord wants us to live victoriously and confident that He will meet every need we will ever have.
If you ever visit the world’s tallest building then please enjoy the view but it will never compare to the view of everlasting life the Lord Jesus Christ can provide.
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