There is something inside most human beings that yearns to leave a legacy. Some want to paint a masterpiece, others strive to write the "great" novel, still others build monuments that they hope will recall their name from time to time.

This is why the account of Babel (Genesis 11) is so important for us. It exposes the underlying cause for building monuments. Better yet, it gives us the cure and teaches us how to face the future with peace of heart.

Let's start by not referring to this incident on the Plain of Shiner as "the tower of Babel". Focusing on the tower is like treating a symptom rather than the disease. The problem was not the tower.

The first verse of the chapter highlights the common language of mankind. This is not a condition that was necessarily evil. It makes sense that since all mankind had descended from Noah and his sons, they all spoke a common language. There is nothing wrong with a common language. It is neither evil nor the cause of evil. Communication was greatly enhanced by it. It facilitated community life and was the foundation of unity. Potentially, a common language could have drawn people together in the worship and ministry of God. Unfortunately, God's gift of a common language was misappropriated to promote disobedience and unbelief. The emphasis draws our attention not to common language as an evil but as an instrument for the evil that followed.

Man had migrated to the fertile plain in the land of Shinar and settled down (Genesis 11:2). Urban life had not been presented in a favorable light thus far in Genesis. Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch (Genesis 4:17). God had said that he should live as a vagrant and a wanderer (4:12). Nimrod, a descendent of Ham, seemed to be an empire builder also (10:9-12), perhaps even a leader in the settlement in Shinar.

Settling in the valley of Shinar was an act of disobedience. God had commanded men to spread out and fill the land, not to congregate in cities (Genesis 9:1-7). Verse 3 informs us that man fiercely intended to build a city and a tower. These men did not begin to build without counting the cost. They anticipated the obstacles and were determined to overcome them. The resolve of mankind to build the city despite the difficulties speaks to their intensity of purpose. Some see a strong religious flavor in verse 4, as though men were trying to get to God by building a tower, but I find it hard to believe that Moses would leave such a claim to mere inference. The expression "will reach into heaven" implies great height.

No great emphasis is placed upon the tower. It is considered a part of the city. While the Mesopotamian ziggurats of later times were distinctly religious, no such indication is given in Genesis. The purpose for building the city and its imposing tower is best explained in the statement, "… and let us make for ourselves a name; … " (verse 4).

Arrogance, rebellion, and pride seem to be the root of this building activity. Often, we do not reveal our true motives. Verse 4 indicates that the people of Shinar feared being scattered. They could not conceive of blessing and security coming as a result of dispersion, even at God's command. They felt most secure when they were living in close proximity. They sought to brighten the future by leaving posterity a monument to their ingenuity and industry.

While rebellion, pride, and unbelief are evident in the story, the underlying problem is one of fear. Hatred of anonymity drives men to heroic feats of valour or long hours of drudgery. They will endure spectacular acts of shame to make a name for themselves, to gather honor and glory that properly belongs only to God.

Their fear of being scattered indicates these men knew of God's command and covenant, but they didn't trust a mere promise from God. They preferred to put their faith in bricks and mortar.

These verses are beautifully fashioned satire on the folly of man’s activities. Mere men commenced to build a city with a high tower that they thought would make them men of renown in disobedience to the God of the universe. The finite created was trying to compete with the infinite Creator in a building project. Speaking one language made the project easier to staff, but the evil did not lie in the language. The completion of this city would certainly not threaten the rule of God. Obviously, it would violate the command of God for man to disperse and fill the earth. As a result, men would conclude that they could do anything they set their minds to. God knew that would be a bad thing for humans.

In the days of the offspring of Noah at Babel, men placed their confidence in bricks and mortar and the work of their hands. In our time we are just a bit more sophisticated. We trust in transistors, integrated circuits, and technology. We feel that if we can put a man on the moon, nothing can keep us from solving any problem. This attitude of arrogant self-confidence and independence from God was inevitable if man succeeded. Because of this, God purposed to thwart man’s plans.

What we see in verse 7 is not so much a punishment being meted out as preventive measures. The confusion of language -- an apparently insurmountable argument at the time -- brought the project to an abrupt halt.

That which humankind most feared had come to pass. They were scattered. The irony of this event is that what these men most desired would have destroyed them, while what they most dreaded would be a part of their deliverance.

No matter what our petty human plans might be, God's purposes are never thwarted. Man preferred to cloister rather than comply with God's command to spread out. Despite the great efforts of the Shinarians, God prevailed. Men of every age have learned that God's will cannot be resisted. A life lived in resistance to the revealed Lord of God must end in frustration and failure. No one can succeed at resisting God.

Unity is not the highest goal; purity and obedience to the Word of God should be our highest goal. Religion today really likes ecumenism, but that is often unity at the cost of truth. Unity is not a goal worthy of any sacrifice. The Canaanites of old wanted to unite with the Israelites to gain peace, but God insisted His people remain holy and set apart (Genesis 46:33-34; Genesis 34:8-10; Numbers 25). Unity and peace must never be attained at the price of purity. God's people must be holy, even as He is holy (Leviticus 11:44; 1Peter 1:16). True unity can only occur in Christ (John 17:21; Ephesians 2:4-22). Oneness in Christ results in division from those who reject Christ (Matthew 10:34-36). We must separate ourselves from those who deny the truth (2John 7-11; Jude 3). There can be no true unity with those who deny our God.

Significantly, the communication gap created in Genesis 11 can only be bridged by Christ. The Old Testament prophets recognized the ongoing effect of Babel, and spoke of a day when it would be reversed (Zephaniah 3:9-11). The phenomenon of tongues in Acts 2 indicated the ‘first fruits’ of the renewal which is yet to be realized in full.

The ignorance of Christians today regarding the communication gap we experience in our relationships is deeply troubling. I know many wives, including myself at times, who silently agonize at the way their husbands fail to comprehend what they are trying to tell them. We stand bewildered at the male failure to disclose their innermost feelings. While Christ is the answer to this dilemma, most of us fail to grasp that it is a problem which threatens our relationships. Superfical relationships and artificial activity evitably miss the meaning of life. The ancient Babylonians thought they could substitute a great city with a magnificient tower for meaningful relationships with men and God. The church today has fallen into a similar trap. We create programs to keep people busy and give them a false security of involvement and activity. Programs are not evil, but they are often used as a substitute for living faith, devotion and power. In many churches, God could have died 50 years ago and they might not have noticed. How many churches are so focused on building new buildings or mega-congregations that they promote a counterfeit religion that has no life or ultimate worth?

The Word of God, not the works of our hands, is the only thing worthy of our faith. The people of Babel began to look at work as the cure rather than the curse. They believed that the work of their hands could assure them of some kind of immortality beyond the grave. Human endeavor, by itself, is never satisfying or fulfilling. Only work which is done for the Lord and in His strength brings lasting satisfaction.

The woman at the well in John chapter 4 sought water to quench her thirst. Jesus offered that which would forever satisfy (John 4:13-14). That ‘meat’ which was greater than mere food was to do the will of the Father. In the meantime, the disciples were requesting that He eat, but Jesus explained that He didn't need food so much as to do the work of His Father (John 4:31-34).

Have you found the satisfaction and rest which God has provided in Jesus Christ? It alone can satisfy the longings we humans experience. God has now provided a salvation for us in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. He has assured us that whomever believes upon Him -- trusts Him for forgiveness of sins and eternal life -- shall be saved. That is enough and it is the only basis for hope beyond the grave.

Much of what mankind does on this planet is a monument to our insecurity. This passage illustrates that. The roof of our sinful actions is most often willful rebellion or active aggression against God, but a prime contributor is our massive insecurity. Behind the facade of achievement, accomplishment, bravado, and self-assurance is the haunting spectre of leaving this life with no certainty of what follows. The people of Shinar built the city of Babel and its tower because they were willing to sacrifice almost anything to have a hope at immortality, if not for themselves, for their names.

Have you ever stopped to think about the role insecurity may play in the things you devote time and energy to? Christians who do not fathom the grace of God and His sovereign control are plagued by insecurity, supposing that God’s work and will is conditioned by our faithfulness rather than by His. Our insecurity motivates much of our Christian service. We feel that if we can do more for the Lord, we shall feel more secure and certain of His blessing. Such activity is little different than that of those who lived on the plain of Shinar.

The problems highlighted by this event in history are complex, but the solution is simple. We should do what the children of Noah should have done -- simply trust and obey. This is the way to blessing in Jesus.