A new movie just came out called Babylon. It’s a Drama/Comedy starring Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie that glamourizes the “decadence, depravity, and outrageous excess that led to the rise and fall of several ambitious dreamers in 1920s Hollywood.” It’s fascinating that thousands of years later, the reputation of the original Babylon still carries such meaning in today’s pop culture. And there is a reason why. Babel has become a universal symbol for ambition, autonomy, and power.
After the flood, new civilization began to spread through the family of Noah into what is now Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean region. They were obeying God’s renewed command to be fruitful & multiply (Gen. 9:7). Three generations later we are introduced to Noah’s great-grandson Nimrod, “the first on earth to be a mighty man…a mighty hunter” (10:8, 9). These descriptions highlight the fact that Nimrod was a warrior and champion, primarily by dominating the surrounding clans and lands.
Nimrod utilized personal prowess and political power, which was counter to the creation mandate and antithetical to the role of humans being vice-regents of God on earth. Two of the kingdoms he established (Babel & Nineveh) would later become the headquarters of empires (Babylonian & Assyrian)–empires that would become the direct enemies of the people of God. The text there in Genesis 10-11 states that as the people who were connected to Nimrod migrated, they decided to stay in one location and develop a city together. No longer would they live their semi-nomadic lifestyles and continue to “fill the earth”. They became sedentary and began unifying themselves, using all of their collective skills and resources. Their efforts to build a city was more a quest to determine and establish their own destiny without Yahweh.
They harvested bitumen from the ground (a petroleum-based substance) and advanced in brick making in an effort to construct a tower that would help them “make a name for themselves” and to provide security so that they wouldn’t be dispersed (11:4). The tower, which was most likely an ancient ziggurat, became a symbol of this unity and progress.
By coming together in this way they not only tried to preserve their identity, but also tried to control their fortunes.
However, their enterprise was short-lived. God intervened by intentionally mixing their languages, thus making it nearly impossible for them to continue to be unified (11:8-9). They could no longer communicate with each other. They were fragmented.
Think about Nimrod once again, this man who displayed an incredible amount of personal ambition and political power. He did so at the expense of people. He provided a profile for so many individuals of influence that have followed him, all throughout history up until our present day. Why is it that people, that you and I, are so often drawn to those who have and exercise the ability to dominate others? We see this draw in the political arena at all levels of government, from local issues to federal and international ones. But this is also frequently seen in the business world and the competitive nature of so many of our industries and companies. Market share. Monopolies. Mergers & Acquisitions. Board takeovers. So often these are simply rooted in ambition, power, and dominance.
God’s plan is for His created beings, especially His people, to be instruments that nurture and cultivate and empower instead. Think about your company or organization and your particular role. Are you a nurturer? Cultivator? Empowerer? Or…are you a power-taker/grabber…someone who undermines others…manipulates…taking advantage of those around you to make yourself look great, etc. How do you respond when you don’t get the credit you think you deserve? Yes, we need to work hard and use skill–that’s God’s plan and brings Him pleasure when done according to His will. We can actually work hard without allowing power to be our guiding principle.
The city and tower of Babel, as well as the later development of Babylon itself, have come to symbolize human ambition, autonomy, independence, and self-sufficiency apart from God.
Babel Inc. might not be an actual Fortune 500 company, but it is alive and thriving and essentially embodies the culture that we live in.
Technological advances. Social unity. Ambition. Confidence in our own abilities. And a significant aspect of cultivating wisdom, seeing our life, work, and culture from God’s perspective, is the discernment to see all of this and the intentional strategy to navigate it.
Consider also that unity and peace are not always ultimate goods. We live in a society that has elevated unity by means of tolerance and acceptance at all costs–a false form of unity that seeks to resolve division by demanding conformity. Much of the biblical truth that we have already read and discussed up to this point is viewed by many today as archaic dogma that serves only as an impediment to a unified, secular utopia. This will undoubtedly increase in the months and years to come. Resolve in your heart and mind once again to know, believe, and follow the Word of God against the backdrop of secular humanism that is seeking to exalt human autonomy and minimize the presence of God in every aspect of our society. This is a commitment to “real unity”–where we can hold various opinions in tension. This isn’t a call for you and I to be rude or pugnacious, but rather to double down on our commitment to truth in an ever-increasing, relativistic culture.
A Prayer of Response
Heavenly Father, you are abundant in mercy. Throughout history people, organizations, and nations have conspired to use their collective power and influence to make names for themselves, to have others worship and admire them. We are often drawn to power and the ability, identity, and security it can provide. Thank you for this reminder today that you have your ways of keeping us humble. We live in a culture that proactively exalts and rewards autonomy and ambition. Help me to draw my sufficiency in and through you alone. Help me to work hard, to be productive and fruitful in my work. And help me to be ambitious in areas that will empower and encourage those around me, in ways that will increase eternal investments. I need your grace once again. Amen.
(Adapted from devotional #8 in the Wisdom Calling devotional series)