Genesis 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."
2007-01-14 08:38:30 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
To Jimmy R
Well why give them ability to make a tower to heaven if He didn't want them to be able to do it?
2007-01-14 08:50:46 · update #1
To Joseph Mahal
I disagree I am taking things out of context. Quite the contrary, you are adding to what is supposed to be the Word. The passage makes no mention of the geopolitics of the region.
You are correct on the passage however. I copied the verse numbers but not the chapter. My bad.
2007-01-14 09:01:08 · update #2
Furthermore, why would God destroy a tower that wasn't really going to reach heaven anyway? We know what's up there, and it isn't heaven.
2007-01-14 08:48:47 · answer #1 · answered by Incoherent Fool 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, what you're really doing is taking the story out of its original context and creating a brand new one to suit your own needs.
This "tower" being built was a city, not a tower. It was a copy of the city of Uruk, the first known "brick-built" city, described by Sumerians in their own literature as "a tower that reaches into the sky". (From their non-techno perspective, anything higher than 30' touched the sky!) It was also a copy of Uruk in that Uruk NEEDED to be waterproofed with bitumen because it was built in a swamp. Babel was at least 200 miles north of the swamps and built in a desert. Why waterproof it?
The purpose of the building of this city, as outlined in a book called "The Uruk World System", was to acquire control of the known world, and they nearly succeeded.
Your next error is that you think "mixing up languages" is a punishment. Ahem. Raining down fire and brimstone on the city would have been punishment. (You needed some perspective there.)
Finally, God didn't block the greatness of mankind, he blocked the greatness of the rulers of the city. God favors greatness on an individual level and achieved it here by not allowing the rest of the world to be enslaved by a single central government.
(You might also want to add that you're quoting from Genesis 11, not Genesis 5.)
2007-01-14 08:53:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
When the tower of babel was being built- God knew the heart of the men building the tower. Greatness for the sake of greatness is the problem- they all wanted to reach heaven by their own pride. They did not work together for the glory of God, they were working to reach God for their own selfish motives.
2007-01-14 09:24:05 · answer #3 · answered by AdoreHim 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The were stopped because they were commiting the same crime that removed Adam and Eve from Eden. They were going to make a tower that would reach heaven. he was actually preventing them from doing so, because He is God, and we are not his equals. Apparently, we needed a little reminder.
2007-01-14 08:45:51 · answer #4 · answered by Jimmy R 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could it be that in this fallen state their greatness will lead to their own destruction? And where does it say that God was afraid? even today we have the capacity to destroy ourselves completely. How long would that have taken if we were undivided? would we even be here now?
also, its Genesis 11: 5 -7
2007-01-14 08:55:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because he want's everyone to naturally gain a divine nature, but hold up....... you don't know that.
2007-01-14 08:44:13 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
so they wont over thrown the government
2007-01-14 08:42:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stupid question, how the hell would you know if God feared anything
2007-01-14 08:46:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Careful dear, your ignorance is showing.
2007-01-14 08:43:47 · answer #9 · answered by evil_nykki 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋