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Genesis 11 shares a historical story about all of humankind gathering together to construct a large building that will reach into the heavens. Many scholars believe that the type of structure indicated in this text was a ziggurat – a large pyramid shaped structure with large stairs reaching to the top.
Ziggurats were constructed as a gateway to the gods. But they weren’t constructed for people to be able to reach the gods. Instead, they were constructed to be a gateway for the gods to come down to us. It was as if the people were saying, “This is a way for us to know that the gods are on our side.”
What happened next? Genesis 11 tells us that God did come down but He wasn’t excited about the motives of the people. As such, He brought forward many different languages and scattered the people.
Yet this mindset of, “God is on our side,” continued to dominate the religions of the ancient world. In time, this view seeped into ancient Jewish culture as well. The result was that some Jewish natives believed they were better than others. But this is not the message God wanted His people to believe.
READING & PRAYERS:
GENESIS 11:1-9, EPHESIANS 2:11-18
What are some potential consequences of a group of people believing that “God is on our side?”
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as I begin a new week I pray that I would live not by thinking that You are on my side, but instead with the focus that You are free to fulfill Your will within and through me. Continue to mold and shape me in the person You have made me to be so that I can fulfill Your purpose. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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