The Flood and Babel

Judgement, Salvation and the Futility of Rebellion

The Flood and Ark

God judges sin, but also rescues His people

The Global Flood

Genesis 6 tells us that early on in human history, society became so depraved that God regretted that He made humans. Every thought of man was only evil continually. So God decided to implement a great reset. He sent a flood to wipe out all humanity, except Noah and his family. God sent Noah instructions to build an ark that would house all kinds of seeds and animals which would form the genesis of a new society. For 120 years, Noah and his sons built the ark. Then when the time was right, God brought the animals he chose to the ark. At that time water from the heavens and water from the deep deluged the earth. All of humanity, save Noah and his family perished. In God's faithfulness, He guided the ark for 40 days and 40 nights until is settled in the place where society would be re-established.

Once Noah and his family left the ark, the Lord made a new covenant - the Noah Covenant. God promised never to destroy the whole earth by flood again. As a sign of the covenant, God placed a rainbow in the sky. After significant rainfalls, we can often see the rainbow in the sky - a sign of God's continued involvement in our world today. Sadly, the sign of the rainbow has been hijacked by the pride movement in blatant mockery of God's covenantal sign. God's patience will not remain forever.

The account of the flood is not a fairy tale nor exaggeration. It is recorded to remind us of the consequences of rejecting God. Christian believers are told of another coming judgement. We need to remember that God will one day judge the earth by fire, but are to take comfort in His promise to once again rescue His people. In the NT, the Days of Noah and compared to the times leading to His return.

The times of Jesus Return

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:36-39

The Tower of Babel

Humanity's rebellion does not threaten God

Ancient Monuments

The 21st century is not the first society to believe the lie. Barely a few chapters after the flood, we read the account of the world gathering together to build a tower unto heaven to declare their god-like achievements. Of course God scattered and confused those nations. Yet many empires would emerge to conquer and re-unite with such deity-like goals. Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon built a large gold statue and commanded all to fall down and worship it. Yet God brought him to ruin too. Further empires emerged and attempted similar feats. Alexander the Great and the Greek empire came and fell. Caesar and the Roman empire likewise. And now, we are seeing the gathering of a new global empire intent on fulfilling the promise of becoming like the most high God. As with prior empires, it too will crumble before the Lord.

The Tower of Babel was a united global effort by mankind to erect a monument so big that they could declare themselves to be God. In their minds, they would work their way to the utopia of heaven. However, God does not want globalism under a single human authority. God wants a united people under His authority. So we know the Lord confused their languages and scattered the nations. Scattering is a judgement from the Lord. As ambitious as the Tower of Babel was, today the nations of the world are now attempting to reunite once again. With artificial intelligence, digital currencies and centralised power; the rulers of this earth are once again attempting to unite the world and build a new Babel. Their goals are to build a project that can change weather and sustain life forever. By mastering acts reserved for God, mankind will proclaim they have become God.

An Ancient Description

To be sure, previous empires were also depraved and reprobate in their practices. Romans 1 describes a society that has embraced and enacted the Ancient Lie. It reads like wokeism where the daily practices were hedonistic and selfish. They had abandoned the created order of male and female and pursued worship of nature instead of the Creator.To be sure, this Ancient Lie is more relevant than ever. Even though we have been told about the lie, and we have repeatedly seen other civilizations fall for the lie, we are once again succumbing to it.