Recently I visited my favorite shop. The man that runs it is someone my family has grown to know well. He is a real character. Very warm and inviting, but also a little out-there. I will call it conspiracy theories. This day, as I listened to his most recent discoveries, in the midst, he stopped and asked, "the tower of Babel. It makes no sense. There is no way they really believed they could build a tower that reached heaven. If they believed it...they would have built the tower on a mountain instead of in a valley."
Genesis 11:1-9 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. [2] And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. [3] And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. [4] And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. [5] And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. [6] And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. [7] Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. [8] So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. [9] Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
A "plain"
Hebrew: בּקעה
Transliteration: biq‛âh
Pronunciation: bik-aw'
Definition: From H1234; properly a {split}that {is} a wide level valley between mountains: - {plain} valley.
Psalm 23:4
[4] Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
It was as if God answered, immediately as the question was presented. The tower was in a valley because that is where the valley of the shadow of death is. Man thought he could build his way out of death and into life, by his own work; man wanted reach into heaven. God is the only way into heaven. Man can not work his way to heaven. Man cannot build his own tower. Man cannot build his own city. Man cannot make his own brick. Man cannot make his own mortar. Man cannot make his own stone. It is God's tower. It is God's city. It is God's stone work.
Proverbs 18:10
[10] The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Luke 14:28-33
[28] For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Of course there is no literal "valley of the Shadow of Death." You can't point at it on a map and say "There is the valley of the shadow of death." We are all in the valley of the shadow of death. We stand in that valley everyday. Yet, the priests and Levites actually stood in a valley between two mountains. This is not to imply they didn't. But stay in the metaphoric "valley of the shadow of death" for a moment, a very real place considering we all face death and have two choices. We stand in this valley (the valley of decision). We can not build a tower or work our way out of the valley of the shadow of death into life. Not on our own. We need God. Standing in this valley there are two mountains. One called Ebal, which means cursed. and the other Grizm which, means blessed.
The decision:
The choice of Life, or death.
The choice of blessing, or curses.
Notice the illustration. Does anything look odd?
Consider the barren. When did God move a mountain?
Galatians 4:27
[27] For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Luke 23:28-29
[28] But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. [29] For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
2 Peter 1:8-11
[8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. [10] Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: [11] For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Genesis 11:1-9 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. [2] And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. [3] And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. [4] And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. [5] And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. [6] And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. [7] Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. [8] So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. [9] Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
A "plain"
Hebrew: בּקעה
Transliteration: biq‛âh
Pronunciation: bik-aw'
Definition: From H1234; properly a {split}that {is} a wide level valley between mountains: - {plain} valley.
Psalm 23:4
[4] Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
It was as if God answered, immediately as the question was presented. The tower was in a valley because that is where the valley of the shadow of death is. Man thought he could build his way out of death and into life, by his own work; man wanted reach into heaven. God is the only way into heaven. Man can not work his way to heaven. Man cannot build his own tower. Man cannot build his own city. Man cannot make his own brick. Man cannot make his own mortar. Man cannot make his own stone. It is God's tower. It is God's city. It is God's stone work.
Proverbs 18:10
[10] The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Luke 14:28-33
[28] For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Of course there is no literal "valley of the Shadow of Death." You can't point at it on a map and say "There is the valley of the shadow of death." We are all in the valley of the shadow of death. We stand in that valley everyday. Yet, the priests and Levites actually stood in a valley between two mountains. This is not to imply they didn't. But stay in the metaphoric "valley of the shadow of death" for a moment, a very real place considering we all face death and have two choices. We stand in this valley (the valley of decision). We can not build a tower or work our way out of the valley of the shadow of death into life. Not on our own. We need God. Standing in this valley there are two mountains. One called Ebal, which means cursed. and the other Grizm which, means blessed.
The decision:
The choice of Life, or death.
The choice of blessing, or curses.
Notice the illustration. Does anything look odd?
Consider the barren. When did God move a mountain?
Galatians 4:27
[27] For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Luke 23:28-29
[28] But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. [29] For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
2 Peter 1:8-11
[8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. [10] Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: [11] For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
