Tag: Proverbs 16:18

An Ark and A Tower

Studying the grand narrative of Scripture can feel a bit like doing a whirlwind tour of cities in Europe. You hit the highlights like Buckingham Palace, the Eiffel Tower, and the Vatican, but you don’t linger long in any one place. In the first week of studying From Beginning to Forever, Elizabeth Woodson focuses on Genesis 1-4 covering creation, the entrance of sin into the world and the first promise of future redemption. (If you need a refresher on those portions of Scripture, check out links to posts on Genesis 1-3 at the bottom.)

Woodson wraps up the week saying “Whether it’s the story of Noah in Genesis 5-10 or the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, humanity quickly started to build their own kingdom. But instead of being rooted in the goal of stewardship flourishing and shalom, they were rooted in selfishness, self-preservation, and self-exhaltation.”1

Her description of humanity doesn’t sound all that different from our culture today. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the world was even worse in ancient times. And yet, Scripture tells us:

“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.’” (Genesis 6:5-7, NIV)

Fortunately, in the midst of pure evil, one man stood apart: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord…Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.”  (Genesis 6:8-9b)

Many of us know the story because of its fantastic imagery and outrageous events. We marvel at the thought of an enormous ark roughly the size of a football field, the pairs of animals that came to Noah to be herded onto it, and the deluge of rain that lasted forty days and forty nights.

After the flood waters receded and the ark came to rest on dry ground, Noah built an altar and made an offering to the Lord to atone for his personal sins. Then God made a covenant with Noah: “Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” (Genesis 9:15b-16, NIV)

While the Lord keeps His promises and continues to be faithful in the years that follow, the descendants of Noah show signs of drifting off the path of righteousness: “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’” (Genesis 11:1-4, NIV)

Their building techniques show ingenuity, but their motives reveal self-glorification: they wanted to make a name for themselves. The tower wasn’t meant to bring honor to God, but to bring them glory. Instead of following the Lord’s mandate to expand His kingdom on earth, they used their God-given skills and intellect to chart their own course.

Those constructing the Tower of Babel set out to build something that would be widely admired. Author Florence Littauer explains, “Although the word Babel means ‘gate of God,’ our God knew this tower was not a doorway to his holiness but instead a step toward the reverence of humanity.”2 A quick look at Scripture reveals that pride and self-glorification are not the gateway to God:

  • Proverbs 16:18 
    “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
  • Isaiah 57:15
    “For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”
  • 1 Peter 5:5-6
    “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
  • 1 John 2:16-17
    “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

These stories in the Old Testament reveal that the true gateway to God is through humility—through trusting His authority (where Adam and Eve stumbled), valuing His righteousness (where Noah’s contemporaries failed) and seeking His glory (where the builders of the Tower of Babel went astray.) 

We are as susceptible to these sins rooted in pride now as people in Genesis were then. Anytime we want “credit” for something good we’ve said or done, we’re elevating ourselves and slipping into a prideful mindset. Anytime we’re too stubborn to admit we’re wrong or unwilling to apologize, we’re fueled by pride. Anytime we expect to be treated as special or superior, we’re flirting with pride. If we’re seeking glory for ourselves instead of the Lord, the sin of pride is alive and well in our hearts and minds.

Humans have a propensity to build monuments to themselves, but Proverbs 18:10 shows us the wiser choice: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” (NKJV) Let’s remain humbly aligned with God and give Him all the glory He deserves.

Want more info on events in Genesis 1-3 that precede the flood and the tower? Check out the links below.

  • 1. Elizabeth Woodson, From Beginning to Forever: A Study of the Grand Narrative of Scripture, Lifeway Press, 2022, 35.
  • 2. Florence Littauer, Journey to Jesus, p. 58, Hensley Publishing, 2004.

The Gateway to God

Turning the pages in old photo albums recently, I discovered a picture I’d taken on a trip to Europe many years ago.  There’s no doubt, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most widely recognized structures in the world. Of course, Paris isn’t alone in having a noteworthy landmark– many cities are identified by their famous towers. It’s just part of human nature to want to create a structure that gives a place a distinct identity. For citizens who live there, it’s often a symbol that evokes a sense of pride.

After reading the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, it’s clear people have been doing this since ancient times: “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’” (Genesis 11:1-4)

By the time construction on this tower was underway, these descendants of Noah were showing signs of drifting from the path of righteousness. The most obvious example of this was their reason for building the tower—they wanted to make a name for themselves. The tower wasn’t meant to bring honor to God, but to bring them glory. Instead of following the Lord’s mandate to expand His kingdom on earth, they used their God-given skills and intellect to further their own agenda.

The underlying issue here is the sin of pride. While some positive forms of pride help us to have self-respect or to put forth our best effort, the sin of pride takes this to an unhealthy level. It’s more about elevating ourselves. It lacks the humility to see how God makes our success possible. One definition describes pride as “a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.” Saint Augustine describes it as “the love of one’s own excellence.”

Those constructing the Tower of Babel set out to build something that would be widely admired. Author Florence Littauer explains, “Although the word Babel means ‘gate of God,’ our God knew this tower was not a doorway to his holiness but instead a step toward the reverence of humanity.” A quick look at Scripture reveals that pride and self-glorification are not the gateway to God:

  • Proverbs 16:18 
    “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
  • Isaiah 57:15
    “For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”
  • 1 Peter 5:5-6
    “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
  • 1 John 2:16-17
    “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

While it’s clear that the true gateway to God is through humility, even those who follow Him are susceptible to the sin of pride. Anytime we want “credit” for something good we’ve said or done, we’re elevating ourselves and slipping into a prideful mindset. (That’s really convicting for me). We can also unintentionally tempt others to become prideful. For example, when we put gifted pastors or leaders on a pedestal and overemphasize their personal qualities, we’re inviting them to view themselves as special or superior. If we’re not giving God the glory for the good in ourselves and others we admire, the sin of pride is not far away.

Rather than making a name for ourselves, we would be wise to heed to words of Proverbs 18:10: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” (NKJV)

Casting Crowns’ song “Only Jesus” has one of the best messages I’ve heard for combating the sin of pride. It’s a bold proclamation to reject self-glorification and to point people toward Jesus instead.

Florence Littauer, Journey to Jesus, p. 58, Hensley Publishing, 2004.

Jen Wilkin, God of Creation, Week 10, Lifeway Press, 2018.

All Scriptures quoted from the New International Version except where noted.