And here we briefly touch on some of the fallout from the Tower of Babel debacle, as hinted at in the conclusion to the mini-series from last weekend. We see Nimrod has moved on from warring and hunting to city-building, which is indicated by his slight change of attire.

The short passage in Genesis 11 can be a stumbling block for some, especially those creative and ambitious types. After all, the architectural and technological wonders of today are far more impressive than any clay and tar ziggurat that could have been built at the time. Why would God want to discourage such zealousness?

One answer is that God recognized their motivation. And it’s the same motivation that has been plaguing man since the beginning. They thought they knew better than God; just like Adam and Eve; just like Cain; just like the rest of the world before the flood. So like their forefathers, their disobedience and presumptuousness led to their downfall. Doesn’t it always?