Let's start with Genesis 8:21b, which states, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil." Despite the flood in Noah's time, humanity persisted in wickedness rather than walk in righteousness. Adonai, who endowed man with language to communicate, witnessed how this gift was misused at the Tower of Babel, where pride led to rebellion and division among people.
Nimrod and the people's goal in building the tower was not to glorify God but to exalt themselves and pursue idolatry, aiming to unite the world in rebellion, and they wanted to be recognized as they are and not as the creation of God.
In response, Adonai inspected the tower and decided to confuse their language, forcing them to scatter and creating diverse languages and cultures (Genesis 10:5). The transition from one language to many symbolizes the shift from belief in one God to the worship of multiple gods.
Babel means “confusion” and this is what Satan wants just like what he did in the garden of Eden. The Babel project creates confusion and fear. People feared to be scattered around the world and they rebelled. Until now Satan confuses people in knowing the truth of God's words so that they would rebel against God.
These are the two lessons we can learn from our Torah portion:
A. Do not be a cause of rebellion, but be a tool of unity in worshiping God.
The name Nimrod means “rebel” and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and he was a mighty hunter and son of Cush(Genesis 10:8-9). Since his name means rebel, I believe he led the people in rebellion against God. In our time, many Nimrods appear to create and lead rebellion in different congregations, and even prophet Isaiah mentioned how Lucifer rebelled. Isaiah 14:12-15: “How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.”
B.Do not be proud.
Pride can destroy our relationship with God and with people. When we exercise our pride, it means that we only think and value ourselves to the point that we are superior or above. Even King Solomon said in Proverbs 16:18-19: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
Let us remember that even God humbled Himself. Who, being in the form of God, did not consider robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men(Philippians 2:6-7).
Adonai's remedy for wicked humanity was to choose one family to enter into a covenant with. From the lineage of Shem came Nahor, then Terah, and finally Abraham (originally named Avram), meaning "The father of a multitude." Abraham was chosen to establish a covenant with Adonai, and from him, the line continued through Isaac, Jacob, and Judah—the tribe of Messiah Yeshua, Adonai's ultimate remedy for a wicked humanity. Yeshua is the only strong tower of safety and security. Proverbs 18:10: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”
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In the Haftarah portion, Prophet Isaiah accused Ephraim and called them drunkards. Later, he gave his attention to Judah. Also drunkenness infected even the Priest and prophet which resulted in wrong guidance of the people. They erred in wine and strong drink in vision. The question is, what hope did the nation have when leaders lost their ability to be self aware. So what's the action of Adonai? He will discipline His people using the tongue (language) of another nation, when He allowed His people into exile(Assyrian). Just like in the Torah portion, we can also see a remedy of Adonai to His people. In verse 16, Isaiah prophesied the coming of the Messiah(Yeshua) as the Chief Cornerstone of Israel. Yeshua is the foundation or the stone which holds together the entire structure of Israel.
The Apostolic portion discusses the purpose of the gift of languages. In 1 Corinthians 12, various spiritual gifts are listed, including gift of tongues (verse 10) and the interpretation of tongues (verse 11). However, Paul clarifies that not all possess the gift of tongues. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul emphasizes that tongues without love are meaningless. Moving to chapter 14, Paul urges the believers in Corinth to be mature in understanding, drawing a parallel with Isaiah 28:11. The misuse of tongues in Corinth indicated a lack of maturity, particularly concerning their attitudes towards the gift.
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The common theme throughout our Parasha is language. In the Torah portion, the misuse of one language led to rebellion and self-exaltation. In the Haftarah portion, Adonai used a foreign (nation) language as a form of punishment for Israel. In the Apostolic portion, Paul taught the Corinthians about the proper use of the gift of languages to share the gospel.
In conclusion, despite the ongoing wickedness of humanity, Adonai provides a remedy. There's no need to construct a tower to reach Him; rather, it requires a genuine relationship with His Son, Yeshua, the ultimate remedy for humanity's wickedness.
Shabbat Shalom,
Topher
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Sources:
bible strong app
creation.com
venn.org.nz
hatanakh.com
torah.org
torahresource.com
thetorah.com
thirdmill.org
bethmelekh.com
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