Nimrod’s demand for central power and central worship squashes global cooperation. The precedent he sets creates a consequence for all future generations. What should have lead to cooperative commerce, through work, cooperative worship through gifts brought from the nations, and family reunions involving all of mankind became confusion and disorganization. This was a judgment not a blessing. It would lead to war, famine and pestilence, because men could not cooperate with each other. Where there is the highest degree of cooperation among men there is the highest degree of success and longevity among that people group. Peter Turchin discusses the development of empires such as Babel throughout human history in his work War & Peace & War, The life cycles of imperial nations. He builds his premise on the idea of cooperative living along meta-ethnic frontiers lead to the development of empires. His work is built around the philosophy of Ibn Khaldun, a 13th century Islamic thinker who spent most of his adult working life in Cairo, Eygpt. Turchin presents Khaldun concept of Asabiya, or collective solidarity. Asabiya certainly would have been present among those gathered in rebellion against God in Babble.
“Asabiya of a group is the ability of its members to stick together, to cooperate; it allows a group to protect itself against the enemies and to impose its will on others. A group with high asabiya will generally win when pitched against a group of lesser asabiya.” Moreover, “royal authority and general dynastic power are attained only through a group and asbiya. This is because aggressive and defensive strength is obtained only through…mutual affection and willingness to fight and die for each other.” In other words, a state can be organized only around a core group with high asabiya. By acting in a solidary fashion, the members of the core group impose their collective will on other constituents of the state and thus prevent the state from falling a part.”
The Lord himself has to intervene with the people of Babble to break their high asabiya. “But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." Genesis 11:6-7. One of the ingredients of developing asabiya is an, us verses them mentality. Nimrod would have promoted this initially through his hunting exploits, but it would have grown in its rebellion against the Noahide principles set forth by God and then in rebellion toward God himself and the setting up of a false religious system. It is clear from the scriptures that the idea Nimrod and his cohorts were interested in fame, glory and power, and rejecting God’s word for them and therefore their redemptive purpose. “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 and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth. Genesis 11: 3—4.
False Worship in Babble
Dr. Henry Morris believes that the tower that Nimrod built was to worship to Satan, he states;
“Almost certainly his purpose was to build a great “high place” which could be used as a shrine dedicated to worshipful communication with the angelic host of Satan the army of demonic spirits.”
He further states.
“It is highly probable that all these characteristics of pagan religion were instigated and instituted at the Tower of Babble by Nimrod consulting with Satan. They began with the reinterpretation of the heavenly signs which had been intended to preserve the divine revelatory promise of Eden, changing them into the great deception of astrology, a system allegedly able to guide human beings in their personal lives here on Earth.”
I think that is equally probable that false religions survived the flood with the sons of Noah as they were to be initiated by Nimrod. The important fact is that they were present then and survive today. They are idolatry. Idolatry role as a hindrance to the development of redemptive gifts will be discussed in detail when we consider the life of Abraham. The important of discussing Nimrod’s form of worship is only important to us as a hindrance to the development of redemptive gifts. If indeed Nimrod was in partnership with Satan it was for the promotion of his own personal power at the expense of other men’s redemptive gifts. The best evidence of his usurpation of other men’s gifts is the silence of Noah throughout this period of history.
The men of Babble built a great city and a great empire with the purpose of rebelling against God. We should not extrapolate from this that cities and empires in and of themselves are sinful. This certainly is not the message that comes forth from the scriptures. The Lord can be worship in the city, just as he can on the deep, in the mountains and on the plains. Melchizedek was the king of Salem, a city. Jesus will dwell in New Jerusalem a heavenly city. God granted Israel specific land inheritances and cities in which they could worship and honor him within the context of an empire. Nimrod becomes the type of leader who fights against God instead of cooperating with him. He ultimately was the destroyer of redemptive gifts for the men and women he lead. History does produce great leaders that honor God and those that promote the redemptive gifts of their people. Several of China’s dynasties did, the Roman republic, Great Britain, and the United States of America, are examples that come to mind. Charlemagne and Russia under Peter the Great are others. The durability of a city or empire is directly proportional to their cooperation with God’s plan for that people group. The implementation of work, worship, family structure, and justice determine the people group’s success.
Robert C. Linthicum has written a tremendous book on God’s attitude toward the city. He begins the work by showing two Biblical types, Jerusalem as the city of light, and Babylon as a city of Satan. The author is clear in pointing out that both these “types” are within each city. Jerusalem is certainly a city that has sinned. Jesus said, in Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing”. Babylon was also a place God wanted to bless. When speaking of Babylon the prophet Jeremiah said, Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. Jeremiah 29:7. Interestingly, Linthicum does not project the redemptive value he sees in cities upon empires
“There are always the empires. There are always the principalities and powers, whether alive in Egypt or Assyria, in Babylonia or Greece, in Rome or in Israel itself the “empire” is everywhere, oppressing individuals and families and tribes and nations in any way it can, politically or economically or spiritually. The empire is the very personification of evil, the abode of principalities and powers.”
Linthicum fails to draw his premise to its logical conclusion. If Jesus is the mayor of Jerusalem, and the King of Israel, and the King of Kings, he is the leader of an empire. Linthicum quotes Ezekiel 48:35, “And the name of the city form that time on will be. The Lord is There” His commentary on this passage is as follows.
“God’s intention for the city is that the Lord will be there. Like the Jerusalem in Ezekiel’s vision, this can be our hope for our city. The Lord will so permeate the life and activities and even the spiritual essence of that city that its very name will proclaim that God is found inside that city’s walls. Here simply stated is God’s intention for the city.”
Romans 2:11, “For there is no respect of persons with God,” there is also no favoritism, of place with God. God wants to be everywhere fully manifesting his presence and blessing people where he has placed them. When we follow his constructs we prosper and grow in his favor. This is true for every geographic location, each generation and all genealogical backgrounds.
Peter Turchin, War & Peace & War, the life cycles of imperial nations, (PI Press) 2006 pg 6
Peter Turchin, War & Peace & War, the life cycles of imperial nations, (PI Press) 2006 pg 89, 90
Peter Turchin, War & Peace & War, the life cycles of imperial nations, (PI Press) 2006 pg 91
Peter Turchin, War & Peace & War, the life cycles of imperial nations, (PI Press) 2006 pg 5
Henry M. Morris, God of the Nations, (Master Books, 2002) pg 38
Henry M. Morris, God of the Nations, (Master Books, 2002) pg 42
Robert C. Linthicum, City of God, City of Satan a biblical theology of the Urban Church, (Zondervan Publishing House), 1991, pg 24-25
Robert C. Linthicum, City of God, City of Satan a biblical theology of the Urban Church, (Zondervan Publishing House), 1991, pg 83
Robert C. Linthicum, City of God, City of Satan a biblical theology of the Urban Church, (Zondervan Publishing House), 1991, pg 80
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