GEN 11:7 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.
The name of the first city that
they built was called "Babel", which means simply "confusion" or "mingled" ("babel" is translated
to read "mingled" 37 times in the Bible). The people wanted to "make US a name", and they did.
Imagine the scene- this city of certainly thousands of people working side by side, building not
only their city, but this massive tower, the first ever built after the flood, whose design was to
extend up into the very clouds of "heaven". (The fact that they chose this design may imply that
they knew about similar pre-flood structures.) Workmen at the top called for materials to those
down below, who called to those below them, etc., etc., until the request reached the bottom.
Then, the materials were passed up until they reached the workmen at the top. But then,
something occurred that no one expected- they no longer could understand each other. Maybe the
ones next to each other could understand one another, but those below them only heard gibberish
when the next call came for materials. The scene must have been one of chaos. It's impossible to
imagine what it must have been like. All we are told is that at some point after this "confusion" of
languages, they ceased work on the city and were scattered "abroad upon the face of all the earth".
Later, we will study the completely compelling evidence which shows that it was indeed this very
area that the different languages originated.
Nimrod, the Mighty Hunter
Genesis chapter 10 presents the "table of nations" which tells of all the descendants of Noah's sons
and how they were dispersed upon the face of the earth. In this chapter, we are told about one of
Ham's grandsons- Nimrod, son of Cush:
GEN 10:8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a
mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said,
Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
There are many traditions about Nimrod
and our only confirmed knowledge of him is what we have read above, and what is gleaned from
the earliest "tales" and traditions. Until they built Babel, the people had been living in the same
region as Noah, who would have certainly been the central authority figure (they were under the
patriarchal system). Nimrod is the first person who is singled out in the Biblical account after the
story of the flood, and we need to examine who he was.
He was "a mighty one in the earth" which indicates that he was a man of influence and power. We
next learn that Nimrod was a "mighty hunter", which many assume means that he was a
conqueror. But let's think just a minute. Noah's family had left the area of the ark and set about to
make ONE city so that they would NOT be scattered. This indicates to me that they were all in
accord with each other. There would be no one to conquer. The Bible says Nimrod was a
HUNTER, not a conqueror. Why a hunter? After the flood, the entire animal kingdom had to be
reestablished. In time, they reached sufficient numbers that they could be allowed to go free and
spread over the face of the earth. Predatory animals, such as lions and tigers, reproduce (in litters)
at a faster rate than humans or domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep and goats who usually
give birth to only one or two (at the most) at a time. Think of these fierce animals, growing
rapidly in numbers, roaming freely. It seems logical that this would have been the people's greatest
fear. It reminds me of the old movies set in the African jungles where wild animals attack and kill
people in their tents and as they travel through the dense vegetation. I believe Nimrod established
himself as the great "protector" of the people as he hunted down and killed these fierce animals.
And this would have given him great influence and power among the people.
Whether Nimrod acquired this reputation as a great hunter while still in the region of Noah or not,
we don't know. But if he did, it makes sense that the large group of people would feel more
comfortable about venturing out into the unknown world with someone like Nimrod to protect
them, and this would place him in a position of great authority. Further evidence of his great
reputation is that the prevailing theme in the monuments and inscriptions of the kings and rulers of
later civilizations was that of the king as a "mighty hunter", which seems to have begun with
Nimrod. And as such a great hunter and protector, he was a leader, ultimately having a profound
effect upon the lives of billions of people throughout the following generations who followed the
pagan religions which all seemed to have begun with Nimrod. In fact, some of the very concepts
that originated with him have remained through the ages and their influence can be found in
almost every religion of today.
Paganism is Born
The evidences of archaeology in the entire region of the Middle East shows that from the earliest
stages, even before writing had been developed, the people had idols. And these idols were
indicative of several types of "gods" which soon were consolidated into "pantheons" of gods
within each of the pagan religions. The thing that we must never forget is that Satan has ever been
busy trying to divert God's people from the truth. And once they were separated from Noah, it
appears that they were an easy target. As Ron constantly tries to remind people, Satan was
cunning enough to "snooker" 1/3 of the angels of heaven as well as Adam and Eve, the most
perfect humans ever created, so the rest of us don't stand a chance against his wiles if we do not
maintain a close relationship with the True God. And as we are told,
ECC 1:9... there is no new
thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been
already of old time, which was before us.
Satan, in "creating" his "new" religion, could only corrupt that which was true religion. As a
former occupant of heaven, he knew the plan of salvation; he knew about the sacrificial system
and what it represented; he knew about the Son of God Who would one day come to earth in the
form of humanity; he knew about God's messengers (ministering spirits), the angels and their
work; he also knew how his evil legions of fallen angels worked- and he used this knowledge to
corrupt the true religion into pagan religion. And he knew how to use men and their selfish
motivations to accomplish his evil designs.
One early type of idol found all through the area is the "mother goddess of fertility". After the
flood, first and foremost in importance among the people would have been procreation- having
children, as well as the rapid reproduction among the animals and the crops. Also, there is early
evidence of nature worship, such as the sun and the moon. Everything was dependent upon the
sun for life. The moon was perhaps looked upon as something pertaining to the seasons for
planting, etc. We don't fully understand.
Also, the early pantheons of "gods" consisted of eight- the same number of people who came
through the flood in the ark. To these eight "gods" were assigned separate attributes of the true
God and things expanded from there. Thus was the concept of ancestor worship incorporated into
the pagan system. It's an extremely complicated subject, but ONE thing is certain- by the time
man began to spread across the face of the earth, fully developed "sun worship" went with him.
This indicates that this concept in religion- "nature" worship manifested also as "ancestor"
worship- was developed BEFORE the confusion of the languages.
How Could the People Turn from the True God so Quickly?
The evidence available on this subject indicates to us that Nimrod was the person who developed
the concept of the sun god and in fact, claimed to be the god, himself. How could this happen?
For a moment, let's reflect back to their situation. Mankind was "beginning again", so to speak.
When the people remained around Noah, they were exposed to the knowledge of the True God.
But life was hard. When mankind was first put upon the earth, it was perfect. Now, after the
cataclysm of the flood, the entire face of the earth was harsh and rugged. Plants had to be
cultivated, animals had to be bred and cared for. Everything had to be reestablished under the
harshest of conditions.
Hearing the story of the flood and the wickedness of mankind which brought about the flood, it
appears that in time, the majority of the people wanted to get away from Noah and his God and
"make US a name". They also, it appears, wanted a "new god" or religion, or at least accepted it
quite readily. Noah's God couldn't be seen- but Satan's substitutes were visible, even if only in a
stone statue or seen in the physical presence of the sun, etc. (To a great extent the same is true
today.)
The Pagan Belief in Immortality
The nature of their "new" religion (from the archaeological evidences) show that it was also based
on the acceptance of the first lie that Satan told Eve when he persuaded her to eat of the fruit of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: GEN 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye
shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be
opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. The first lie was that man doesn't die-
that he is immortal-, a lie that has lived on in the still popular concept of "life after death" even
though the Word of God plainly states that "the dead know not any thing,..." (Ecc. 9:5) and "His
breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish". (Psa 146:4).
There is only one Who is immortal:... the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord
of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality,.... (1TI 6:15). The promise of eternal life to the righteous
is a promise of FUTURE reward at the resurrection:
1CO 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must
put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory.
The ancient records reveal the incredible extent of the belief by the early peoples in an "after-life"
that begins the instant of death, and the necessity of appeasing the "gods" to insure good fortune
both in this life AND in the future life. The archaeological evidence seems to indicate that every
group that left the immediate region of the ark had a belief in some type of idolatry as their burials
contain "trinkets" for the person to have in their "next life". The earliest idols seem to indicate that
the people began worshiping a goddess typed "the mother goddess of fertility". Then there are
idols of animals, especially bulls,- after all, cattle were vital to early existence due to their milk
production and as food. But then, there appears in the major civilizations such as Egypt and the
cities up and down the Tigris and Euphrates, a series of gods and goddesses headed by a main
god who was considered the creator, and his favored son who was ultimately the "sun" god.
Incorporated into these fully formed "religions" were the early "mother goddesses" and "bull
gods", among others. And the most important thing to recognize is that the kings and leaders of
these early civilizations claimed that they were either the earthly representative of the sun god,
OR, in some cases, they claimed to be the god reincarnated in human form.
For those who want to study this subject more in-depth, I suggest that you read "The Two
Babylons" by Alexander Hislop. But in a nutshell, it can be summed up in a passage from Hislop's
above-mentioned book, whose purpose is to expose remnants of these pagan religions that are still
manifested in all religions today, including (unfortunately) Christianity : "The object [of this
pagan religion] was to bind all mankind in blind and absolute submission to a hierarchy entirely
dependent upon the sovereigns of Babylon".
Think about it for a moment- the powerful leaders, beginning with Nimrod, could get the people
to do anything they wanted by convincing them that they (the leaders) were "god in the flesh" or at
least the "god's" chosen representative on earth, and that they MUST obey this "god" (or "god's
representative") or they would suffer terrible tortures in the blackness of the netherworld after their
"death", tormented by monsters and horrible creatures. They likewise convinced the people that
the success of their harvests, or flocks, or having more children depended upon appeasing the
"god", who made known his wishes through his "earthly representative". The mediatorship of
Christ, the Son of God, was here replaced by a human being- either the king or priest who "spoke
infallibly" on behalf of the "god", or the king who claimed to be the actual reincarnation of the
"god", ruling mankind from his throne as every word from his mouth was considered infallible.
This concept has been preserved throughout the ages until even today when men worship the Lord
in vain, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Mat. 15:19) and the "doctrines of
devils". (1Tim. 4:1)
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