DWDP- Gen 11: 3-4 Come Let Us Build a Tower

A city that promises security. A tower that promises unity. A plan that quietly says, “We don’t want God’s way.” We open Genesis 11:3–4 and slow the story down until you can see why the Tower of Babel still feels familiar in modern life and modern culture.

We talk through Nimrod’s rise, why ancient tradition paints him as more than a talented leader, and how a single decision can steer a whole people toward centralised power instead of obedience to God’s command to spread out and fill the earth. We also dig into the practical details: why they chose bricks in the Mesopotamian valley, what “burn them thoroughly” implies, and how tar mortar and archaeology make Babel feel grounded in real history.

Then we follow the spiritual trajectory of the tower itself. What starts as a permanent community project becomes reputation-building, defiance, and a religious centre tied to the host of heaven, astrology, and deception. We wrestle with the idea that Babel becomes a seedbed for corrupt worship and the kind of spiritual confusion Scripture later describes as “Babylon.”

We close by turning from darkness to clarity: Jesus Christ is the truth, and His word is truth. John 8:31–32 is our anchor, reminding us that continuing in His word leads to freedom. Subscribe, share this devotional with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find Bible teaching that points to Jesus as more than enough.

Transcript

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Welcome To Devotions With Dr Papa

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Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, Dr. Robert Jackson.

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Papa, can you tell me a story? Do you really want me to tell you a story? Well, you go get your brother and your sisters, and I will tell you a story. Welcome to Devotions with Dr. Papa. Gather round, grab your Bibles, and let us look into the written word, which reveals to us the living word who is our Lord Jesus

Genesis 11 Read Aloud

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Christ. Today we're at Genesis chapter eleven, verses three and four. They said to one another, Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly. And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. They said, Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower, whose top will rise, will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name. Otherwise we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth. May the Lord add his blessing to the reading of his word.

Who Nimrod Is Said To Be

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Start with verse three. If you recall way back in Genesis eight verses eight through eleven, that those verses reveal to us that Nimrod became a mighty one in the earth, and it was said of him like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord. And then it was said and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel. Recall that the Jewish Targum described Nimrod as a mighty tyrant in the face of Jehovah. Now let me read a little bit from the Jewish Targum. I want to read exactly what it said about Nimrod. The Jewish Targum says he was powerful in hunting and in wickedness before the Lord, for he was a hunter of the sons of men. And he said to them, Depart from the judgment of the Lord and adhere to the judgment of Nimrod. Therefore it is said, as Nimrod the strong one, strong in hunting, and in wickedness before the Lord. Now that's extra biblical, but it is a description of this man Nimrod.

Two Paths For A New World

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So by the time of this verse three, and by the time of this location in the field the plain of Shinar in the Mesopotamian Valley, Nimrod was the leader of the people, and as their leader, he could have chosen one of two paths. One option was to systematically colonize the various parts of the earth as God had commanded, with each new community establishing its own government under God's law as God had commanded them. Or another option would be to develop a centralized society with a centralized government, controlling all resources and production, with himself Nimrod as the ruling dictator. The latter option clearly appealed to Nimrod, whose name means let us rebel, gathering to himself a community of like minded rebels who preferred a one world government under a superman leader rather than a theocratic rule under God's laws. They were a self sufficient society under Nimrod's leadership rejecting any dependence upon God or divine law. Does that sound familiar to you? The implication of the word come, which starts off this verse, which in Hebrew is the word Yahab, literally means give, and in that group it gave Nimrod leadership. And the leaders probably family or tribal leaders gave authority or permission to Nimrod to begin a construction project.

Bricks, Kilns, And Tar Mortar

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So a formal decision was made by the family leaders to develop a brick making industry. So go back to the verse, see what it says. They said to one another, Yahab, give, we're giving authority to make bricks and burn them thoroughly. So they gave authority to the leadership under Nimrod's leadership to create a brick making industry. And I've I'll tell you, I've been to the Middle East. I lived there for three and a half months, and everywhere you look there are stones both large and small. Every home is made of stone. Every pasture is surrounded by a stone wall composed of the rocks removed from the pasture in order to till the pasture. But not so in the Mesopotamian Valley. There are no rocks there at all, just red clay, but red clay suitable for making bricks, usually dried in the sun. But these folks had a better idea. They heated their bricks in a kiln, which is from that phrase burn them thoroughly. The mortar was tar from the abundant asphalt pits common in the Tigris Euphrates Valley. And all of this has been confirmed by archaeologists. Now look at verse four.

The Tower Plan And Defiance

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The conspiracy escalates from brick building to both city and tower construction, and more than that, some building reputation building and direct defiance of God's command. First, Yahab, there's that word again, come or give. They gave authority to builders to construct homes and a city. Their intention was a permanent community as opposed to colonization and filling the earth as God had commanded them. Number two, constructing a tower that would dominate the city and the landscape, no doubt visible for miles around. It would be the center of the city and the center of religious life. It was no doubt designed for astrologic observance and for worship of the heavenly host. The tower would represent unity and strength. Now here's a thought. Do you think there was anybody among the tribal leaders that remembered the great grandfather Noah's word from God to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth? I mean you and I know about that command, and that's been more than four thousand years ago. How could they forget just four generations later? Was there a minority report among the family council that said, wait a minute, we're not comfortable with these building plans. We thought God told us to colonize the entire earth and develop its resources in a way that would glorify God, not make a name for ourselves. We're pretty sure that what God told Noah when he got off the ark was that we should fill the earth and not build a big city to make a name for ourselves. There may have been a minority report, but the collectivist and the centrist position prevailed, and the Tower of Babel was constructed anyway. As this verse says, they were not concerned with God's plans. They were concerned with making a name for themselves. In fact, they openly acknowledged that their plans were opposed to God's plans when they said lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth. The builders and the one world government crowd had to overcome the motivations in the people's hearts. Number one, they had to overcome their desire to obey God's will, and number two, they had to overcome the natural curiosity to explore God's world, coupled with the independent spirit that would drive people to explore and develop unknown regions. The Tower of Babel and its pagan religion was the unifying force that would bind people to this one location, to this city and to this tower. We do not know how long the construction of the city and the tower went on before God

Mystery Babylon And Spiritual Deception

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intervened. But my supposition is that just like before the flood, the demons were actively involved in the life of Nimrod and his wife and the priests that developed the pagan worship that developed in the Tower of Babel that ultimately so angered a holy God. I suspect that like all deceptions, the tower and its pagan worship was proposed to the people as a plan of true worship of the true God and a place for their sacrifices, but over time this was corrupted and perverted as the signs of the zodiac was added to the temple. The people reasoned that the impressive structure would please God and would more than compensate for the fact that it was contrary to God's will. If you will recall, many years later Samuel told King Saul that to obey is better than sacrifice. Over time the tower, its pagan system of worship, its demonic influence became the progenitor of mystery Babylon, the occult religion of Babylon, that worshiped the host of heaven and the fallen angels behind every star, as they had done before the flood, the evil spirits possess the mind and body of those open to such possession, especially Nimrod and the priests of the occult religion, perhaps even revealing to them through revelation the entire conspiracy against God. Where did the entire complex of human religion begin? I submit to you that the entire evolutionary pantheism promoted through a system of astrology and idolatrous polytheism and empowered by occult demonic influence that pervades our entire world today had its beginning at the Tower of Babel. Remember that Revelation seventeen five tells us that Babylon was the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. Satan's work has always been deception. Revelations twelve five informs us that he is the one who deceives the whole earth, and he has been a liar from the very beginning.

Jesus, Truth, And Real Freedom

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Contrary wise, our Lord Jesus Christ is the way and the truth and the life. He always speaks the truth, and his word is truth. In John chapter eight, verse thirty one and thirty two, when Jesus was talking to his disciples, those who had believed on him, he said, If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. There were a lot of evil and dark things that happened at Babel, and it was perhaps the beginning of all the occult religions of our world. But our Lord Jesus Christ is the truth, and his word is truth. And if you and I would know him, whom to know aright is eternal life, then we would know the truth and we would abide in the truth.

Closing Blessing And Share Request

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You're listening to devotions with Dr. Papa. If you like what you hear, I pray that you would follow, like, share, or download it. Tell your friends about it. We'll be back again next week. Till then, remember that Jesus loves you, your doctor loves you, and I pray that the Lord will bless you real good.

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Thank you for listening to this edition of Morthern Medicine. For more information about the Jackson Faily Ministry or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, Instagram, or web page at Jackson Family Ministry dot com. Also, don't forget to check out Jackson.