The shocking thing about the Tower of Babel story is not that people were dumb enough to think they could build a tower to heaven.

History is full of infamously ridiculous ideas that mankind has come up with. In a world where people made medicine with mercury in it, made Coca-Cola with cocaine in it, and made two more seasons of The Office without Steve Carell in it, clearly we are prone to some bad ideas; it’s no surprise that humanity would also try to make a tower that could reach God’s heavenly domain.

The shocking thing is not that they were dumb enough to build a tower to heaven. The shocking thing is that they were smart enough to do it.

Yeah, that’s what I just said. They were smart enough to actually do it. After all, why else would God say this in

Genesis 11:6

“Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.”

Seriously? God believed if they could build Babel, they would be able to do anything? What exactly were these people capable of?

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why God said this in the Bible.

Turn with me to Genesis 11, and let’s get weird.

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

2:25 - Jacob’s Ziggurat

5:30 - Gate of the Gods

11:25 - Nimrod’s Plan

23:30 - God’s Response

25:45 - Why Babel Broke the World

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Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!