What does "let us make bricks" reveal about human unity and ambition? The Verse in Focus “They said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They had brick for stone, and tar for mortar.” – Genesis 11:3 Setting the Scene • After the Flood, humanity shares one language (Genesis 11:1). • People migrate eastward, settle in Shinar, and immediately turn technological ingenuity toward a collective project. • The phrase “let us make bricks” captures their first recorded, post-Flood construction decision. What Human Unity Looks Like Here • Shared language → streamlined cooperation. • Consensus process: “They said to one another” shows mutual agreement, not top-down coercion (at least initially). • Everyone contributes: making bricks requires gathering clay, shaping, drying, and firing—labor-intensive, yet embraced willingly. • The goal is civic: producing a standardized building material that any participant can handle, ensuring no one is left out due to lack of rare resources like stone. What Human Ambition Sounds Like Here • Self-sufficiency: choosing brick over stone signals determination to overcome environmental limits. • Technological confidence: inventing kiln-fired bricks indicates belief that human creativity can match or surpass God-given resources. • Unspoken trajectory: bricks pave the way for the next statement, “let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top reaches the heavens” (Genesis 11:4). • Reputation focus: “so that we may make a name for ourselves” (11:4) links the humble brick to grandiose self-promotion. Spiritual Diagnostics • Independence from God: Unlike Noah, who built under God’s direction (Genesis 6:22), these builders consult only one another. • Substituted security: They hedge against dispersion (11:4) rather than trust God’s mandate to “fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). • Echo of Eden: The collective “let us” mirrors Eve’s “saw… took… ate” (Genesis 3:6), revealing a repeated pattern of human initiative detached from divine instruction. Biblical Cross-References on Unity and Ambition • Psalm 127:1 – “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” • Proverbs 16:9 – “A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps.” • Acts 2:1-11 – Spirit-empowered unity contrasts Babel: one speech glorifies God rather than self. • James 4:13-16 – Warns against arrogant planning “without regard to God’s will.” Takeaways for Believers Today • Unity is powerful but morally neutral; its value depends on the objective and whose glory is sought. • Technological progress should prompt gratitude and stewardship, not self-exaltation. • Collective decisions must remain anchored in God’s revealed purposes; otherwise, even brilliant cooperation invites divine opposition (Genesis 11:6-9). • The ultimate antidote to misguided ambition is surrendering plans to Christ, who alone unites people “from every tribe and language” for God’s glory (Revelation 5:9-10). Summary “Let us make bricks” spotlights humanity’s capacity for unified action and inventive ambition. Yet, severed from reliance on the Creator, that same capacity drifts toward pride and rebellion. Scripture calls believers to harness unity and innovation under God’s direction, channeling every “let us” into “let us glorify the Lord together” (Psalm 34:3). |
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