A tale of two towers

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“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18:2). AV

The Old Testament book of Genesis tells the story of how, at a time when all the people of the earth dwelt together and spoke one common language, they decided to build a city, called Babel, with a tower whose top would reach up to heaven (Genesis 11:1-9). 

We are told that they wanted to ‘make a name for themselves’ (4), to call attention to their own power and abilities; instead of giving glory to God.  The famous Tower of Babel remains a symbol of man trusting in his own wisdom and relying on his own strength.   However, their plans were built on a very poor foundation, because they leaned to their own understanding.  Their pride and arrogance soon brought swift judgement from God (8-9).   

Sometimes we can be just like those people back then.  We often lean to our own understanding, refusing to seek God’s will or to simply trust him to guide us in the way he wants us to go.  It is precisely because we don’t always know God’s will that we find it so hard to trust him.  What if what he wants for us is different from what we want for ourselves? 
We want a relationship with God but we tend to want to have it on our own terms.  Like the people who decided to build the tower of Babel, we desire to get to heaven, but we want to make our own way there.  We want to be in control of our own destiny.

The writer of the Book of Proverbs advises us:  “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).  In another place, the writer of Proverbs informs us that “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it...” (18:10).
 
The reality is that we already have a tower that reaches to heaven.  We don’t have to build our own.  From the vantage point of this tower, we can see beyond our present distresses and difficulties.  From this high and lofty shelter, we can view the world and its problems in a new and different way and we can find rest and security, peace and strength within its walls.  The storms of life cannot reach us here.  Our Saviour, Jesus, is our tower.
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The apostle Paul says that it is Jesus who takes us up and sits us down together “in heavenly places.”  (Ephesians. 2:6).  As the psalmist says, God is our high tower, the one in whom we can trust.

​Richard Dempsey
Cambridge, England - info@grace-lines.net