Day 5: Tower of Babel (2025)

Summary

The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) – Episode Summary: Day 5 – Tower of Babel

Podcast Information

• Title: The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
• Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
• Produced by: Ascension
• Episode: Day 5: Tower of Babel (2025)
• Release Date: January 5, 2025

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Introduction

In Day 5 of The Bible in a Year podcast, Fr. Mike Schmitz delves into the concluding chapters of the Early World period, specifically Genesis chapters 10 and 11, alongside Psalm 2. Fr. Mike introduces listeners to the genealogies of Noah's sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and transitions into the significant narrative of the Tower of Babel. This episode sets the stage for understanding the dispersion of nations and languages, culminating just before the introduction of Abram and Sarai in the biblical timeline.

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Biblical Readings: Genesis 10-11 and Psalm 2

Fr. Mike begins by outlining the contents of today's readings:

• Genesis Chapter 10: Chronicles the descendants of Noah's sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and maps out the spread of their families, languages, and nations across the earth post-flood.

• Genesis Chapter 11: Narrates the construction of the Tower of Babel in the land of Shinar, highlighting humanity's attempt to unify and establish a lasting legacy, which leads to God's intervention by confusing their language and scattering them across the earth.

• Psalm 2: A prophetic psalm that speaks of the Messiah's reign and the futility of earthly powers opposing God's anointed.

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Reflections and Insights

1. The Genealogies Post-Flood

Fr. Mike provides a thorough exposition of Genesis 10, detailing the lineage of Noah's descendants. He emphasizes how these genealogies illustrate the diversification of languages and nations, serving as a foundation for understanding the human dispersion after the flood. For instance, the sons of Japheth, such as Gomer, Magog, Madai, and Javan, are noted for their role in populating various coastal regions with distinct languages and cultures.

2. The Figure of Nimrod

A focal point of Fr. Mike's reflection is the character of Nimrod, introduced in Genesis 10:8-12. Nimrod is described as "a mighty hunter before the Lord" who establishes significant cities like Babel, Erech, and Akkad in the land of Shinar. Fr. Mike recalls his personal anecdote about the term "Nimrod" being used derogatorily, contrasting it with the biblical portrayal of Nimrod as a formidable and influential leader.

Fr. Mike notes, “Nimrod in chapter 10 sounds like he's a pretty impressive human being. In fact, it says he was the first on earth to be a mighty man... he created this kingdom, essentially Babel, Eric, Akkad, all of them in the land of Shinar” (04:31).

3. The Tower of Babel: A Lesson on Ambition

Transitioning to Genesis 11, Fr. Mike explores the motivations behind the construction of the Tower of Babel. He highlights the congregation's desire to "make a name for ourselves" (04:31) as a pivotal factor driving their ambitious project. This ambition, however, contrasts sharply with the biblical ideal of seeking excellence for God's glory rather than personal renown.

Fr. Mike draws a parallel between the Tower builders' intentions and contemporary pursuits of fame and power. He underscores the importance of aligning one's ambitions with divine purpose, rather than seeking validation and control.

4. Excellence vs. Ambition for Power

Fr. Mike elaborates on the distinction between striving for excellence in service to God and the pursuit of power for personal gain. He references Saint Maximilian Kolbe, who expressed the desire to "be a saint and a great saint" (07:32), as an exemplar of sacred ambition. Fr. Mike contrasts this with Nimrod's ambition, which, although initially appearing honorable, ultimately reflects a self-serving quest for dominance.

He reflects, “The difference between excellence and ambition. That's the difference between wanting to have a life that glorifies the Lord and a life that simply glorifies myself” (15:52).

5. The Call to True Excellence

Drawing inspiration from Saint Maximilian Kolbe and Saint Francis de Sales, Fr. Mike encourages listeners to pursue excellence as defined by holiness and service to God. He challenges them to evaluate their motivations, asking, “Am I striving to live up to that call to excellence? ... Not for my own glory, but because that's who you made me to be” (15:51).

6. Theological Implications of the Babel Story

Fr. Mike connects the Tower of Babel narrative to broader theological themes, such as the dispersion of humanity and the origins of diverse languages. He suggests that the story serves as a reminder of the consequences of unified humanity seeking to elevate themselves above God’s plan.

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Notable Quotes

• Fr. Mike Schmitz on Nimrod:

  “Nimrod in chapter 10 sounds like he's a pretty impressive human being... he was the first on earth to be a mighty man.” (04:31)

• Reflection on Ambition:

  “They say, let us build this and let us make a name for ourselves. And that's the difference between excellence and ambition.” (11:XX)

• Encouragement to Pursue Holiness:

  “Am I striving to live up to that call to excellence?... because that's who you made me to be.” (15:51)

• Prayer Excerpt:

  “Father in heaven, thank you so much for your word... help us to trust you in our brokenness... In Amen.” (07:32)

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Concluding Thoughts and Prayer

Fr. Mike concludes the episode with a heartfelt prayer, thanking God for the revelations in the story of the Tower of Babel and the genealogies that trace the first families on earth. He prays for the strength to recognize and address brokenness within our own families and lives, trusting in God's ability to use our imperfections for His glory and the world's salvation.

He emphasizes the importance of striving for holiness over personal ambition, urging listeners to "be who you are and be that well" (15:52)—a quote inspired by St. Francis de Sales. Fr. Mike encourages his audience to make a conscious resolution to pursue sainthood and genuine excellence, aligning their lives with God's divine purpose.

Fr. Mike wraps up by expressing his commitment to walking alongside listeners throughout their biblical journey, offering continued prayers and support.

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Final Remarks

Day 5 of The Bible in a Year podcast offers a profound exploration of human ambition, the quest for power, and the pursuit of holiness through the lens of Genesis chapters 10 and 11. Fr. Mike Schmitz skillfully intertwines biblical narratives with practical reflections, challenging listeners to examine their motivations and align their lives with God's intended path. This episode not only illuminates the historical and theological significance of the Tower of Babel but also provides actionable insights for personal spiritual growth.

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Note: For those interested in following along with the reading plan, you can download your Bible in a Year Reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com/BibleinaYear. You can also subscribe to the podcast through your preferred podcast app and join the email list by texting "Catholic Bible" to 33777.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, I'm Fr. Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Bible in a Year Podcast where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year Podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. This is day five, so let's get started. We are reading today From Genesis chapter 10 and chapter 11, the last chapters in the Early World period, as well as reading Psalm 2. The translation that I always use in these podcasts is the Revised Standard Version, the Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. Speaking of, if you want to follow along with this reading plan, you can download your Bible in a Year Reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com Bibleina year and you can also subscribe in your podcast app. And lastly, you can also sign up for our email list and get updates and notifications by texting Catholic Bible all one word Catholic Bible to 33777 once again we are reading today Genesis chapter 10, chapter 11 and Psalm 2. Let's get started.

[B]

Genesis 10 and 11 these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. The sons of Japheth, Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer, Ashkenaz, Rephath, and Torgamar. The sons of Javin, Elisha, Tarshish, Kitim, and Dodanim. From these the coastland peoples spread. These are the sons of Japheth in their lands, each with his own language by their families in their nations. The sons of Ham, Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush, Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Ramah, and Sadakah. The sons of Ramah, Sheba, and Edan. Cush became the father of Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Akkad, all of them in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh there, Heboth, ir, Kelah, and Rezin between Nineveh and Keilah, that is the great city. Egypt became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Parshursim, Kazluhim whence came the Philistines and Caphtarem. Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Archites, the Sinaites, the Arphadites, the Zimorites and the Hamathites. Afterward, the families of the Canaanites spread abroad and the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim as far as Lasha. These are the sons of Ham by their families, their languages, their lands and their nations. To Shem also the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth. Children were born, the sons of Shem, Elam, Ashur, Arpachad, Lud and Aram. The sons of Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether and Mash. Arpishad became the father of Shelah and Shelah became the father of Eber. To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg. For in his days the earth was divided. And his brother's name was Jaktan. Jaktan became the father of Amodad, Sheleph, Hazamarpheth, Gerah, Haderam, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Ibama, el Sheba, Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were the sons of Jakdan. The territory in which they lived extended from Misha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. These are the sons of Shem by their families, their languages, their lands and their nations. These are the families of the sons of Noah according to their genealogies in their nations. And from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood. Now the whole earth had one language and few words. And as men migrated from the east they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.

[A]

And.

[B]

And they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens. And let us make a name for ourselves lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, 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 now will be impossible for them. But come, let us go down and there confuse their language that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad, and from there over the face of all the earth. And they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. These are the descendants of Shem. When Shem was a hundred years old, he became the father of Arpishad two years after the flood and Shem lived after the birth of Arpishad 500 years and had other sons and daughters. When Arpishad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. And Arpishad lived after the birth of Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters. When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber.

[A]

And Shelah lived after the birth of.

[B]

Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters. When eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. And Eber lived after the birth of peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters. When peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. And Peleg lived after the birth of reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters. When reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Sarug. And Reu lived after the birth of Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters. When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. And Serug lived after the birth of Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters. When nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. And Nahor lived after the birth of Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters. When terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. Now these are the descendants of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran, and Haran was the father of Lot. Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth in Ur of the Chaldeans. And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iskah. Now Sarai was barren. She had no child. Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his grandson, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife. And they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. The days of Terah were 205 years. And Terah died in Haran.

[A]

God's promise to his Anointed. Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed, saying, let us burst their bonds asunder and cast their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord has them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying, I have set my king on Zion, my holy mountain. I will tell of the decree of the Lord. He said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me. And I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore, O kings, be wise, be warned. O rulers of the earth, serve the Lord with fear and trembling. Rejoice lest he be angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. Father in heaven, thank you so much for your word. Thank you for revealing yourself to us in this story, in the story of the Tower of Babel. We thank you for revealing yourself and even the stories of these genealogies, of how the first people on this planet continued to create families. And we ask you to please. As you reveal brokenness in families, let us reveal the brokenness in our own families. As you reveal how you've worked through broken people, help us to trust you in our brokenness. Because we know that you can use all things for your glory, that you can use all things even for the salvation of the world. You use broken things to make things new. And you use wounded things to make things whole again. And so we just praise you, Father, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. In Amen. Name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. So we had the story of the not only the genealogies in chapter 10, we also the Tower of Babel in chapter 11. One of the things about this is. It's remarkable because it seems like this is the last story, the last two chapters before we meet Abram and Sarai. So Abraham and Sarah, we're going to meet them tomorrow. But today it's the last two chapters in the early world period that are here in the great Adventure Bible. And so we have the story of obviously the descendants of Noah, you know, Shem, Ham and Japheth, and how those all sons play out. But there is one particular person that he sticks out for me because his name is Nimrod. Because that's just kind of a. I remember that was like an insult when I was a kid. I think if someone was doing something stupid, call them a Nimrod. I don't know why, but that's what it is. But nimrod in chapter 10 sounds like he's a pretty impressive human being. In fact, it says he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. And he created this kingdom, essentially Babel, Eric, Akkad, all of them in the land of Shinar. So Babel is Babylon. Right? So that's the understanding is ancient Babel is what would come to be ancient Babylon. And Nimrod being the very first of all the people who would establish, like, a kingdom. All the very first of all the people who would. Who would ultimately, in many interpretations, would become a tyrant in his quest for ambition and his quest for power and his quest for control. So Nimrod sounds like in our translation, the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, sounds like that's. He's a pretty impressive guy. And he was a. Was an impressive guy. Sounds like he was a positive person, like, almost like a hero. And yet, as the story unfolds, we realize that in the heart of Nimrod was what was in the heart of the people who created the Tower of Babel. And that is this kind of ruthless ambition. It's this ambition not for excellence, but an ambition for power. And this is the difference for a lot of us. I mean, because there's a clear teaching in Scripture, a clear teaching from our Lord that excellence is actually to be sought after, that to truly be great is a great thing, like the desire to be a great saint. I came across the story recently of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. And on the eve of his ordination, he had written out his goals. And among his goals, his number one goal, he said, I want to be a saint, to be a great saint. I want to be a saint and a great saint. So that kind of ambition to be a saint and a great saint even, is something that I think the Lord puts in our hearts. The Lord puts that in our hearts, and he wants us to cultivate that he wants us to really pursue that because that's true excellence. That's actually being who we are made to be and being that person. Well, that gives glory to God. The opposite of that kind of excellence is what we see with Nimrod. It says, like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord. Now, that word, that term before the Lord could be taken as like, you know, in the Lord's sight, just kind of as as if his strength came from God and it was an honor to God. But there are some ancient Christian commentaries that say that. That before the Lord went in opposition of the Lord, that in spite of the fact that God had given him these incredible gifts and as a descendant of Noah, that Nimrod had used that to accumulate power, to accumulate control, and simply for his personal self, ambition. And again, why would we think this is possibly a good interpretation of this? Because of chapter 11 where it says, now the whole world had one language and few words. And the people in the land of Shinar, remember, that's Nimrod's area. That's where he created his kingdom. It says that they said, come, let us build a city, a tower in its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves. See, the key is not that they wanted to build a big tower. That's fine. That, in fact, could be impressive. In fact, think about the incredible churches that have been built to honor the Lord, to be places of sanctuary for the people of God, to be able to come together as brothers and sisters, as sons and daughters of the Father, and give the Father glory. Like incredibly beautiful churches around the whole world. Like that. That's great. That's phenomenal. That's incredible. To build something excellent is not the point. That's not the problem. They say, let us build this and let us make a name for ourselves. And that's the difference between excellence and ambition. That's the difference between wanting to have a life that glorifies the Lord and a life that simply glorifies myself. You know, as we continue these first days, I mean, gosh, we just only started this journey through the Bible. This is going to be incredible. One of the things we can always ask ourselves is, Lord, am I striving to live up to that call to excellence? Am I striving to live like Saint Maximilian Kolbe in his prayer of make me a saint and a great saint, O Lord, not for my own glory, but because that's who you made me to be. And I can glorify you, God, when I am the saint, you called me to be and created me to be and redeemed me to be. When we do not pursue that, then there's something in us that is unsettled. There's something in us that is not. We're not being the people we're meant to be. At the same time, we might find ourselves pursuing and racing and chasing, and we might realize that I'm chasing after the wrong thing. I'm racing for the wrong reason. What I'm chasing after is my own fame. What I'm chasing after is my own glory. What I'm chasing after is I want to make a name for myself. I want to be known. Our call as disciples of Jesus Christ is we allow him to give us gifts and then we use those gifts for his glory and for the betterment of the people around us. Right? It's just, you know, it's like, what in one chapter from now, when God speaks to Abram, we hear this. Tomorrow, God speaks to Abraham and says, I will make of you a great name. I will give you a great name. And that's what we want to strive after. Not the fact that I want to make a great name for myself, but I'll receive. I will receive the name that the Lord has for me. I want to glorify his name always. We want to pursue that excellence. We want to be the people that we're called to be. I mentioned this many times. St. Francis de Sales has this saying, be who you are and be that well.

[B]

Be who God made you to be.

[A]

And be that well. But to pursue excellence rather than merely pursuing power, influence, fame, that's what the Lord has placed in our hearts. So like St. Maximilian Kolbe, let's make our resolution today that not to be like a nimrod, not to be a nimrod in opposition of the Lord, define wanting to make a name for ourselves. But like Saint Maximilian Kolpi saying, lord, make me a saint and make me a great saint. This has been a great couple days just beginning our journey together. So I want to let you know I'm continuing to pray for you. Please keep praying for me. And we will continue to walk together in the Lord's word for the rest of this year, and it's going to be phenomenal. If you haven't yet, you can text the word Catholic Bible to the number 33777 for updates and whatnot. If you haven't subscribed yet to this podcast, please, I invite you to do that if you want to haven't gotten your personal download of the Bible plan. Just go to ascension press.com Bible in a year and you follow along with us while you're reading. Well, follow along with us while you're listening anyways. Oh my gosh, what a gift to be with you. God bless today and my name is Father Mike Praying for.