Genesis 11:1-9 Tower of Babel

These events happened some time after the Flood God wanted mankind to disperse all over the globe Some men had a different idea

Verse 1. Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

Not surprising, since they were all descended from Noah’s family Common language and speech - in written form and pronunciation Some language analysts accept that such a language did exist

A common language meant a common identity It allowed men to encourage one another in a shared purpose It enabled co-operation in a grand scheme of work

Verse 2. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

This is the same plain that Babylon was later built on It was large and very fertile It looked like a good place to live – so why bother going further?

Verse 3. They said to each other, “Come let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone and bitumen instead of mortar.

Previously, men would have built with stones from the earth Often in the Bible, altars or memorials were made from stones Making their own building material is a picture of rejecting God’s provision

Verse 4. Then they said, “Come. Let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth”.

Towers that “reached to heaven” were built in later times They were called ziggurats They had names like “The House of the Link between Heaven and Earth”

Notice that there is no mention of God in their plans Their motives were rivalry with God, pride and to be united It was contrary to what Psalm 127:1 says - “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain.”

Still today, men will try to leave God out of their “great plans” For example, the European Union constitution did not mention God We must never leave God out of our plans – He must be at the centre of our lives

Verse 5. But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the men were building.

God does not have to “come down” to see what men are doing I believe this refers to God considering what the tower would look like in the eyes of a human He was displeased with their efforts

God did “come down” to earth in the form of a man – Jesus Christ He was able to see everything that men and women were doing It filled Him with sadness and sometimes anger, and yet He still died for our sins

Verse 6. The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.

Using a common language does indeed enable us to do great things Look at the International Space Station or the Air Traffic Control System English is fast becoming “the World’s language for communication”

Some would say that having a common World language will make it easier for the Antichrist He will try to set up a “one World” government with himself as “Lord” He will gather the World’s armies in one place to fight against God

Verse 7. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.’

“Come, let us” shows that the three persons of God were at work He could have judged their efforts in the same way He judged the World But He was merciful in His actions and simply confused their language

At Pentecost, God, in His mercy, reversed this “barrier of language” Every person heard the gospel being preached in their own language The Gospel is for every nation, tribe, people and language, and we must spread it throughout the World

Verse 8. So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.

Genesis 10 tells is the pattern of this scattering Technological achievement must have been set back by centuries This showed that it is God who is control of the destiny of mankind

Verse 9. That is why it was called Babel – because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Babel is where we get the name “Babylon” from It is also the origin of the English word “babble”

Lessons for us to learn: 1. Mankind has always tried to find a way to God and heaven 2. Trying to do this in our own strength or wisdom is foolishness 3. Christ provided the true “path to heaven” by His death and resurrection 4. This message needs to be spread throughout the whole World