*Genesis 11:1-9
People united after the flood attempt to build a tower to reach heaven, but God confuses their language and scatters them around the world.
- Unity of Humanity:
- At the time, the whole earth had one language and a common speech.
- People migrated eastward and settled in the land of Shinar.
- Building the Tower:
- They decided to build a city with a tower that reached the heavens, to make a name for themselves and prevent being scattered across the earth.
- Divine Intervention:
- God observed their actions and decided to intervene.
- He acknowledged that as a united people, nothing would be impossible for them.
- Confusion of Languages:
- God descended to see the city and the tower that humans were building.
- He confused their language so they could not understand each other’s speech.
- This caused the project to halt, as they could no longer communicate effectively.
- Scattering of People:
- God scattered them across the earth, and they ceased building the city.
- Thus, the city was called Babel (meaning confusion), as God confused the language of the whole world.
- From there, the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
- Implications:
- This event led to the dispersion of people into different language groups and nations.
- It highlights humanity’s tendency towards pride and self-exaltation, and God’s sovereignty over human endeavors.
Genesis 11:1-9 teaches us about pride, unity, and trusting God’s plan. The people building the Tower of Babel wanted to make a name for themselves instead of following God’s will. This reminds us that when we rely only on ourselves and seek our own glory, things can fall apart. True success comes from working together in a way that honors God. This passage encourages us to be humble, seek God’s guidance in our plans, and use our talents for His purpose rather than just our own. When we trust Him, He leads us in the right direction.
Genesis 11:1-9 (WEB)
11:1 The whole earth was of one language and of one speech. 2 As they traveled east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.”5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. 6 The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. 7 Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. From there, the LORD scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.