Up until this point in human history, all people spoke one language. That certainly was different from what we know today. There are many different languages today and it is a challenge to communicate with people due to the multiplicity of languages. The sad reality is that criminals manage to communicate even if they do not know the language. Lost people tend to be very innovative. A person seems quite capable of doing something that he or she truly wants to do.
Verse 2 tells us that the people were journeying from the east and they found a plain in the land of Shinar. They found some nice flat land where they could build.
Verses 3-4 tells us that they had a plan in mind. They wanted to build a building that would reach up to heaven. They were intent on developing a religion that would get them to heaven by their own works. They were still working on a belief similar to that of Cain. Cain’s descendants were destroyed in the flood. They perished. However, that wicked philosophy of self-will and self fulfilment still carried through after the flood. We know that it was a problem in Ham’s life and he encouraged his son Canaan in that same way. It is obvious from our text that a large number of other people also held to that view.
Once again we note that the people of that time were intelligent. They were not primitive people who built with sticks and grass for binders. They knew how to make bricks and they knew the importance of holding these bricks together with mortar. God blessed man with the ability to do many things. The sad reality is that much of what man does is anti-God, just as in our text. We see again how important it is to know the true God and to seek His guidance in our lives.
In verse 4 we see that the people wanted to make a name for themselves. They were not interested in knowing the true God and serving Him. They wanted their names in the history books and in the documents of the time. God saw to it that they would be remembered. They were remembered as rebels. They were remembered as those who sought to live without answering to God.
Verse 5 tells us that they were not hiding anything from God. We read that the LORD came down to see what they were doing. That is Jehovah God that came to see what they were doing. It was not that He did not know from heaven, but He came to remind the people that He was not asleep, or indifferent to what was taking place. God is a God of order. He has a design for man. He knows what man needs in order to live successfully. Defying God is not the way.
In verse 6 the LORD knew the capacity of rebellious people. They could communicate well because they all knew the same language. They were industrious. They had the necessary skills to do what they were planning. They lacked one thing. They lacked the fear of God in their hearts and lives.
The LORD knew what He needed to do in this situation. God is never at a loss. He designed man to glorify Him. He allows man to choose whether or not he will glorify God. He limits man’s ability to rebel against Him. He frustrates the wicked plans of man, in order to give man a further opportunity to stop and reconsider his course of actions. God is good. God loves mankind. It is a shame that so many people push Him aside.
In verse 7 we read that the LORD confounded the language of the people. The Hebrew word translated as “confound” means “to confuse” or “to mix”. God would do a new thing here again. This time He would give the people a multiplicity of different languages that others did not know. All of a sudden the brick layers could not communicate with one another and with those who were mixing the mortar. All of a sudden those who were making the brick could not communicate with those who supplied the ingredients they needed. It must have been quite frustrating to those people. One moment they were communicating and things were moving along well. All of a sudden, they could not communicate freely.
Verse 8 tells us that this confounding of the languages caused the people to scatter abroad. They spread far and wide. They did not just move over one or two tents from each other. They scattered all over. The end result was that the building of the tower came to an abrupt end. There were not enough people of the same language to carry on with their plans.
We can look at large cities today and we see that they build some fairly tall buildings. We lived in a city for a time that had a four story building in it. That was the tallest building they had. They had plans to build two such structures, but the second one ended up being only two stories tall. They ran out of money and could not go any further. The world trade centre buildings were quite a bit taller than that. However, those buildings came crashing down and many people died in that collapse.
God allows man to go so far with his plans, and at a certain point, He intervenes and slows things down. He wants people to stop and reconsider their course of action.
President Bush stood defiantly after the collapse of the twin towers and misused a passage from Isaiah and declared that they would build stronger and better. Interestingly, those buildings were never rebuilt. The Muslims have some structure there now, but those towers were not replaced. Those buildings were supposed to represent the material advances that the U.S. was making. They came crashing down and the material advances of the U.S. came crashing down with them. The debt load of the U.S. has increased to a extremely dangerously high place. Yet the government has no intent on slowing down their spending. The military machine of the U.S. is greatly depleted. Sources suggest that if the U.S. needed to go to war, they could not defend themselves for very long now. The fuel reserves have been depleted by the current government, to a place where the U.S. would soon run out of fuel for its tanks and jets, etc.
Canada is no better off. Canada and the U.S. are sitting ducks just waiting to be picked off by whoever wants to take a crack at it. We are in a very fragile place right now and it is going to get worse. Sadly, the politicians are lying to us and most people are content to believe the lies fed to them.
Even in religious terms, there are so many false religions and so many people who are content on believing the false religions. Things are on the brink of disaster, but most people are sleepily carrying on.
In our text we read that this place where the people had gathered and where God stopped them, was called Babel. The Hebrew word translated as “Babel” means “confusion”. Again we are reminded there that the LORD confounded the language of all the earth. He knew what needed to be done. He will not force people to believe in Him. He will show man that it is wise to trust in Him. Sadly, most are not interested. They cannot be bothered.
In our small town there has been a thing called ‘chase the ace’ taking place for a while now. We have noticed large numbers of vehicles lining the streets by the hotel. We learned that this thing that is taking place is another form of gambling. Over the weeks the number of vehicles parked there has been increasing. The people have the time to gather for this worthless event. They come together to throw their money away and also to drink. Somebody wins something, but apparently the big prize just keeps getting bigger all the time. I do not know when they will quit with it but it has gained quite the interest in our small town.
The sad reality is that we have not seen an increase in attendance in our church. People are not seeking to know the truth. They have little interest in investing in eternity. They will be quite shocked when they find out that their efforts have not gained them the benefits they thought they would have.
As we encounter people who speak a different language than we do, we are constantly reminded of the effects of the rebellion in the plain of Shinar. It is important to know the true God and serve Him. God loves man. God wants man to be saved. That is the hope of man. Those who are saved need to be much in prayer for the wicked that are all around us. We need to seek to help them to see the importance of knowing the true God in these days of grace.
If you are reading this and not saved, you need to understand the urgency of your situation. You are lost and your life is not what God intended it to be, nor is it what you hoped it would be. You can change that today by turning to God and being forgiven and saved today. You will never regret trusting in the Lord for your salvation. Find a good church that will teach you the truth. God will guide you if you will let Him. He loves you and He wants you to know Him.
Pastor Bartel