Between Genesis 10:32 and 11:10, Moses pauses the genealogy to bring light to a defining moment in history; dare I say one of the most significant in the beginnings of time that would change the world from that moment until Christ returns! And yet, even in this event, we can see the Lord preparing our redemption. This post has been welling up within me for a year now and I’m SO excited to share it with you today! Come and commune in awe of our Great Redeemer’s work and the hope-filled detail He’s invested into His story!
“The whole earth had the same language and vocabulary.” (Genesis 11:1)
Wait, this doesn’t make sense. If you research the names of Noah’s genealogy in Genesis 10, it’s evident that there was more than one language. Some names are in Hebrew, others are Greek, Arabic, Assyrian, etc. This leads us to wonder, “What happened to cause this change?”
“As people migrated from the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.” (Genesis 11:2)
Here’s our first clue. Noah’s family migrated from Mount Ararat where the ark landed after the flood and traveled west. They “found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.” Hmm, Shinar sounds familiar. If we look back to Genesis 10:9-10, we learned that Cush’s son, Nimrod, started building kingdoms in the land of Shinar (Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh). This must have meant the land was prosperous so it would make sense the family would choose this area to settle.
“They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make oven-fired bricks.’ (They used brick for stone and asphalt for mortar.) And they said, ‘Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered throughout the earth.’” (Genesis 11:3-4)
This was an innovative, entrepreneurial group, just like the Lord created them to be. According to Genesis 1:26, He created us in His image, which included wisdom, creativity, and skills for development. The people were being resourceful.
However, Genesis 11:3-4 should raise red flags for us. Why did they want to build “a city and a tower with its top in the sky?” Because they could make a name for themselves. What is the reason for wanting to make a name for oneself? Recognition and pride. If Noah’s whole family were living close to each other, who would they be trying to impress or supersede? The second clue comes in the last sentence: “Otherwise, we will be scattered throughout the earth.” If we look back to Genesis 1:28, God told man (Adam and Eve), “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.” (Emphasis mine). And again, to Noah and his sons in Genesis 9:1, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” (Emphasis mine). Noah’s descendants clearly knew God’s command to fill the earth. This did not mean everyone remain in one city; it meant to spread out to the far reaches of the earth and fill it. Yet, the people had their own ideas and wanted to usurp God’s. They were blatantly rebelling against Him for their own power and position. Who does this sound like? Satan, the Father of Lies and prince of the earth.
As is consistent with God’s character, justice needed to be administered to break the growing hold Satan had on these people who had the idea to be their own gods.
“Then the Lord came down to look over the city and the tower that the humans were building. The Lord said, ‘If they have begun to do this as one people all having the same language, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let’s go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.’ So from there the Lord scattered them throughout the earth, and they stopped building the city. Therefore it is called Babylon, for there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth, and from there the Lord scattered them throughout the earth.” Genesis 11:5-9
Verses 5-9 are very significant. Don’t miss what’s happening here; the words are dripping with prophecy.
Firstly, how incredible that the Lord came down to observe what Noah’s family were doing. He could easily see and hear everything from His throne in heaven. God is all places at all times. Yet, He made sure Moses specifically mentioned His physical presence among the people. Did they pay attention at all to His presence among them? Were any of them convicted in spirit?
To be honest, I felt righteous anger and grief when I read this passage. How could they do this to the Lord after He just redeemed them from the earth’s destruction not too long ago? It must have grieved God to see the evil in man rise up to this extent once again. As I continued meditating on this story, my heart then turned to humility. How many times have I risen in prideful moments like my ancestors? The Lord has given us such great wisdom, knowledge, and gifts by being made in His image; to be able to do extraordinary things when we work together because His power and thought is at work in us. It’s no wonder He had to confuse languages because nothing would be impossible if we all worked together as one cohesive unit.
Can you imagine being gathered with people from other nations being able to speak to one another at any moment? How about seeing the developments of your hard work build something magnificent? There must have been much excitement buzzing in that city! And in one moment of justice, suddenly you no longer understand your cousins, aunts, and uncles. The project comes to a dead stop. Mass confusion breaks out and tension rises. Chaos erupts and people flee as the fear of God is remembered. How haunting those words would now be to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. The people no longer understood each other in word or thought but they knew why. Now God’s command to fill the earth could be fulfilled and His authority remembered.
This is the beauty that remained from this moment: There’s always hope! Like in all things, where God allowed confusion of many languages, He would also bring redemption.
Babylon in Hebrew means something that sounds like “confuse.” This name would travel throughout Scripture as a symbol of man seeking to be his own god and/or independence from God, from Genesis all the way to Revelation. Where man tried to rise to his own power in “Babylon,” God would administer His justice there.
So, how can we see God’s redemption in this story? In order to do so, we need to look at the New Testament as the Old and New are always connected. Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection were the fulfillment of the law and most prophecies in the Old Testament, except for some yet to be finished by His second coming and the ushering in of His New Kingdom. Let’s mirror this story of Babylon with one in the New Testament called Pentecost:
Babylon:
- People rebelled together against the LORD and the strong evidence of man wanting to be their own god was brought to light.
- Result: Confusion of language and greater division from relationship with the LORD
Pentecost:
- Followers of Jesus cried out to the LORD after His resurrection and sought Him as one body to be their LORD overall, and surrendered themselves to His will.
- Result: Divine understanding of tongues/languages and the indwelling of Holy Spirit to believers. A restored relationship as one people/body in Christ! – The Bible became Christians’ universal language!
Babylon is the antithesis of Pentecost:
- Babylon = Dominion of Satan’s rulership
- Pentecost = Dominion of the LORD’s rulership taken back by Christ’s work on earth through the cross and rising again from the tomb! “The Kingdom of God has come near!” (Mark 1:15)
Though all people are made in the image of God, a remnant has been restored to its greater context on this earth once again by the indwelling of His Spirit within God’s children. This then provides His greater wisdom and giftings, making things that were once impossible after Babylon now made possible again according to His will! Let’s confirm this:
- Babylon: “The Lord said, ‘If they have begun to do this as one people all having the same language, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.’”
- In Christ: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘If you can? Everything is possible to the one who believes.’” (Mark 9:23)… “Looking at them (His disciples), Jesus said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.’”(Matthew 19:26)
It is no longer possible for the men of this world’s plans to ever come together and be completely successful, but to those in Christ who unite together in God’s will, nothing is impossible! And this, in Genesis 11, is where I see prayer beginning to be a treasured gift. It’s the only universal “language” between man and God where heaven and earth join together being led by Christ and His Spirit who intercede for us!
As Christ’s followers, we must look at our former ways to be reminded of God’s gracious salvation; how He has redeemed us from the family of lies seeking selfish ambitions that only lead to destruction. Then, we must look to the present work God is doing in and through us as one family under Him. No effort of man will ever be able to stop the Good News of Jesus’ redemption from being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth! It will go to the outer most reaches of the earth to see that all have this one universal language to take hold of; the one language that will last into eternity with our Great and powerful God! Then we must look to the awesome future awaiting us in His New Kingdom where one universal language will fully be reinstated and we will commune together in perfect fellowship with the LORD for all eternity! This should all give us reason to rejoice in awe of our Savior today, no matter what situation we are in. All glory to our Great and Mighty King of Kings!
