The Tower of Babel and Language Confusion

Bible Study Lesson, Genesis 11:1-9  

In the ever upward climb of man, the quest for trying to outdo God seems to continuously emerge. The Tower of Babel is a good example of the human lust for power and glory as we will discover in this Bible reading and lesson.

11:1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

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

3 They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar.

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

5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building.

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.

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

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

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.

The Tower of Babel

The tower the people were in the process of constructing in these Genesis verses was most likely similar to the pyramids of Egypt which was a common structure in Babylon at this time.

Purpose of the Tower (Not to Honor God)

I was a little confused when I first read this passage - contemplating why God would confuse the language to stop construction on this structure. After all, people have constructed buildings and towers almost as long as they have discovered how to use tools, haven't they? Now it's become clear to me that the people were building the tower to bring honor to themselves, not God.

Ability and Pride

This tower was meant to say to the world; "Look at what we've build and what we have accomplished. Comparable to modern times where we seem to be hung up on accumulating "stuff" - a new car, a fancy house, dream vacations, the most expensive clothes and so on...

Maybe Idol Worship?

In itself there is nothing wrong with owning nice things but the people of Babylon were using their tower to replace God with something of themselves.

Enjoyment Vs. Obsession

Our possessions should not be used to give us a sense of worth or identity. We should enjoy what we have been blessed with but should always give the credit to God and make Him first in our lives. What "towers" have you built lately?

Love in Christ

- Bob

Genesis 7:1-5 - God's Covenant with Noah