Bible Question:
Questions in reference to Babel from Gen 11 Gen 11:1 Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. Why is “language and words” both used in this sentence? This seams redundant. Could language mean something else? Such as a religion? Gen 11:6 The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. What does the Lord mean by “. . .now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.”? Is He referring to construction and engineering? Or is he referring to something spiritual because they speak the same “Language”? Gen 11:6 “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” Did this change the way people worshiped the Lord? Was this the beginning of different religions? Quotes from the NASB |
Bible Answer: Whatever language was originally used does not matter. That the people were totally unified in their decision and their ability to communicate was the problem. Because we are a fallen race the first great thing they decided to do was disobey God who told them to spread out and possess the earth and who showed them that only blood covers sin and sacrifice gives access to God (later, the perfect sacrifice being Jesus, the Christ)was the problem.They decided to find their own way and access to heaven. 1] "a house divided against itself cannot stand" (Matt.12:25) implies much can be accomplished in unity, and 2] The Lord also tells us that there is only one narrow way to salvation, but many ways into the supernatural (Matt 7:14). We are told that Jesus is the ONLY WAY. At the tower of Babel through pride and their own way, they were trying to enter heaven. Number 1 lets us understand that if any group unifies in a project, whether spiritual or physical, much can be accomplished. Man, being a fallen race, was not going to be allowed to unify. In Christ, we are encouraged to unify (see John 14) that we can accomplish much, but apart from Christ, God allows our sinful nature to keep us from accomplishing unity for any long period of time. Look at history. Hitler, Stalin, emperors of Rome...eventually the unity breaks down because of greed, pride and other sorts of corruptions. |