My first thought as I read this was, "Wow, how cool would it be for everyone today to speak the same language! To be able to immediately understand someone from a foreign country, for there to be no barriers in communication." A quick Google search reveals that the Ethnologue suggests there are currently 6,909 recognized languages in our world, a far cry from the times of Genesis.
Genesis 11:4 "Then they said, 'Come, let's build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world."
While everyone speaking the same language seems like it would be an incredible world to live in, sinful humanity uses it as an opportunity to fulfill their selfish desires. The phrase "this will make us famous" is literally translated "let us make a name for ourselves". "The tower builders sought fame through idolatrous ambition. The tower was a human attempt to ascend to God's realm (NLT insert)." This really shouldn't come as a surprise. If left up to us and our sinful flesh, we will choose self every time. I mean, if we were to be honest, how many "towers of babel" are in our world today, literally and figuratively? How many "towers of babel" are in my life? In your life?
Genesis 11:5-7 "But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. 'Look!' he said. 'The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!' Come, let's go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won't be able to understand each other." God, in His mercy and grace, would not let sinful humanity continue in their own sin. God's judgement on humanity had already occurred through the flood, and He promised never to destroy the earth like that again (Genesis 9:15). But, he does scatter all the people by causing them to speak different languages, therefore, allowing for God's favor to be shown to Abram and the nation of Israel in the chapters to come.
Speaking of Abram, the main thing I took away from this passage is the contrast in the tower builders, who sought fame for themselves, and Abram in Genesis 12:2. God said "I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others." Abram humbly obeyed God when He told Abram to leave his country and his family, and go to a land that God would lead him to. Bottom line: Am I seeking fame for myself? Am I building "towers" in my life (money, popularity, recognition, entertainment, etc.) to pursue my own selfish desires, or am I humbly obeying Christ and letting him lead me to where he wants me to go? My purpose, as was Abram's, and as is all Christian's, is to be a blessing to others, all the while bringing glory and fame to Christ.
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