When Noah stepped off the ark, everyone that was left on earth loved God. But, that didn't mean they weren't sinners anymore. In fact, it didn't take long for things to start getting rough again.
Noah's children had children, and pretty soon there were a lot of people around. When people get together, they always look for someone to lead them. Sometimes, the leader is good. But sometimes, the leader is bad.
Genesis 10:8-9- And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
Do you remember the men of renown before the flood? They wanted to be worshipped as a god. Nimrod was kind of like those men. He began to be a mighty one in the earth. He set himself up like a king. And he started to build a kingdom.
Genesis 10:10- And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
It is important to remember that only one family was on the ark- Noah's family. And, like most families, they all spoke the same language. You speak the language your parents speak. Everyone on the earth spoke the same language. So, it was easy for them to get together and come up with a plan for their newly formed kingdom.
Genesis 11:1,3-4- And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
First, I want to point out that God put rulers and kings on this earth to teach us to do right and to punish those who do not obey the laws. It is very important to do what the government says! Paul even tells us that a Christian should obey the law.
Romans 13:1,7- Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
It isn't a Christian's job to overthrow the government. They can vote. They can help in government positions. But, they are suppose to uphold the laws of the land. When a government starts doing wrong, who's job is it to correct the government? God's job!
Nimrod's kingdom planned to do something wrong. They planned to build a tower to reach unto heaven. Perhaps they thought they could find God and take control. We only know that they didn't want to be separated.
But what was God's plan? Did he want all the people of the earth to live in just one spot? No! He made the whole earth full of beautiful wonders for us to see. He meant for people to live all over the world!
Genesis 11:5- And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
God came down to see what these people were doing. But God didn't stop watching them afterwards. He is still watching what people are doing today. And, just like back then, He will judge them and even punish them if He has to.
Genesis 11:6- And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
God gave people the ability to figure out problems. We have the imagination to design amazing works of art, and beautiful buildings, delicious meals, and even lovely landscapes. God wanted us to create things. But, sometimes the creative ability of people can be used to create bad things, like weapons. And God knew that what the people of earth were trying to create in this kingdom was not for the good of mankind.
Genesis 11:7- Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
Imagine! One minute your asking your friend for a hammer, and the next he's speaking Spanish! The man shakes his head and asks again, but still, he doesn't understand his friend. SO he asks the lady walking by if she understand his friend. She replies back to him in Chinese! That must have been confusing!
There are hundreds of languages around the world today. And we have even found languages written out that no one speaks anymore. Since people couldn't understand each other, they couldn't work together to get things done.
Genesis 11:8-9- So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
They called the city Babel. That's what we say a baby does when he speaks baby talk. It was called Babel because to each other, they were babbeling and not speaking correctly.
There are many nations across the earth because of this. And not all of them have heard about the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm sure many of them wonder where they came from, or what they are on earth to do, or perhaps they are wondering why people speak different languages. God watches over all the people around the world. He died for everyone! Wouldn't it be nice if someone learned their language and told them?
