Making sense of the Confusion

Read Genesis 10-11.

After the flood, the only humans on earth were Noah and his family.  From his three sons came three strains of peoples of which all today trace their heritage.  Genesis 10 is a genealogy and overview.  Three times it is mentioned that each "clan" spoke their own language.  Chapter 11 explains why and how separate nations and language groups began.

God commanded in 9:7, "And, you be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply it."  But instead of spreading out to steward the earth, the population chose to stay as one.

In defiance and open rebellion against God, the population decided to stay together.  Nimrod founded a city called Babel.  There the people built a tower symbolizing their rejection of God's word to them.  Archaeologists have discovered in that part of the world a style of construction called ziggurats; a type of tall temple pyramid, often decorated with symbols of the sun, moon and stars with an altar for false worship on top.

Babel (modern day Babylon), then, is the birthplace of astrology and all other false religions that worship the host of heaven, instead of the God of heaven.  They looked to the creation for signs, instead of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.  In response to Babel, God intervened by giving them different languages so they can no longer work together in such united rebellion.  To this day the word Babel refers to confusion. 

With the confusion of languages the people could no longer easily communicate.  They were forced to separate.  "And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth." (11:9b)

Arrogant independence and open defiance against God will only lead to destruction of a nation and an individual's life.

Psalm 9:17-"The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God."

Proverbs 14:34-"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."

Psalm 2 should strike such a fear of God that all humble themselves before Him.  Verse 4 states, "He who sits in the heavens laughs."  God does not laugh because sinful rebellion is humorous, but because a human being thinking of challenging Almighty God and living without Him is absurd.  It is spiritual insanity.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:10 that one day-"at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."