Imagine a world where everyone speaks the same language. It’s very hard to imagine, considering some of the people in your own neighborhood may speak a different language than you. Instead of deciding to live together in harmony and unity, these people decided to be prideful about their language and “out do” God. They wanted to build a tower to the heavens in order to “make a name” for themselves. “If someone sees what we are doing and we accomplish this goal, then we will be known forever as the group that made it all the way to heaven from Earth.” 

God, who already knew this was going to happen, scattered them throughout the world. Do you think it was just to show that he knew all along what they were doing? Probably... but just think how today’s Scripture ties in to a passage later in God’s Word. Matthew tells us in the Great Commission to go into all the world and tell everyone about Jesus, and teach and baptize them, which requires learning some of these languages that God gave the peoples when he scattered them. He had a plan back then for the people of today who need to know him just like the people in the book of Genesis did. 

How willing are we to lay down our pride, learn about people who may be far away from us, or maybe next door, in winning the world for Christ?

Dr. Glen E. Neal, Lenoir, N.C.

Extended Scripture: Genesis 10–12