Genesis 11:1–9

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Recite the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.

1.           There is no similar story from the ancient world. The building of a “ziggurat,” which is what the “tower” was, was a common structure in the ancient middle eastern world. Made of fired clay blocks, structures could be built many stories high, and high meant moving close to deity.

2.           The world having one language, (at least in that geographic location) thus the capability to create such a monumental platform, and when the right place was found, likely Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the work began to raise up Babel, the “gate of God” or “highway to heaven.”

3.           Rulers in that area and era busied themselves in building such ziggurats in order to acquire fame and power.

4.           Yahweh was not impressed however and saw that the tower building would lead to extreme dangers.

5.           In a way that is unclear, Yahweh “dispersed” the workers, sending them away to other regions. The tower was left unfinished.” means, roughly, “gate of God” or “gateway to heaven.”

6.           The LORD “confused” the language, diversified it. The word “confused” is bubal in Hebrew, just one letter different from babel.

7.         The name of the city “Babylon” refers to the intent of humans to dethrone the Creator God and make His creation their own.

8.         This is precisely what the “pagan” world is yet attempting.