Genesis11_9

Genesis 11:9

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.

It is an important event that the place bears the name Babel, because it almost represents adversity and rebellion against God Elohim. It inherits from the city Cain built and will develop into an extreme concentration of rebellion against God Elohim.

Babel means confusion and chaos. By confounding their language and scattering them abroad upon the face of all the earth, human beings could develop in a normal direction. Obviously, if human beings had continued to build the city and the tower that reached to the top of the heavens, they would have entered into a slavery society or autocratic empire. A few people would have become the highest leaders by concentrating most resources, such as labor, physical wealth, and authority.

In fact, by confounding the language of all the earth, ordinary people had the opportunity to serve God and follow the commands of God. The name of the place captures the process of the event and the reasons why God did that to human beings. Hence, it is a sign for us to recognize whether what happens around us is from God or from those in rebellion.

Babel has a clear symbol: a city and a tower. Babel hides a few people’s ambition and arrogance. Babel has two sides — one is the physical realm and the other is the psychological realm. Almost all countries still use the Babel pattern to rule their people to this present day.

What God Elohim did was first to take care of common people, not those of Babel. It is meaningful to ordinary people who are living on the earth.