Page 65 - Heavenly Signs III by Mel Gable

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CHAPTER 8: BIBLICAL SIGNS

Tower of Babel (Pieter Breugel - 1569)

The Book of Genesis first mentions a tower being built in a city after the Great Flood of Noah’s time. The

people in the land spoke the same language and they migrated from the east and came to the land of Shinar
(Hebrew: רענש). It is in that land they decided to build a city with a tower.

Genesis 11:4 “They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into
heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the
whole earth.”
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The main reason why the descendants of Noah built themselves a city is because they thought they were wiser
than God. They believed they were above God and His ruling authority over them. Notice, verse 4 again says
“Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name.” Their
chief mistake was not to glorify God. But, it was to promote their own name and to make themselves acclaimed
as great on the earth and in their land. It was not to honor the Creator of this world.

This is similar to the World Trade Center Towers which became iconic symbols of power for the United States.
What was so wrong with the building of the tower of Babel? They should have never gathered together in one
place on the earth. The people had done what seemed convenient instead of what was commanded by God. It
seemed much wiser to congregate together in one large metropolis than to be “scattered abroad over the face of the
whole earth.” So, they ignored God’s clear instructions in favor of their own wisdom. Well, we must remember
Genesis 9:1, when God instructed mankind, through Noah, to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” Again in
Genesis 9:7 God told them to “Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.” God’s instructions were clear. The
people were not to settle in one spot. They were to spread out over the whole earth. God judged them and
“confuse their language” such that they were no longer able to understand each other.

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New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Ge 11:4). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.