Genesis 11:8-9

The Gate of God

When God is opposed to any action, the end will always be the same. "Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain" (Psalms 127:1). The confusion of languages resulted in the end of the mighty tower project. Not one name of those builders who wanted to be made famous remains. They were scattered to the four corners of the earth (Genesis 11:8).

Interestingly, Babel originally meant "the gate of God." It has now come to mean "a confusion of sounds or voices." In a sense, God used the confusion of voices to send people out. So, we might say this city truly served as a gate for God's purposes (Genesis 11:9).

Conclusion

Several facts stand out from this simple story. First, God's plan is the only one which will meet with ultimate success. "There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the Lord's counsel-- that will stand" (Proverbs 19:21). "Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established" (Proverbs 16:3).

Second, it is important to have unity to accomplish any great goal. The people of Babel were capable of great achievements, for men, as long as they had unity. However, their plans collapsed when confusion ruled in place of unity. We must be careful to unite our speech around God's truth. "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11). Paul exhorted the members of the church at Corinth to all speak the same thing (1 Corinthians 1:10). Similarly, he stressed the unity of the Spirit in his letter to the Ephesians (4:1-6).

Third, we can see sin's long range effects. Even today, we are confronted by the language barrier. Though those can be found to interpret, subtle meanings are lost in translation. Thus, man's efforts are thwarted.