One Language
Read Genesis 11:1–4. Why were the people of “the whole earth” so
keen to achieve unity?

The phrase “the whole earth” refers to a small number of people,
those alive after the Flood. The reason for this gathering is clearly indi-
cated: they want to build a tower to reach the heavens (Gen. 11:4). In
fact, their real intention is to take the place of God Himself, the Creator.
Significantly, the description of the people’s intentions and actions
echo God’s intentions and actions in the Creation account: “they said”
(Gen. 11:3, 4; compare with Gen. 1:6, 9, 14, etc.); “let us make” (Gen.
11:3, 4; compare with Gen. 1:26). Their intention is explicitly stated:
“ ‘Let us make a name for ourselves’ ” (Gen. 11:4, NKJV), an expres-
sion that is exclusively used for God (Isa. 63:12, 14).
In short, the builders of Babel entertained the misplaced ambition to
replace God, the Creator. (We know who inspired that, don’t we? See Isa.
14:14.) The memory of the Flood surely must have played a role in their
project. They built a high tower in order to survive another flood, were
another to come, despite God’s promise. The memory of the Flood has
been preserved in Babylonian tradition, albeit distorted, in connection with
the construction of the city of Babel (Babylon). This upward effort to reach
heaven and usurp God will, indeed, characterize the spirit of Babylon.
This is why the story of the Tower of Babel is such an important motif
in the book of Daniel, as well. The reference to Shinar, which introduces
the story of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:2), reappears at the beginning of
the book of Daniel, in order to designate the place where Nebuchadnezzar
has brought the articles of the temple of Jerusalem (Dan. 1:2). Among
many other passages of the book, the episode of Nebuchadnezzar’s erect-
ing the golden statue, probably on the same place in the same “plain,” is
the most illustrative of this frame of mind. In his visions of the end, Daniel
sees the same scenario of the nations of the earth gathering together to
achieve unity against God (Dan. 2:43, Dan. 11:43–45; compare with Rev.
16:14–16), though this attempt fails here, as it did at Babel, as well.
A famous secular French writer in the past century said the great
purpose of humanity was to try “to be God.” What is it about us,
starting with Eve in Eden (Gen. 3:5), that gets drawn into this
dangerous lie?