The Redemption of the Exile
Read Genesis 11:8, 9 and Genesis 9:1; compare these with Genesis
1:28. Why is God’s dispersion redemptive?

God’s design and blessing for humans was that they would “ ‘mul-
tiply, and fill the earth’ ” (Gen. 9:1, NKJV; compare with Gen. 1:28,
NKJV). Against God’s plan, the builders of Babel preferred to stick
together as the same people. One reason they said they wanted to build
the city was so that they would not “ ‘be scattered abroad over the
face of the whole earth’ ” (Gen. 11:4, NKJV). They refused to move
elsewhere, perhaps thinking that together they would be more power-
ful than they would be separated and scattered. And, in one sense, they
were right.
Unfortunately, they sought to use their united power for evil, not
good. They wanted to “ ‘make a name for ourselves,’ ” a powerful
reflection of their own arrogance and pride. Indeed, whenever humans,
in open defiance of God, want to “ ‘make a name’ ” for themselves, we
can be sure it won’t turn out well. It never has.
Hence, in a judgment against their outright defiance, God scattered
them across “the face of all the earth” (Gen. 11:9), exactly what they
didn’t want to happen.
Interestingly enough, the name Babel, which means “door of God,”
is related to the verb balal, which means “confuse” (Gen. 11:9). It is
because they wanted to reach the “door” of God, because they thought
of themselves as God, that they ended up confused and much less
power­ful than before.
“The men of Babel had determined to establish a government that
should be independent of God. There were some among them, however,
who feared the Lord, but who had been deceived by the pretensions of
the ungodly and drawn into their schemes. For the sake of these faithful
ones the Lord delayed His judgments and gave the people time to reveal
their true character. As this was developed, the sons of God labored
to turn them from their purpose; but the people were fully united in
their Heaven-daring undertaking. Had they gone on unchecked, they
would have demoralized the world in its infancy. Their confederacy was
founded in rebellion; a kingdom established for self-exaltation, but in
which God was to have no rule or honor.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs
and Prophets, p. 123.
Why must we be very careful about seeking to “make a name”
for ourselves?