Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Tower of Babel,” pp.
117–124, in Patriarchs and Prophets.
“They decided to build a city, and in it a tower of such stupen-
dous height. . . . These enterprises were designed to prevent the
people from scattering abroad in colonies. God had directed men to
disperse throughout the earth, to replenish and subdue it; but these
Babel builders determined to keep their community united in one
body, and to found a monarchy that should eventually embrace the
whole earth. Thus their city would become the metropolis of a uni-
versal empire; its glory would command the admiration and homage
of the world and render the founders illustrious. The magnificent
tower, reaching to the heavens, was intended to stand as a monument
of the power and wisdom of its builders, perpetuating their fame to
the latest generations.
“The dwellers on the plain of Shinar disbelieved God’s covenant
that He would not again bring a flood upon the earth. Many of
them denied the existence of God and attributed the Flood to the
operation of natural causes. Others believed in a Supreme Being,
and that it was He who had destroyed the antediluvian world; and
their hearts, like that of Cain, rose up in rebellion against Him. One
object before them in the erection of the tower was to secure their
own safety in case of another deluge. By carrying the structure to
a much greater height than was reached by the waters of the Flood,
they thought to place themselves beyond all possibility of danger.
And as they would be able to ascend to the region of the clouds, they
hoped to ascertain the cause of the Flood. The whole undertaking
was designed to exalt still further the pride of its projectors and to
turn the minds of future generations away from God and lead them
into idolatry.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 118,
119.
Discussion Questions:
 What example do we have from history, or even the present, of
the trouble that can come from those who seek to make a name for
themselves?
 How can we, as a church, avoid the danger of seeking to build
our own Tower of Babel? What are ways we might actually be
seeking to do this, even subconsciously?