Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there (Gen 11:1-2).

This is how the story of the Tower of Babel begins. The significance of this story becomes highlighted when it is compared with the story of Abram in chapter 12. While people moved eastward from Mt. Ararat to the region of Shinar (northwest of the Persian Gulf) to settle there, Abram moved westward from Ur in Shinar to the land of Canaan (11:31), and it was by the Lord's command that he did so.

The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you (12:1)."

On the other hand, in the case of the Tower of Babel, it was by their own choice that they tried to build a town and a tower that would reach to the heaven, which is well expressed in the following words:

They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks (for ourselves) and bake them thoroughly." … Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth (11:3-4)."

Note that the subject of the verbs is always "we," and everything was "for ourselves." In contrast to this, the emphasis in the story of Abram is placed upon the will and wish of the Lord:

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing (lit. be a blessing!). I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (12:2-3).

Here, the subject of the verbs is "I," and the rare use of the imperative form of Be-verb, "be a blessing!" indicates the strong wish of the speaker upon his partner. And noteworthy is the last statement, "and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you," which implies that these people will be gathered again and become one. The exact opposite of this happened in the Tower of Babel incident: the people tried to be one, but they were scattered.

The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same (lit. one) language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other (11:6-7)."

Apparently, God did not like the way they tried to be one by building a city and a tower (note the sarcasm in "let us go down"). What was wrong about it? In fact, here is the core (eye) of the sins of humanity (cf. Zech 5:6). It is important to keep in mind the fact that after the loss of the Garden of Eden, the world existed with no spiritual connection with God (an axis or a center that connects the heaven and the earth), and humans who were wandering in the land with no connection with God could not be heirs of God. Thus, the people in the story of the Tower of Babel tried to make such a connection by themselves, which is idolatry, and every kind of greed in the flesh (Eph 5:5). While the world was (still is) moving toward the same wickedness, God began with Abram to carry out his own plan of establishing a sanctuary that would connect the heaven and the earth so that humans, by faith, could become heirs of God again.

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all (Rom 4:16).