Gen 11:9 | KingComments | STEP | God’s response to this endeavor will not take long in coming. People have said to one another: “Come, let us …” ( ). In the LORD says: “Come, let Us …” – “Us” is the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To involve man as it were in His considerations the LORD comes down to take note of their works. It is to convince man of what He knows as the Omniscient. After His conclusion God judges. He pronounces the verdict and carries it out. He does not do this by a new flood or by opening the earth, but by a confusion of language. Through the judgment of the confusion of language, God breaks man’s striving together. A large and powerful stronghold is being demolished. The confusion of language is being undone on Pentecost ( ), when the Holy Spirit is poured out. Baptism with the Spirit creates a unity that is according to God’s thoughts. This unity, the unity of God’s church, is based on the work of Christ as the Lamb. Christ will receive the honor for this from the mouth of those whom He has purchased for God with His blood “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” ( ; ). In the realm of peace there will also be a unity among the nations of the earth in serving God ( ). The unfinished city is named “Babel”, which means ‘confusion’. This city will be the leading power in the world. It is a concentration of ungodly powers. At the same time it becomes clear that the unity that has been pursued and that has been seen as power by man is judged by God with a confusion of languages. What they wanted to prevent by their efforts, scattering ( ), is exactly what happens by God’s judgment. With this, the story of the early history of man on earth has come to an appropriate conclusion. She describes how the generations of the earth have become hopelessly scattered and wandering around on earth, with no view. The solution comes in the next section. From the scattered nations God builds a people that will become the channel of His grace. God does not yet deal with humanity. The following section prepares us for God’s work for and with His people.

‏ Genesis 11:9

The Confusion of Language

God’s response to this endeavor will not take long in coming. People have said to one another: “Come, let us …” (Gen 11:3-4). In Gen 11:7 the LORD says: “Come, let Us …” – “Us” is the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To involve man as it were in His considerations the LORD comes down to take note of their works. It is to convince man of what He knows as the Omniscient. After His conclusion God judges. He pronounces the verdict and carries it out. He does not do this by a new flood or by opening the earth, but by a confusion of language.

Through the judgment of the confusion of language, God breaks man’s striving together. A large and powerful stronghold is being demolished. The confusion of language is being undone on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-11), when the Holy Spirit is poured out. Baptism with the Spirit creates a unity that is according to God’s thoughts. This unity, the unity of God’s church, is based on the work of Christ as the Lamb. Christ will receive the honor for this from the mouth of those whom He has purchased for God with His blood “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev 5:9; Rom 15:6). In the realm of peace there will also be a unity among the nations of the earth in serving God (Zep 3:9-10).

The unfinished city is named “Babel”, which means ‘confusion’. This city will be the leading power in the world. It is a concentration of ungodly powers. At the same time it becomes clear that the unity that has been pursued and that has been seen as power by man is judged by God with a confusion of languages. What they wanted to prevent by their efforts, scattering (Gen 11:4), is exactly what happens by God’s judgment.

With this, the story of the early history of man on earth has come to an appropriate conclusion. She describes how the generations of the earth have become hopelessly scattered and wandering around on earth, with no view. The solution comes in the next section. From the scattered nations God builds a people that will become the channel of His grace. God does not yet deal with humanity. The following section prepares us for God’s work for and with His people.