FEB 13
Genesis 11:7-9
Memorise Genesis 11:9
“the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth”

Depending on your system of classification, there seems to be three or six or more different major races in the world, close to 200 different nations, and more than 3,000 different languages or dialects. Where did such diversity come from? The topic of the origin of language is something that has befuddled scientists and linguistic experts for centuries. Because of the false theory of evolution, the general consensus is that languages must have evolved from a simpler pre-linguistic form that became more complex over time. Apparently as man evolved, so did their methods of communication. Yet we know that that is certainly not the truth. Instead, Genesis 11 clearly shows us how languages, and also how the different races came about.

As God looked down upon the sin of the people around the city and tower of Babel, He knew He had to do something about it. If they were allowed to continue in their ways unchecked, they would very quickly descend into a terrible state of apostasy all over again. Thus God, in the infinite wisdom of His Godhead took counsel amongst themselves and made the decision to confound (to mix up or to confuse) their languages. This was a miraculous act of God, whereby they suddenly could no longer understand one another, each having their own new language, completely unintelligible to the person next to them. It does not mean that they lost the ability to speak, but rather that their brains were suddenly wired to speak and comprehend an entirely new and different language, and that they completely lost all knowledge of the previous language that they were fluent in. Having lost their ability to communicate, all building works on the city ceased, and the different language groups naturally congregated and moved away, each becoming a tribe that would exist in isolation one from another. It is likely that the languages were divided along family lines, as that was the division that we saw in Genesis 10. In time, each group would start to develop their own unique cultures, occupy territories and mark out national borders. Such shifts also limited the gene pools of each group, and in a few generations, nuanced genetic differences would give rise to different races, each having their own distinct characteristics. Thus with this one act, God foiled the attempts of Nimrod and his followers, and also divided up the people of the world, all for His own glory, in accordance to His plan.

Thought: What sort of unity does God desire?

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for the country that I am born in, and the languages that You have enabled me to learn and converse in.