In Genesis 11:1-9 [verses below] we find the story of people who believed they could accomplish everything they needed without God. But God stepped in to give them another opportunity to live life with Him.

As you read through the following passage from the Bible, please remember that God has always wanted to be involved in our lives. He created us so He could help guide and lead us in a victorious life. He never wanted us to set Him on a shelf.

He created people so He could demonstrate His love, compassion, faithfulness, power, omniscience, omnipresence, sovereignty and every other aspect of His character. 

He didn’t need to create us. He wanted to!

It reminds me of an artist who uses her God-given talent to create a beautiful painting of a glorious sunrise. She could admire that painting, and never show it to anyone. But, when she shares it with others who also enjoy the beauty it captures, it gives pleasure to the artist, and God is also glorified because it is His creation being captured by the person He lovingly created.

God created us to reveal how amazing He is. How do we help others see how glorious He is by the way we worship Him and live for Him each day?

Considering that our goal is to honor God, and make Him known, the account recorded in Genesis 11 is heartbreaking because the people chose to reject God and attempted to establish their lives excluding and disobeying Him.

Genesis 11:1-9: “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 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; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same 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.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.”

This account reveals how much God loves us. He cares enough to stop us in our tracks when we are off of His path that He designed for our blessing.

As the above account indicates, there was unity because of one language. People began to move eastward. They developed the use of brick and tar to build, neglecting to recognize those skills come from God. As they became proficient in this process, pride took root. They decided to “make a name” for themselves.

Whenever we want to “make a name for ourselves”, we need to pause and consider what that means. As a follower of Christ, I should always want my loving Lord and Savior known and praised for everything good I do. What is your desire – to make Christ known or to make a name for yourself?

The people of Shinar felt that they needed to build their city in this manner so that they wouldn’t be scattered. They felt empowered. They felt they had something good happening. The problem was, God told them in Genesis 9:1 that they were to move out across the earth: “Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.”

But God “came down”, observed the people’s activities, and put an end to their self-centered, disastrous plan. He confused the people’s language and scattered them “over the face of the earth”.

Today people are also rejecting God’s command to His followers as Mark 16:15 states: “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Instead of prioritizing life around God, and obeying Him, people are amassing worldly possessions as their god. God’s people need to guard against this tendency. We do not want to build our version of the Tower of Babel.

The Tower of Babel was man trying to reach God his own way and more than that, to reach heaven and usurp God. Man wanted to be a god.

The people who built the tower of Babel rejected God. People today are rejecting God.

The people who built the tower of Babel thought they were invincible. People today think they are invincible.

The people who built the tower of Babel thought they could get away with rejecting God. People today think they will get away with rejecting God.

God dealt with the people of Babel, and God will deal with people who reject Him today, as He has done since Adam and Eve.

God’s plans cannot be thwarted by anyone. Jesus proved that at the cross. He defeated Satan and death when He rose and ascended to the right hand of God. 

If your life is not centered on Jesus, you are missing out on the best experiences this life can bring. You will forever be separated from God, your Creator. Is this truly what you want, or would you like to have your life built on God as your foundation? He gives guaranteed hope for all who commit their lives to Jesus. 

If your life is not committed to Christ, why not take that step this very moment?

Do you have questions about having a true relationship with God? I would be glad to talk with you. Please contact meat: ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.

Copyright 2026 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.