The word ‘Babel’ means confusion. It derives from God’s punishment against the people when He confounded their language and ultimately scattered them across the face of the earth. Their undoing had three roots, and they can be disastrous even now. Firstly, they had a devotion to self. “Let’s build a great city for ourselves”, they said. Babel has since become a type of the world system. Christianity stands opposed to the world system through and through. Whereas Babylon idolizes self, Christianity calls for the repudiation of it. For this reason, Jesus made self-denial a cardinal requirement for being a disciple. Those who are self-centered are a dangerous lot. They would do everything to maximize themselves while minimizing others in the crudest way.

Babel has since become a type of the world system. Christianity stands opposed to the world system through and through. Whereas Babylon idolizes self, Christianity calls for the repudiation of it.

The second error was that they made fame their prime target. They wanted a project not because of its intrinsic value, but to satisfy their big ego. I have seen people do unbelievable things on social media just to be famous. Absurdity and insanity are fair ways to describe how people have debased themselves just for fame. Finally, they set out on the project so they would not be “scattered all over the world”. That negated the very will of God as announced in the beginning. God wanted man to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. Their decision to stay in one place was therefore an act in rebellion. God had no choice but to confuse their language. Those who are caught in these three evils are still in their confusion.