Overcoming what happened at the Tower of Babel

[Jonaitis]

At the Tower of Babel, God confounded the language into many because He said, "they are one people, and they have all one language; and they have reasoned to do this thing; and now nothing will prevent them from doing that which they have imagined to do." (Gen 11:6) In other words, the people had reached a point where they might accomplish things that might have been outside of God's will and ahead of God's timing. So God confounded the language and made many languages to prevent this from happening.

Today, we have overcome the fence that God placed around us in the form of technology. We now have a number of ways to interact live, in real time, with people who speak different languages than we do. Right here on Facebook, for example, a post by somebody in a foreign language can be translated with one click of a mouse. And more, we have hand held translators where one can speak in their native tongue and have it instantly repeated out loud in the language the person with the device speaks. We have overcome what happened at Babel.

What does it mean? I am not sure... but I am sure if God was able to confound the language at Babel, then surely He could have prevented us from reaching the technological level we have reached. Which means, for whatever reason, God has allowed us to overcome Babel.

We have likely built skyscrapers higher than the Tower of Babel, not even to mention manning the moon!

I believe the reason why God has allowed us to surpass all past existing generations in so many ways is that we are coming to the close of this age. You can call it "the sign of the times." Sure, everything progressed to this point, but within the last two/three hundred years (since the beginning of the Industrial Age) things have rapidly changed and has distinguished us from the rest of history.

There are other things to notice:

1. The accessibility of education everywhere, including the use of the internet at our fingertips.
2. The abundance of materialism, as well as everything desirable to eat or drink.
3. The shift of regimes in the world, such as having monarchs to becoming democracies.
4. The "Long Peace," which refers to the "unprecedented historical period following the end of World War II in 1945 to the present day" of no world powers fighting each other. Such a period of "relative peace" between major powers has not been documented in human history since the Roman Empire.
5. The major shift in gender roles in society, including the family and the church. While some of the ancient Greeks and other pagan civilizations did incorporate an exchange of gender roles in their societies, never has it been this bad.
6. The major shift in respecting religion, as well as a showing reverence and esteem to the things considered holy. It is more than God and religion being rejected, but that anything religious or supernatural is spitted on and treated with contempt. It was common in the past for every culture to have some measure of reverence to the divine, regardless if they were Christian or they belonged to some other religion. It is fun to jest at the idea that there are even deities, and to desecrate sacred things and names.
7. The major shift in the Arts, including music. It is only getting worse by the next generation. If you are interested, check out this video: Why Is Modern Art So Bad?

I can continue! We live in an unusual time, and I believe this is a sign of the times that we are drawing near to the close of the age. God has permitted man toward the end to leap over and reach beyond former boundaries that he did not permit before. So much he is allowing! So much is happening! Then it will come, judgment day.

 

[Jonaitis]

To me, that adds to the idea that this was a literal event and that God intervened.

It is encouraging to know that there are still some orthodox Christians on this forum who hold to the real account of the Tower of Babel. We must persevere in this age of skepticism who question everything found in the bible and stand firm for the truth. Carry on, brother!

 

[Ken Rank]

Time easily explains all of this. Modern man first evolved in sub-Saharan Africa some 400,000 years ago. They began to migrate out of Africa some 60,000 years ago and by that time I am quite sure there were already a multitude of languages that had evolved. More has happened since and continues to do so.

I have never understood why man (I am speaking in general, Jack) spiritualizes something in the bible, or make abstract what is literal, just because he can't reconcile it as written. Why is it easier to believe in evolution than it is to believe in a God that can actually create from nothing? But, I was there too... once.

Peace.
Ken

 

[Ken Rank]

Around the world the young have been learning English also.

And scientists have been using it as the standard language for science.
----

There is another aspect though--
You talk with someone, you both have English as native tongue, yet cannot fully understand each other(!).

In fact, if you talk long enough, hours, dozens of hours, you discover to total surprise even some old friend was saying a whole different meaning than you thought about something.

You two have talked for years, enjoyed it a lot...and then comes a day for this surprised realizing about something you two totally didn't really understand each on.

Babel.

Still in force it seems.

Slang and dialects of a common language are one thing... languages that have no connection etymologically and historically is another. And... I have never witnessed two people who speak English who can't communicate. I have seen them have problems based on accent, slang usage, and so forth... but the base of the language is still present in both people trying to communicate thus, it might take a little time at FIRST, but that is a fence that is easy to climb over.

 

[Ken Rank]

It is encouraging to know that there are still some orthodox Christians on this forum who hold to the real account of the Tower of Babel. We must persevere in this age of skepticism who question everything found in the bible and stand firm for the truth. Carry on, brother!

There are metaphors in Scripture, idioms, abstract manners of speech... but much is still literal and I refuse to spiritualize or make abstract that which I can't understand today. A couple of decades of walking with God tell me that if I want to reconcile it, I just need to wait on God. Let Him show me when He knows I am ready to receive it.

 

[Halbhh]

Slang and dialects of a common language are one thing... languages that have no connection etymologically and historically is another. And... I have never witnessed two people who speak English who can't communicate. I have seen them have problems based on accent, slang usage, and so forth... but the base of the language is still present in both people trying to communicate thus, it might take a little time at FIRST, but that is a fence that is easy to climb over.

I must have either written unclearly, or the Babel effect is happening right here! I did not try to say I cannot communicate with my friends ! lol.... As best I know, we communicate really well, and understand each other really well.

But I did definitely say that if you, a human being, have a good friend, and if you talk with the good friend (or relative, anyone you know really really well) for hours at a time, that after years (not days), there will come a moment if you pay attention (but you don't have to pay attention) where it turned out you did misunderstand something they said, even though you 2 communicate really well, and routinely get what each other means really well.

But it is so normal, we hardly think anything of it -- everyone already knows it is hard to get some kinds of meanings across at times, even with people one is close to -- so, above, I was only pointing out the obvious, but I was trying to remind people about it, because it is so normal we don't necessarily pay attention to this ordinary, everyday misunderstanding quality of occasional less the perfect communication between people that normally get each other really well.

It's harder on the internet though.