“Where are you from?” The simple question usually has a complicated answer. It may be easy to tell the city of birth or the high school from which one graduated, but to explain the prior generations can take time. Families move. Grandparents may have come from another region or nation. Though complicated, origins are important.
When Noah and his sons and their families exited the ark, Yahweh told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 9:1). The genealogies of Genesis 10 indicate the sons were obedient to that command. They went in all directions. They spoke different languages. They had a variety of skills and vocations. All of them, however, could point back to Noah and, thus, to Yahweh’s gracious provision.
This unity in variety was Yahweh’s desire—to show His creativity and power all over the earth. When some decided they wanted to come together and speak one language and build a city and a tower, they were subverting His plan. They were being disobedient to His call. They were, in fact, making much of themselves (11:4) rather than Him. They were not interested in fulfilling His desire and design.
This was a regional issue rather than a global issue, so rather than flooding the earth (which He promised not to do again), Yahweh confused their languages, forcing them to abandon their plan and move away from one another. His glory comes in variety, not in uniformity.
Thank God for the promise of having every nation, tribe, people, and language worshiping Him (Revelation 7:9). Help fulfill that plan.
