What exactly was God's motivation for Genesis 11:7?

[Justin108]

Genesis 11:5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 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. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.�


Why did God deliberately hinder our progress as a species? Was God afraid of us? Given that modern man has managed to overcome most language barriers, should we expect God to try and hinder our development again?

[ttruscott]

Genesis 11:5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 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. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.�


Why did God deliberately hinder our progress as a species? Was God afraid of us? Given that modern man has managed to overcome most language barriers, should we expect God to try and hinder our development again?

To copy your assertive way of expressing your question, HE did nothing to hinder our progress as a species but only the progress of Satanic spiritualism...The ziggurat was a locus of power against YHWH.

HE was afraid of nothing but all on earth is done for the beneficence of HIS sinful elect who did not need extra suression by Satan's angels, plus it gives HIS elect a further witness to HIS control over evil and points to the end time when evil will be fully defeated. Since the Church of Christ is growing in maturity and only the most stubborn sinful elect are being disciplined to repent, the power of Satan can be given fuller reign as happens especially in the end times.

[Divine Insight]

HE was afraid of nothing but all on earth is done for the beneficence of HIS sinful elect who did not need extra suression by Satan's angels, plus it gives HIS elect a further witness to HIS control over evil and points to the end time when evil will be fully defeated. Since the Church of Christ is growing in maturity and only the most stubborn sinful elect are being disciplined to repent, the power of Satan can be given fuller reign as happens especially in the end times.

Don't you see a major problem with the idea of the "sinful elect" with the story of Noah and the Great Flood?

At that point in time the so-called "sinful elect" would have needed to be only Noah's immediate family and their chosen spouses.

And by the way, according to these Biblical tales Noah as not a "sinful" man. To the contrary the Bible has Noah being "Perfect" and "Just".

Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God

It clearly states that Noah was a just man who was perfect in his generations.

Therefore Noah cannot be said to have been a "sinner". Unless of course the Biblical fables are either false in their claims, or later contradict their own claims. Neither of which loan any credibility to the reliability of these fables.

[Justin108]

Genesis 11:5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 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. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.�


Why did God deliberately hinder our progress as a species? Was God afraid of us? Given that modern man has managed to overcome most language barriers, should we expect God to try and hinder our development again?

To copy your assertive way of expressing your question, HE did nothing to hinder our progress as a species but only the progress of Satanic spiritualism...The ziggurat was a locus of power against YHWH.

1. Genesis 11 says nothing about Satanic spiritualism. Please provide evidence or retract your claim.
2. If God did not stop this ziggurat, would it have been an actual threat against YHWH? What would have happened if God did not stop them?

"nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them"

If they were in fact Satanic and if the Satanic goal is to usurp heaven or something to that effect, would they have succeeded in this had God not confused their language?

[OnceConvinced]

The best argument I've come across here for the Tower of Babel is that God was angry, not so much that they were trying to reach him, but because of the motives behind it. They were wanting to prove God's existence and he won't be tested. So even if they had reached the clouds and found God there, it still would have been a sinful thing to do.

[bluethread]

The best argument I've come across here for the Tower of Babel is that God was angry, not so much that they were trying to reach him, but because of the motives behind it. They were wanting to prove God's existence and he won't be tested. So even if they had reached the clouds and found God there, it still would have been a sinful thing to do.

That is close, but it still views it in a hyper-literalist way. When we speak of skyscrapers, we really do not mean that those buildings actually scrape the sky. The were building a high place, indicative of power and greater access to deities. The purpose of the passage is to counter these accepted views. They were not just building a high place, but also a city centered around it. This speaks to a desire to centralize power. That is the truly dangerous thing. Combined with an impressive structure though to enhance one's abilities to interact with deities, put one in a position to effect tyranny and any number of terrible things. This them is repeated throughout the Scriptures. HaTorah speaks to the decentralizing of power, establishing bottom up governance rather than top down governance. Though Moses does receive the commandments on Mt. Sinai, the dependence on high places is discouraged. HaTorah focuses on the community and the individual household and discourages centralized power.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 6 by bluethread]

The HaTorah I read says something entirely different, as usual.
The best explanation is that it is based on another cultures children's story: The Tower of Babylon, where a great endeavor was toppled by "gods," because it didn't consider human nature.

[1213]

Genesis 11:5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 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. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.�


Why did God deliberately hinder our progress as a species? Was God afraid of us? Given that modern man has managed to overcome most language barriers, should we expect God to try and hinder our development again?

Bible tells that the goal of the people was:

They said, "Come, let's build us a city, and a tower, whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth."
Gen. 11:4

The intention was to control people. And it seems it was the first attempt to form one world government to rule all. Basically, it was similar thing as the Black Tower of Mordor in the Lord of the rings story. I believe God prevented it, because people are created to be free.

Unfortunately people are trying to do that same thing again, and enslave all people under one evil government. And I believe God will end it again, because it is against freedom of people.

[Kenisaw]

[Replying to post 8 by 1213]

If it is the will of the people, and it doesn't violate individual freedoms such as free speech and the right to elect one's governmental representatives, how is it against the freedom of people?

[1213]

[Replying to post 8 by 1213]

If it is the will of the people, and it doesn't violate individual freedoms such as free speech and the right to elect one's governmental representatives, how is it against the freedom of people?

Governments always restrict freedom of people. And if there is even one, who is forced under some government, it is bad (except in case if the person is doing something harmful for others, murder, theft). In the case of the tower of Babel, the goal was to prevent people to scatter. And I see that as evil thing and I believe it is the reason why it was prevented.