Babbling Babel – June 9, 2025
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, . . . “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.
Genesis 11:1-9
Babbling Babel
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Have you ever tried to build the tallest LEGO tower ever? Imagine you and your friends stacking bricks sky-high. You’re smiling and thinking, “Wow, we’re amazing! Everyone will think we’re the best!”
That’s kind of like what happened in the Bible in Genesis 11. A big group of people wanted to build a super tall tower that reached all the way to the sky! But here’s the problem: they weren’t doing it to honor God. They were doing it to show off how great they were.
Back then, everyone spoke the same language, so working together was easy. But they forgot about God. They didn’t pray to him, thank him, or ask for his help. They were proud and wanted to make a name for themselves.
God saw what was happening. He knew their pride was dangerous. So, God did something surprising—he mixed up their languages! Suddenly, people couldn’t understand each other anymore. One person might say, “Pass me a brick,” but the other person heard, “Pickle my giraffe!” Total confusion!
Because they couldn’t understand each other, the building stopped. The big tower plan fell apart. That place became known as Babel, which sounds like the word for “confused talking.”
Even today, we see how hard it can be to understand others. Sometimes we don’t speak the same language. Other times, we do speak the same words but still argue or misunderstand each other.
But here’s the good news: even when our words get mixed up, God’s Word is always clear. He sent Jesus to forgive our sins—including our pride—and he gives us the Holy Spirit to help us understand his truth.
When we listen to God’s Word, we understand the most important thing: Jesus loves us, and he brings us together.
Closing Prayer:
Dear God, forgive us when we are proud or try to do things without you. Thank you for giving us your Word, which helps us understand your love. Help us live in peace with others and trust in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.
Questions for Younger Children
- What did the people want to build in today’s reading?
- What happened when God mixed up their languages?
Questions for Elementary Age Children
- Have you ever had trouble understanding someone—even a friend? Maybe they said something confusing, mumbled, or were speaking too fast. What happened? What does that remind you of from the Tower of Babel?
- God mixed up everyone’s language. Why do you think God did that? How could that actually be a way of helping the people, not just stopping them?
Questions for Middle School and Above
- The people wanted to show off and make a name for themselves. Why is it dangerous to be too full of ourselves or think we’re better than others? Have you ever seen someone being too proud?
- What did God do to stop the people from building the tower? How did that help them realize they needed God? Have you ever had a time when you were doing things your own way and needed help?
