God scattered the people at Babel because they deliberately united to avoid filling the earth as He had commanded.
Genesis 11:4 records the people saying, "Let us build us a city and a tower... lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." This was the direct opposite of God's instruction in Genesis 9:1 to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. Les Feldick describes this as a total rejection of God's instructions, with the people rebelling by staying together at Babel. God responded by confusing their language, which forced them to scatter.
Genesis 9:1 — God's original command to Noah's family to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth — the command the people at Babel were resisting.
Genesis 11:4 — The people state their plan to build a city and a tower so they would not be scattered abroad over the whole earth.
Genesis 11:8 — The direct scriptural record that the LORD scattered them abroad from Babel upon the face of all the earth.
After the flood, God blessed Noah and his sons and said, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Genesis 9:1). Genesis 11 records that the whole earth was of one language and one speech, and as people journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and dwelt there (Genesis 11:1-2). Then they said, "Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (Genesis 11:4). The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded (Genesis 11:5). The LORD said, "Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do" (Genesis 11:6). So He said, "Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech" (Genesis 11:7). "So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city" (Genesis 11:8). Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth, and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth (Genesis 11:9).
Les teaches that God scattered the people at Babel because they openly rebelled against His instruction to repopulate and scatter around the world. Rather than spread out as God commanded, Noah's descendants stayed in the area of the Euphrates in Mesopotamia and gathered together under Nimrod at the Tower of Babel. Les explains that the tower itself was not intended to literally reach heaven with brick and stone. It was a place of religion whereby the people sought to usurp the throne of God religiously, which has always been Satan's goal. They wanted to replace what God had instructed with what Satan promoted. Les also says every pagan religion, cult, and mythology has its roots at the Tower of Babel. God forced their scattering by confusing their one language, after which the people began to migrate within their genealogical lines into their prescribed areas. After another 150 to 200 years, God sovereignly called Abram out of the mainstream of humanity to begin the nation of Israel.
Scripture says the whole earth had one language and one speech, and the people settled together in the plain of Shinar (Genesis 11:1-2). They said, "Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (Genesis 11:4). This was the opposite of God's command to fill the earth. Les Feldick says they were in total rejection of God's instructions, rebelling against God rather than scattering and populating the earth. Instead, they stayed in Mesopotamia and gathered under Nimrod at the Tower of Babel.
The Bible says the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, and then said, "Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech" (Genesis 11:5-7). "So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city" (Genesis 11:8). Les describes God as forceful in seeing that the peoples of the earth scattered abroad, using the confusion of languages so they began to migrate within their genealogical lines.
Les teaches that the tower was not intended to actually reach heaven with brick and stone. Rather, it was a place of religion through which the people could literally usurp the throne of God religiously, which has always been Satan's goal. Their intention was to replace the things God had instructed with what Satan promoted (Clip 4). Les also says that all pagan religions, idolatry, and mythology have their roots at the Tower of Babel (Clip 1).
Les says that after God confused the languages, the people began to scatter and populate the various areas of the known world as God intended. About 150 to 200 years later, God did something totally different: He pulled Abram out of the idolatry of Ur of the Chaldees and made him into the beginning of the nation of Israel, letting the rest of the nations continue in their pagan worship.
Understanding the Tower of Babel: Genesis 9-11 Explained
the imagination, because you come back to the book of Revelation, chapter 17, where we're dealing with the false worldwide religion that's going to come on the scene in the final seven years of what we call the Tribulation. In Revelation chapter 17, and you come all the way down, if you will, with me to verse 4, now this of course is in symbolic imagery, but it's certainly a literal truth, where J…
Babel as Rebellion
Les says the gathering at Babel was a deliberate rejection of God's instruction to repopulate and scatter. Instead, the people stayed in Mesopotamia under Nimrod, and from Babel all pagan religions have their roots.
Scattering and Abraham
Les says God scattered the people with the confusion of their languages, after which they began to populate the earth as God intended. About 150 years later God called Abraham.
God Forces the Scattering
Les notes that God forced their scattering through language confusion and that within 175-200 years the whole new generation was steeped in idolatry, leading God to call Abraham.
The Tower's Religious Purpose
Les says the tower was a religious center, not a literal attempt to reach heaven with bricks. It was an effort to usurp God's authority religiously, which Les says was always Satan's goal.
Scattering and Sovereign Call
Les summarizes that God scattered the people from Babel, and after about 200 years God sovereignly pulled Abraham out of the mainstream of humanity to form Israel.
Forced Migration by Genealogical Lines
Les says God was forceful in seeing that the peoples scattered abroad, and afterward they migrated within the genealogical lines of Ham, Shem, and Japheth.
One Speech Until Babel
Les says the people were of one race and one speech until Babel, and only after God's language confusion did they begin scattering into their prescribed areas. Out of the line of Shem came Abraham.
Genesis 9:1: And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
This is the original command that the Babel builders were resisting when they stayed together.
Genesis 11:4: And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
It reveals the people's direct intent to keep from being scattered across the earth.
Genesis 11:7: Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
This is God's direct action to intervene by confusing their language.
Genesis 11:8: So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
This verse gives the direct result of God's judgment at Babel.
Genesis 11:9: Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
It explains why the place was named Babel and confirms the scattering.
Les Feldick says the tower was not intended to actually take brick and stone all the way to heaven. Rather, it was a place of religion through which the people sought to usurp the throne of God religiously, which has always been Satan's goal.
According to Les, the people rejected God's instruction to scatter and repopulate the earth. Instead of obeying, they gathered together at Babel under Nimrod in total rebellion against God's authority.
Les says God forced their scattering by confusing their languages, and they then migrated within their genealogical lines to the areas God intended. About 150 to 200 years later, God called Abram out of the mainstream of humanity to begin the nation of Israel.
Watch the Teaching: Understanding the Tower of Babel: Genesis 9-11 Explained