Why do we need to speak in tongues? That's a good question! It really doesn't make sense to our natural mind!

Let's look at Babylon. The name itself means confusion. There, everyone spoke one language. They had great unity because of the solidarity of one language.

Noah and his family emerged from the ark with one language. They settled in the Euphrates valley in Shinar, and migrated to the plains of Babylonia.

Gen 10:8, And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. (KJV) The name Nimrod means a rebel, one who has self-ruling will, one fallen from allegiance. Nimrod was an insubordinate and defiant revolutionary. He was named, "the one who miss-rules." His behavior was lawless and self-centered.

His lineage was cursed. Nimrod was the son of Cush and the grandson of Ham (the one cursed for uncovering Noah).

Gen 10:9-10, He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth. Nimrod prevailed in wickedness and his effectiveness increased. He slew innocent blood in order to make a name for himself and build a world empire.

Gen 11:1, And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. The ancient world all spoke the same language. There were no dialects or localisms. That's why they had unity of purpose and goals. Unity is the strength that cannot be stopped - whether good or bad.

Their strength came from this unified conformity of plan. In their own self-sufficiency began to build the monument to their own genius.

Gen 11:6, And 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. Civilization of one heart and one speech tapped into the power of unity. Now, nothing was impossible. Unfortunately, they decided to make a reputation for their system, since nothing could stop them,

The Lord God understood the motive of their selfish plan and immediately set out to intervene. The very thing that the people feared was the way that God intervened. The way he stopped them was scattering them by dividing and changing their language.

Gen 11:7, Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. Once they couldn't communicate, they lost unity and their strength was spread out. Their individual vain imagination could not produce anything of merit.

Gen 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. The word Babel means confusion, mingled chaos, vanity, or nothingness. God judged their wicked aspirations, and broke up the thing that brought them unity. Now the world's people have over 3000 dialects.

The New Testament gift of tongues at Pentecost (Acts 2) can be considered the beginning of the reversing of the tongues from Babel. The gift of the Holy Spirit baptism reunites believers together into one grand purpose and language. We each speak a part of God's perfect language. Through that unified and spiritual communication, God uses people to institute the kingdom on earth. Now, nothing will be impossible for those who believe.

Gen 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. Their fear was to be scattered and disunited. Therefore, they made a plan that would make a name for themselves. The people unanimously agreed to the shared task of building a city and a tower large enough that it would cause others to know their name and fear them.

This picture is a model of the Ziggurat thought to possibly be a replica of the very one spoken of in Genesis. It is presently being unearthed and reconstructed in Babylon.

The purpose of building this tower was twofold. First, the tower gave the people a vantage place to protect themselves against the enemy. Secondly, if they made themselves a name of renowned, they could not be scattered.

If you are interested in learning more about Speaking in Tongues, there is an eBook on my website with LOTS of information. There are also free articles and lots of books! Check out kluane.org -- Just click on the RSS on your right for MUCH more!

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Thanx. Your online pastor, Dr. Kluane Spake