Lessons From Babel

“Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 11:1–9)

One of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal today is communication. From a very early age, we learn to communicate with each other. As we grow, we hone our communication skills in order to be productive and effective in our life. As technology advances, we have moved beyond just face-to-face communication, into even more avenues such as phone, text, email, Facebook, etc. While we acknowledge that communication is such an important aspect of our lives, are we communicating skillfully, with wisdom and understanding? As children of God, the Bible is clear that we should be constantly aware of, and careful with, how we communicate with our fellow man.

The two most basic components of communication are speaking, and listening. This morning we are going to look at what the Bible has to say about the topic of speaking, and Lord willing, next week we will discuss what the Bible has to say about listening. We’re going to discuss the keys to wise and skillful speaking this morning, but we’re not just talking about modifying the words we choose to say. As Jesus reminds us, we’re really talking about changing the condition of our hearts. As He rebuked the Pharisees, “… How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” (Matthew 12:34–35) As He would go on to say, our words are so important, that we will have to answer for every single one of them in Judgement “…every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”” (Matthew 12:36–37)

In order to help us understand how to use our words wisely, we’re going to look at the instruction of the wisest man to ever walk the earth, save Jesus Christ Himself, King Solomon in the book of Proverbs.

Speaking Thoughtfully

  • Example
    • In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom.” (Proverbs 10:19–21)
  • Application to Us
    • Are we quick to jump to a conclusion and blurt out a response, or are we willing to step back and think before we respond?
    • Understanding that our words have such great power to build up, or tear down, we should carefully consider what we say before we say it.
    • If I’m not thinking about what I say, it doesn’t matter how many words I use, or how flowery my speech is, my words are worth nothing.

Speaking Truthfully

  • Example
    • Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, Is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “I was only joking!”” (Proverbs 26:18–19)
  • Application to Us
    • Clearly God hates a lying tongue (Proverbs 6:17), but often it’s easy to explain away our lies and deception by saying, “Just kidding!”
    • Truthfulness is critical if we ever hope to gain someone’s trust about smaller and larger matters. “Little white lies” have no place in the vocabulary of a Christian.
    • When considering what we say, if something is untrue, or we aren’t sure about its truthfulness, it should never leave our lips!

Speaking Constructively

  • Example
    • The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning. Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly. The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:21–24)
  • Application to Us
    • While it’s so easy to complain, gossip, tear down, or belittle, are we instead choosing to build each other up and edify with our words? When we have love for our fellow man, we will not seek to tear down, but to encourage!
    • Consider all of the people you speak to throughout the day, are your words a sweetness to their soul? Whether it’s your spouse, a member of your local church, or the barista at your local coffee shop, we should be using our words to give glory to God and lead them to a closer relationship with His dear Son.
    • Just because something might be true, does not mean it needs to be said. Is it constructive? Will it help build them up?

Speaking Seasonably

  • Example
    • A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver. Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.” (Proverbs 25:11–12)
  • Application to Us
    • If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of someone who carefully and lovingly said exactly what you needed to hear, you understand the wise writer’s message.
    • How do we know what the right thing is to say to someone who’s grieving? – Wisdom and prayer; …someone who’s in sin? – Wisdom and prayer; … someone who needs encouragement? – Wisdom and prayer
    • Finding the right response for the situation isn’t easy, but we need to be considerate of people’s situation before approaching them, if we hope to be a help to them in some way.