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The Beginning of the End
children inherit the dispositions and tendencies of their parents and
imitate their example. Thus the corruption and irreverence of Ham
were reproduced in his posterity, bringing a curse upon them for
many generations.
[49]
On the other hand, how richly rewarded was Shem’s respect for
his father, and what a noble and honored line of holy men appears
in his descendants!
For a time, the descendants of Noah continued to live among the
mountains where the ark had rested. As their numbers increased,
apostasy led to division. Those who wanted to forget their Creator
and throw off the restraint of His law felt constantly annoyed by the
teaching and example of their God-fearing associates. After a time
they decided to separate. So they moved to Shinar on the banks of
the Euphrates River, attracted by the beauty of the landscape and the
fertility of the soil.
Here they decided to build a city and in it a tower so high that
it would be the wonder of the world. God had directed people to
disperse throughout the earth, but these Babel builders determined to
keep their community united and to establish a kingdom that would
embrace the whole earth, so their city would become the capital
of a universal empire. Its glory would draw the admiration and
praise of the world. The magnificent tower, reaching to the heavens,
was meant to stand as a monument of the power and wisdom of its
builders.
Those who settled on the plain of Shinar did not believe God’s
covenant which promised that He would never bring a flood upon
the earth again. One purpose in erecting the tower was to secure
their safety in case of another flood, and because they would be able
to go up to the region of the clouds, they hoped to learn the cause of
the Flood. The whole project was to exalt the pride of its developers
and to turn future generations away from God.
When the tower had been partially completed, suddenly the
work that had been going along so well was stopped. Angels were
sent to block the plan of the builders. The tower had reached a
great height, and the workers were stationed at different points,
each to receive and report to the one next below him the orders for
needed material. As messages were passing from one to another,
the language was confused so that the directions delivered were