When we honor the God of unity, we should not think of just any kind of unity. In the days of Noah, “all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Genesis 6:12). They were embroiled in violence, man against man. Though chaotic, they were unified in one matter. Except for one family, they all were united in rebellion against their Creator. In time, that led them all to be united in the watery death of the flood (Genesis 7:21). The lesson is simple: There is God’s kind of unity, and there is man’s kind that leads to destruction (Exodus 23:2; Matthew 7:13).
After the flood, God repeated His command for humans to spread across the earth, filling it and subduing it (Genesis 1:28; 9:1, 7). But humans thought of a different plan. Unlike their ancient ancestors, they worked together. They joined hands to build a monument in honor of their own greatness.
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. … They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:1, 4).
Their unity was the wrong kind, but it proved the power of cooperation.
The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them” (Genesis 11:6).
“Their unity was the wrong kind.”
God defeated their united effort by confusing their languages and scattering most of them far from the city of their pride, Babel (Genesis 11:7-9). The lesson is simple: Even cooperative unity is wrong if it disobeys God.