Here are a couple of great finds from the Word. May be the seed of future articles, but until then, here's the short version...
The Tower of Babel
This is a fascinating story. While re-reading it, I came upon two wonderful insights.
First, the word translated purpose in Genesis 11:6 [NASB, a version I consider to be one of the most accurate translations] is the Hebrew word Zamam. In the Interlinear Bible, a Hebrew/Greek/English version, the word is imagine...
So. the NASB reads 'The Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language [literally 'one lip' or 'one speech']. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for [literally 'withheld from'] them..."
The Interlinear Bible says "And Jehovah said "Behold, the people is one, and the lip one to all of them, and this they are beginning to do, and now all they have imagined to do will not be restrained from them." This is an exact, word for word translation.
All they have imagined to do will not be restrained or withheld from them. Contemplate those words! The imagining looses whatever is imagined, and it will not be withheld from them! Evidently God Himself could not withhold the object of their imagining...and, by the way, the feat they were imagining was beyond even today's technology! The highest we've gotten is the Sear's Tower or CN Tower...
His only option was to stop their unity, their unified speech and their imagination!
The Blessing or The Curse
This next treasure comes from Deuteronomy 30:15 [NASB], in which God says to Israel "See, I have set before you to day life and prosperity, and death and adversity..."
In the center column of my Bible, there's a reference column--the literal translation for the word prosperity is good...the literal translation for the word adversity is evil.
For those who think God sends adversity and withholds prosperity, this verse shows exactly what He thinks...later in the chapter [v.19] He reiterates "...I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life..."
It is clear from these scriptures that He sees prosperity as good and adversity as evil. Jesus said "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly." He also said "He who has seen Me has seen the Father...the words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works...I am in the Father and the Father is in Me..." [John 14:9-11] He clearly draws a line between good and evil, and names the thief as the source of bad things.
Another interesting tidbit...my Bible gives an alternate ending to John 10:10: "...I have come that they may have life, and have abundance."
