How long they were at work on this tower we do not know, but it reached to a great height. The builders were much pleased with their work, and praised the gods of silver and gold. They believed that these idols were giving them success.
Then the Lord interfered with their work. He would teach the people that He was the true and all-powerful God. He would show to the world that their idols could not help them nor give them any real success.
It is always best to trust and obey the true God. He alone can give true happiness and success. Some people now trust in their riches. Some trust in their strength. Some trust in their education. But almost every day we hear of some rich man who has lost his wealth, some strong man who loses his strength by sickness, some educated man who has failed in his work.
But the man who obeys God and walks in His ways in this world, is sure of success. He may not be rich, nor strong, nor have great learning, but he will have true happiness and a reward by and by greater than all the world can give.
Before building the tower of Babel the whole world spoke one language, and the people could understand one another easily. But when their work seemed most successful, the Lord made them speak different languages. None could understand what the others were saying.
Soon all was confusion. If the workmen ordered brick sent to them, they got mortar. If they ordered stone, perhaps they got wood. This made the workman very angry, and their work ended in disappointment and strife.
Then the people were scattered abroad in the earth as God intended they should be. The tower was then called the tower of Babel, which means tower of confusion.
Many years afterward the city of Babylon was built around this tower, and the tower was used as a temple of their god Belus. The tower was then named the Temple of Belus.