day no. 16,995: Babel off

“When God confused the tongues at Babel, the result was that men scattered, divided by their different languages. When God gave different languages at Pentecost, the intent was to move men in the opposite direction, to gather them all to Christ. At Babel, the different languages scattered. At Pentecost, the different languages gathered.” — Douglas Wilson, Babel and Pentecost

Babel is the photo-negative of Pentecost. At that time in that place, men came together to defy the living God's command for them to fan out and fill the earth. In response, God confused their tongues in order to prevent them from working evil together any longer. 

Pentecost is the reversal of the curse. In that place at that time, men came together to hear the Word of the living God's command for them to come together in Christ. God provided clarity in the form of flaming tongues that crossed language barriers to help them carry on with the good work as they went.