The Bible has several references to people speaking different languages, and there are two fantastic stories that show God relating to us through the difference in languages in two completely opposite ways.
First of all, look at the story of the Tower of Babel. Everyone in the world spoke the same language. And a large group of people got together to build a huge city and a tower to heaven. God did not like the idea and He confused their languages so that they could no longer easily communicate. But they were doing this to be closer to God, right? What is wrong with that? Why would He punish them for seeking Him? Well, their motives may have been suspect.
Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” (Genesis 11:4 NLT)
They are seeking to build a great city for themselves and they are hoping to become famous. It seems that their motivation in this venture is strictly selfish. They wanted to be famous. They wanted to reap the fruits of their labor. So God decided to make it hard for them. They probably could have spent some time learning from each other and ultimately gotten back on the same page, but they chose to give up because God made it more difficult for them to work for their own glory.
In a situation that could not be more contrary, we find a group in the book of Acts come together in an upper room to pray and seek God. They were trying to figure out how God wanted them to move forward with spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. With what we refer to as the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down and filled the followers of Christ to empower them to fulfill the great commission.
At that time, many people in the city of Jerusalem spoke different languages. It was a fairly diverse place. However, God made it so that, no matter who was teaching in what language, everyone could understand them. God opened their ears to understand His message in all languages.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28 NLT)
In Babel, God intervened to make it hard for the people to achieve their selfish plans. Since they only sought to glorify themselves, God chose to make it difficult for them. He did not support their efforts in any way.
Because the Christians in Acts were seeking God, He worked for the good of His purpose and made their jobs easier. Because they were willing to sacrifice their own desires for His glory, God gave them what they needed to effectively serve Him.
Are you seeking to build your own towers? Or are you praying for God to help you build His?