07.08. He said, she said; The Origin of Language
He said, she said; The Origin of Language
What if you lived in a world that was silent and no sound existed. What if the only way men could communicate was by something like charades. What if men could not talk?
We hear a lot about free speech. Beloved we live in a land unparalleled in history for free speech.
When a child does not talk it gives parents reason for concern. Someone said parents spend the first few weeks of a child’s life trying to get them to talk then the rest of their life trying to get them to shut up.
Today in the world there are a few major languages and literally thousands of local ones. English is probably the most universally spoken language today. It is spoken in every county of the globe. Spanish is common in many areas even here in US. French, Portuguese and all the others are spoken by humans from kings to peasants.
I- Adam’s Language:
There can be no doubt that Adam spoke a language that is no longer spoken today. It was a language that I submit to you was pure and eloquent. It is quite obvious that Adam and God could verbally communicate as well. Remember the dialogue in the garden after the fall.
Genesis 2:19-20 "And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field…"
Henry Morris says, "As the animals passed in review, Adam gave each a quick appraisal and an appropriate name. What language he used, and on what basis he selected names for them, there seems no way of knowing. The fact that he named them, however, indicates (as we would expect, in view of his recent creation in human perfection by the omniscient God) that he was a man of high intelligence and quick discernment. There seems to have been no need for second thoughts and later changes in those names." (The Genesis Record, p 97-98)
Beloved there is no biblical evidence nor may I say scientific evidence that Adam ever communicated with "ugh" and other sounds of the like. Men did not develop the ability to communicate verbally but was created with it.
Animals on the other hand do not have such skills of communication. We know that they communicate with vocal sounds but they are hardly a language. Much of the communication in the animal kingdom is done visually. One author says, "Animal cries, whether we choose to describe them as language or not, are characterized by invariability and monotony. Dogs have been barking, cats meowing, lions roaring, and donkey braying in the same fashion since time immemorial…human language, in contrast with animal cries, displays infinite variability, both in time and space. (Mario Pei, The Story of Language, JB Lippincott Comp. Phil & NY, © 1965, 1949 p 23) You may be aware of attempt to teach chimps to communicate with sign language. However this is not passed on to the next generation. It dies with the trained chimp.
II- The scrambling of the languages Genesis 11:1-9
So how de we explain languages differences. How did we get all the different ways of speaking, writing and communicating if Adam only had one? Notice that it was not only Adam that had one language but early man did as well? Genesis 11:1 says, "And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech."
Genesis 11:1-9 records for us that events that transpired at the tower of Babel. Men were not hindered in any way from communicating with each other with language barriers. Men by this time had spread and had gotten farther away from God as they traveled. Genesis 11:2-4 gives us insight into the thoughts of men. "And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."
Mans plans were evil. This tower was designed for the worship of the stars, sun and moon. The zodiac signs have been found on archaeological digs of similar towers.
God noticed the intentions and the plans. Genesis 11:5-6 "And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."
So what was God to do to thwart the plans of men? Notice the solution. Genesis 11:7-9 "Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth."
The "language" of the world at this time became the "languages" of the world. Men could not communicate with their fellow workers of the day prior. This in effect spread men across the whole earth.
So how did we get all these languages that are so diverse. Some read from left to right while others from right to left. Some are spoken by sounds that originate from different parts of the throat and mouth than others. "Two main theories have been advanced concerning the breaking up of an original language into separate languages and dialects… one is the ’tree-stem,’ theory, whereby the parent language is supposed to act as a tree trunk, while new languages are branches of off shoots. The other is the ’wave’ theory, in accordance with which new languages and dialects arise and spread like ripples when you throw a stone into the water." (The Story of Language, p 24) May I submit to you that apart from the revelation of the word of God men cannot explain the different languages adequately? "If there is one thing on which all linguists are fully agreed, it is that the problem of the origin of human speech is still unsolved." (ibid pg 21) III- Purpose of Language:
We might ask why God allowed men to have the grandest and highest form of communication which animals do not have. Allow me to give a few thoughts on the purpose of language found in the Bible.
1- Prayer and Praise to God: God is still interested in the communication of His saints with Him. It is sin that has obstructed the lines of commination. We can use hundred of verses for proof text of this. Notice is you will the following.
Psalms 150:16 "Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness….6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."
Perhaps the greatest example of this is found in the context of the troubles of David and his deliverance.
2 Samuel 22:1, 2 Samuel 22:4 "And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul…4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised…" These words are repeated again in Psalms 18:3 God gave us a voice to praise Him and to bring our petitions of prayer before Him.
2- Edifying others: The way we use speech and words are of great concern to God. Remember the old saying that is a lie, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Beloved word used as a dagger for the heart of man cut deeper and the scars last longer than any physical wound.
James 3:10 says, "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." Then Ephesians 4:29 states, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
We need to be uplifting and not down dragging to others. No one wants to be around someone who is down in the mouth and brow beating all the time.
3- Speaking the Good News: Praying and praising God and edifying one another are important. still there is one more thing that we are compelled to do by the word of God with our voices and our languages skills, proclaim the good news.
Romans 10:14 "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" The NIV says, "… how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"
Colossians 4:5-6 makes it plain we should speak wisely. "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."