What is the Orgin of Language?

What is the origin of language? Have you ever thought about it? The correct answer is God. But have you ever considered for what purpose He created language? Is it solely so we can express ourselves to others?

15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:15-17

Here we find God using language to communicate to man….before God created any other human being for Adam to communicate with….God was using language to communicate to Adam. In these verses we find the very beginning of language. Herein lays the purpose for the spoken word. God wanted Adam to know what His will was for his life…GOD WANTED TO COMMUNICATE TO MAN!!!!!

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Genesis 2:23

Who was Adam talking to? HE WAS TALKING TO GOD…even before he talked to Eve.

But did we need language to express ourselves to God? Doesn’t He know our thoughts…our hearts…even before we speak? ‘Tis true God knows our thoughts and our heart’s intent….but without language we would not know His thoughts or His intents. He created language to open up a dialog between He and us.

Many times we believe our language just can’t express what we think or feel. For example if we tried to explain what a rose is to a man, blind from birth, what words would we use…even if we knew every language spoken? How could we explain the color red…the different colors and shades of red….the tender velvet petals perfectly formed? When you think about it… would it really be the language that wasn’t adequate enough to describe the rose? Or would it be our own limitations of imagination which would prohibit a worthy description.

When God sent His Word to man, He used language, to let man know of His commandments, Christ’s Redeeming blood, the plan of salvation, and the rewards that await the faithful follower. He described gates of pearl, and streets of purest gold, a river flowing from the throne of God, and a tree bearing 12 manner of different fruits. I know what pearl looks like…most people do…but can you imagine what gates of pearl look like? Even though through language God described the gates perfectly….the limits of my imagination prohibit me from truly knowing what those gates of pearl, or streets of gold, or river of life, or what a tree with twelve different fruits hanging on it will look like.

May we never fail to believe God’s Word because our imagination limits our ability to fully comprehend the full scope of it…whether His words are of commandment or promise. Let us always take God‘s Word for exactly what it says…and celebrate whatever language His Word is spoken in for that which it truly is…God’s way of communicating to us. Open up the Bible, read what it says…and believe every syllable….for it will come to pass; just as it is written.

The emphasis, in our church culture today, is on using language to praise and worship God. We know God longs for a perfect praise from His children but may we never be guilty of forgetting the first and most important part of the reason God created language. It was not created solely for us to express ourselves to God….but so God could express Himself to man. Through the Bible, He has accomplished what He set out to do. He has let us know what a perfect praise is born of ….a heart completely devoted to listening, and following Him in complete surrender.

I am humbled by the thought that the ALL MIGHTY GOD wants me to know what is in His heart, who He is, and how to please Him. This very thought should move us all to silence…and open up our hearts for listening to what HE has to say.

Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. 1Samuel 3:9