But, alas, as men began to increase on the earth, they began to forget God, and the way He had saved them in the Ark. But they remembered the flood, and they thought in their pride, that they would build a very high tower whose top should reach to Heaven, so that no flood could overwhelm them any more. But there was another thing they forgot; and that was God's promise to them, that He never would send a flood to destroy the world again. Then God came down from Heaven to see all that the men on the earth were doing. And when He saw their pride and their forgetfulness of Him, the Lord said, Let us go down and prevent the men from understanding each other's speech. [Illustration: THEY WOULD BUILD A VERY HIGH TOWER.] And when God had done this, the men could not speak to each other about their work as they used. It was just as if someone were to speak German or Italian or Spanish to you and expect you to understand. So the men could not build any more, for no one could understand what the others said. So they left off building and were scattered to all parts of the earth; and the city they had tried to build was called Babel—which means Confusion. But God did not forget His servant Noah, nor Noah's good son Shem. He took care of Shem and of his children after him, and by and by of Shem's grandchildren and great-grandchildren, till at length Abraham was born. And Abraham had the great honour of being called The Friend of God! Perhaps you think how much you would like to be called such a name as that? Then let all of us who would like to be called God's friends set out to be obedient. God has put in the Bible rules which are to guide us every day. If we follow them, that is being obedient. Do you remember what the Lord Jesus said about that, when He was on earth? Here are the words,— "Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." "For whosoever shall do the Will of My Father which is in Heaven, the same is My brother and sister and mother." XXXII. The Friend of God "Now the Lord had said to Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy father's house, unto a land which I will shew thee; and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee . . . and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." So Abram obeyed, and went out from Ur of the Chaldees, and came into the land of Canaan. God had given Abram most wonderful promises, as well as frequent assurances of His love. He was also very rich, for God had given him a great deal of money, and many sheep and oxen and camels. But there was one thing which God had not given Abram, which he longed for very much; and this was a little child of his very own. God loved Abram, and He would not have denied him his desire without some wise and loving reason.