Gen 11:9 [the tower/city] was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (ESV)
I thought I had got to Abraham at last but I kept getting drawn back to Babel. I read something recently making a possible link between the scattering at Babel and Mary's statement in the NT Luke 1:51. Mary is visiting her relative (the KJV's 'cousin' is too precise) Elizabeth who is pregnant with John the Baptist. John leaps for joy in Elizabeth's womb (reminds me of the controversial Christmas adverts that are going to go up later this year of Jesus in the womb), and she blesses Marry "Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished" v44. Mary responds in praise to God including the insightful statement "He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;" Even if Mary didn't have Babel in mind, along with Psalm 55:9 "Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues (NIV has confuse); for I see violence and strife in the city", and 1 Cor 1:19 "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise" it shows that Babel is not just an isolated one off, it's actually part of God's nature to confuse and scatter the wicked and the wise.
As the fear of God is removed from a people foolishness and fragmentation begins. As man basks in his own glory the lights are dimmed in is understanding. The more he thinks he sees the less he truly perceives. The scattering at Babel is not just about languages, it's about how communities fragment when God is not at the centre. Joy ebbs away, family life breaks down, streets become increasingly violent, intelligent popular people grope about in despair. When they built the tower God didn't frustrate their tower building technology (we can build even bigger towers today) but confused their communication and relationships.
The converse is also true. As we put Jesus firmly at the centre of our lives, family and church, our communications and relationships should thrive. We should step into tremendous fruitfulness in the purposes of God as we enjoy the unity of the Spirit. I want to make my private thoughts and public conversation richer in their content about Christ. This blog is a key strategy to that end. It's been so good reading and thinking about Jesus these last few months. Feeding on the word. Chewing on these early chapters and verses in Genesis.
For many years of my life I babbled. Jesus was not at the centre of my life as I built my tower to the heavens. My plans, my thoughts, my ideas, my guesses, my hunches, my theories, my desires and dreams, my sin piling up. Then one day the lights went on. I saw my moral failure and need of a saviour. My next words were the wisest thing I have ever said or done. They went something like this : "Jesus, I am sorry for the things I have done wrong, for living life without you and against you. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for me so that my sin could be forgiven. Jesus I want to follow you. Please help me to do that and get to know you more. Amen".
Just as it is in the nature of God to let people have it their way and experience the consequences of rejecting him, it is also his nature to seek us out and find us, even at great personal cost. Thank you Jesus you searched me out when I was in darkness. You are the light that has lit up my life. You are the foundation upon which I build. Jesus be the centre of my life.
June 10th Update
Just read this tweet form Reinhard Bonnke “'Theology is limited thinking, philosophy unlimited', said a doubter to me. I replied that to be free of God is like a ship that’s free of water when it’s lying on a sandbank. The Bible says that 'in Him we live and move and have our being.' That is unlimited, true freedom. Agreed?" Reinhard Bonnke
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