«Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other. . .’Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth’ » (Genesis 11:1, 2, 4, NIV).
THOSE WHO BUILT THE TOWER OF BABEL wanted to «ascend» to heaven, but God «descended» and put an end to their project by confusing their language. Why?
God confused their language because those who were building the tower were disobeying the divine command to spread out over the earth: «Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth,» had been God’s command to Noah after the flood. But those in the plain of Shinar had other plans in mind: «To found a monarchy that should eventually embrace the whole earth.»—Patriarchs and Prophets, ch. 10, p. 118.
There was also another reason to make them abandon the work: the tower would not be a monument to God’s name, but to human pride. «Let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves» (Genesis 11:4), they reasoned. «The magnificent tower,» says Patriarchs and Prophets, «was intended to stand as a monument of the power and wisdom of its builders, perpetuating their fame to the latest generations. «—Ibid.
No wonder God thwarted their project! What they thought would be a monument to human power ended up being a monument to stupidity. God not only confused their language, but also «scattered them from there over all the earth» (v. 8, NIV). In other words, God’s original purpose to populate the earth was carried out anyway; but not before first destroying the builders attempts to seek glory apart from God.
Is there a lesson in it for us? Absolutely! As I write these words, I cannot help but to wonder, «Is there a ‘tower’ I am building in my life, perhaps without even realizing it?» «Whose glory am I seeking?»
Of course, there is nothing wrong with, for instance, obtaining an academic degree, buying a beautiful house, being promoted at work, etc. But if the goal is to call people: attention to yourself, your achievements, you are certainly building a «tower,» not for Gods glory, but for your own glory. And if that is the case, in the end all that effort will end in shame, because only God is worthy of praise.
One more thing: we do not need a tower to go up to heaven; it is enough for Him who descended from heaven to live in our hearts to save us. Will we open the door to Him today?
Dear heavenly Father, may Jesus’s love flood my heart today, so that my self-worth will be built, not based on who I am, or what I have, but based on who You are.
#AdultsDevotional
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
