In Genesis 11 is told with irony and with a negative attitude toward the people involved. Men delight in bricks and it is known that these are an inferior substitute for stone. - Is. 9:10 - To men the tower is a skyscraper, - Duet. 1:28 - but to God it is so small that He must come down from heaven to catch a glimpse of this tiny effort. The construction of the tower and city is described as an act of self-glorification by the builders. Men seek for their own security in community life and culture, independent of God. This is human initiative apart from God. - Ps. 127:1 - As such, the activity is evil and sinful.
The account moves from a description of a sin to a narration of the punishment. God has to step in to prevent men from seizing yet more power for themselves and going beyond the limits of their creature hood. Gen. 3:22 - Their communication with each other to advance their efforts is frustrated because they begin to speak different languages. Finally, they abandon the building of the city and go their own way, becoming scattered over the earth. The climax of the story occurs when the city is identified with Babel, the Hebrew name for Babylon. This nation's sophisticated culture and power deliberately excluded God. Just as the Old Testament prophets foresaw the future downfall of Babylon in spite of its glory, - Is. 13:19; Rev. 18 - this downfall is anticipated in Genesis 11: the end corresponds to the beginning.
God rejection of the nations symbolized by the Tower of Babel is reversed in - Gen 12:1-3 - by the call of Abraham, through whom all nations would be blessed. Ultimately the sinful and rejected condition of mankind, which is clearly shown by the diversity of human language and territory described in this account, needed PENTECOST as its answer. On this day the Holy Spirit was poured out on all people so they understood one another, although they spoke different languages. - Acts 2:1-11 - Therefore reconciliation of the Jews and the pagans with each other and with God are possible. The barriers that divide men and nations were thus removed.
Do not forget, then, that there was a time when you who were pagans physically, termed the Uncircumcised by those who speak of themselves as the Circumcision by reasons of a physical operation, do not forget, I say, that you had no Christ and were excluded from membership of Israel, aliens with no part in the covenants with their Promise, you were immersed in this world, without hope and without God. But now in Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his, own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law.
This was to create one single New Man in himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single Body and reconcile them with God. In his own person he killed the hostility. Later he came to bring the good news of peace, peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near at hand. Through him, both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to the Father.
So you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors; you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God's household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord, and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit. - Ephesians 2:11-22 -
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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