Today’s Readings
Context
The story of the Tower of Babel is not one that most think to be that significant; we tend to skip from the Flood to the call of Abram and the Patriarchs and give scant attention to Genesis 11. But it is an important story, one that tells us the root of the world system that stands in opposition to God.
In Revelation 17 and 18, God will destroy the sinful religious, economic, and political system he calls Babylon. "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great." But it is here in Genesis 11 that Babylon finds its beginning. Mankind unites in opposition to the word of God to form a political system rebelling against God's ways. They seek to build a tower into heaven, which speaks of the attempts of human false religion to reach God by human means. God revealed a path to heaven but man says, "I will build my own tower and find my own way."
In Revelation 17 and 18, God will destroy the sinful religious, economic, and political system he calls Babylon. "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great." But it is here in Genesis 11 that Babylon finds its beginning. Mankind unites in opposition to the word of God to form a political system rebelling against God's ways. They seek to build a tower into heaven, which speaks of the attempts of human false religion to reach God by human means. God revealed a path to heaven but man says, "I will build my own tower and find my own way."
In the Garden, sin began. At Babel, the world system of organized opposition to the kingdom of God was instituted.
Devotional - The Other Kingdom
From the moment the world was created it had a king, a ruler, one who ordered things and determined how life should be lived. The Creator of all was also the King of kings. This world belonged to him. But when Adam and Eve turned away and were sent out of the Garden their intimacy with God was lost. Sin separates us from God.
In the plains of Shinar men gathered and said, "Come, let us make bricks..." They were uniting to build something. There's nothing inherently wrong with that except that God had told them to go their separate ways and fill the earth. They were uniting in disobedience to form an economic, social, political, and even religious coalition that would oppose the kingdom of God.
And the battle was on. Human beings are remarkable creatures, even God recognized the amazing potential of mankind in verse 6. Human beings united in wickedness would be able to do great things - terrible, ungodly, awful, but great. Sinful human beings united with great power can do scary things. So God went to work to bring down the sinful world system. He confused their tongues and scattered them as he had originally commanded.
In the plains of Shinar men gathered and said, "Come, let us make bricks..." They were uniting to build something. There's nothing inherently wrong with that except that God had told them to go their separate ways and fill the earth. They were uniting in disobedience to form an economic, social, political, and even religious coalition that would oppose the kingdom of God.
And the battle was on. Human beings are remarkable creatures, even God recognized the amazing potential of mankind in verse 6. Human beings united in wickedness would be able to do great things - terrible, ungodly, awful, but great. Sinful human beings united with great power can do scary things. So God went to work to bring down the sinful world system. He confused their tongues and scattered them as he had originally commanded.
The Babylon world system has been in effect ever since - it is all around us. It is an economic system that tells us that people can be judged by their bank balance and possessions, that the accumulation of wealth gives meaning and value to life. It is a system that runs on oppression, dishonesty, and corruption.
The Babylon world system is political, a mad rush to gain and maintain power. It is about winning instead of serving, about gaining power and control instead of being a statesman and helping others.
And it is a religious system, based either on the worship of false gods or the worship of the true God in false ways. It is a human-built system of religion designed to help humans use human ideas to perform human rituals and human works to earn their way into the favor of God.
How do we distinguish the true faith from the Babylonian system?
The Babylon world system is political, a mad rush to gain and maintain power. It is about winning instead of serving, about gaining power and control instead of being a statesman and helping others.
And it is a religious system, based either on the worship of false gods or the worship of the true God in false ways. It is a human-built system of religion designed to help humans use human ideas to perform human rituals and human works to earn their way into the favor of God.
How do we distinguish the true faith from the Babylonian system?
- The true faith is God-centered and the Babylon system is about us.
- The true faith is by grace through faith and the Babylon system is by works.
- The true faith emphasizes holiness while the Babylon system justifies or ignores our sin.
- The true faith is revealed by God's word while the Babylon system is rooted in human reason.
The list could go on and on, but we must be constantly vigilant. The enemy who seduced Adam and Eve and established this world system is still active today, lying and trying to draw us to the dark side. He brings wolves among the sheep to lead them astray to their destruction. The battle is always on between the Kingdom of God and the sinful system known symbolically as Babylon.
Father, give me wisdom to follow you and to be aware of that which is false. Guide me by your Spirit and protect me from that false world system that seeks to lead me astray.
Think and Pray
Think about things you see in the world today that are part of the Babylon world system.
Thank God for his word that gives you truth and clear guidance away from those lies.
Thank God for his word that gives you truth and clear guidance away from those lies.
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