Derek Smith, Lead Pastor LHBC
Genesis 11:4-9
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth.
Have you ever heard some say “that guy just babbles on” or “that lady just won’t quit babbling?” That idea comes from right here in Genesis 11 where the Lord confused the languages of the peoples of the earth and dispersed them throughout the lands. Scripture says the peoples of the earth had one common language and one common purpose, to build a name for themselves. To set out to build a tower that reached all the way to heaven to declare they could not be stopped, sidetracked, or subdued. This is humanism at its best. Babylon is industrialized atheism, if you will. Sounds like Western Civilization doesn’t it? It’s the attitude that says, “look what I can do without God.” It’s that rebellious independent nature which thinks it can succeed in life without God’s grace.
We love to brag about our independence in America. We are USA strong. We will not be defeated. Look at our economy. Consider our engineering feats. Look at our architecture. What about our military prowess? Look at our educational institutions. We love to brag about the human spirit and the will to fight and win. If we just do enough, plan enough, strategize enough, and work hard enough we can accomplish anything! These have become mantras of our ingrained atheism, which leads straight to nowhere and fast, and before we call out atheists for trying to live this kind of life, may I suggest that I have met many professed Christians that live this same way. If I can go throughout an entire week, or an entire day for that matter, without consulting the Lord and His Word then I am living like an atheist. At the end of the day, that’s Babel. That’s no good. That’s junk before God. This is the Babylonian spirit of which Scripture says in the last days must ultimately be defeated by our coming King Jesus!
So, who are you trying to make a name for? Are you living to make a name for yourself in business, possessions, wealth, pleasure, politics, the military, sports, hobbies, or the like; or are you living to make a name for Jesus? Making a name for Jesus means bringing glory to Him by being a living and verbal witness of His gospel everywhere you go. Living for the stuff of this world…that’s babel! Making a name for yourself….that’s babel! Any attempt to succeed in life without the Lord Jesus is babel! Next time you’re reminded to find your identity in what you can do apart from God’s grace, wisdom, love, and power just remind yourself, “Hey, that’s babel!” May we never forget that we are 100% dependent upon the Holy Spirit of God 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Today, seek the Lord all throughout the day. Seek His Word. Seek wisdom from other godly Christians. Don’t live to make a name for yourself, lift up the name above all names, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father God, I’m sorry for living like an atheist at times. My identity is not in the stuff of this world, it’s in you. Lord, help me be rooted and grounded in Your love. I choose to seek Your heart and Your hand every single day. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
MEMORY VERSE FOR THE WEEK:
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.