Daily Devotions
Genesis
"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, There is none who does good." Psalm 14:1
Text: Genesis 11:1-32
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE MAN SEE HIMSELF FOR WHO HE REALLY IS?
The heart of man is truly obdurate and sinful! He cannot see himself as God sees him. The Biblical creation account sees man as being made from the humble earth. His very existence was made possible because God breathed life into him.
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
And man became a living being.”GENESIS 2:7
Ever since man believed in the lie of the devil, he has been struggling to be what he would never be. What was that lie the serpent fed to Eve?
“You will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
GENESIS 3:5
The men at Shinar (Site of Babylon) believed that they could build an impressive tower to showcase their power! They figured that they wouldn’t have to move anywhere else on earth! God had promised Noah in a solemn covenant that He would never send another Flood to punish men for their sins. What could God do in this tough situation
THE STRIFE OF TONGUES
It was the gift of language that men were able to communicate effectively with each other. Instead of appreciating this gift and applying it correctly, man abused it! The Lord went to personally inspect the Tower of Babel to assess its significance and worth.
“But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which
the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people
are one and they all have one language, and this is what
they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.'”GENESIS 11:5-7
Man’s grandiose ideas took a nasty tumble the day they found that they could not understand each other. The gift of language was removed. Each major bloc of partners found difficulty understanding other partners! The task of completing the Tower of Babel was hopeless now. The entire project had to be abandoned!
“So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of
all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name
is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language
of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad
over the face of the whole earth.”GENESIS 11:8-9
How puny and foolish man’s might is, in comparison to God’s power!