Babel/Pentecost Devotional

Welcome, Reflection on Our Study together, Bible as A Journey with Sign Posts.

Scripture Reading: Genesis 11:1-9

Genesis 11:1–9 NIV

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’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “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.” But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

What we can glean from the events of the tower of babble?

The whole world had one language. They were unified in that language. They decide to build a city for themselves. Why: The text tells us! to make a tower that reaches the heavens and make a name for themselves. Basically what they are doing here is building themselves up quite literally to the place of the God’s. They dont want to build up God’s name and follow the command to be fruitful and multiply but to come together with one purpose to make themselves like God. They want to essential build up an imperium. This is a repeat of the garden in Eden. Once again humanity decides what is good and evil on their own terms.

God comes down and is concerned for the fruit of this activity in humanity. Deciding right and wrong on their own terms. Humans building a tower to be like God. These are both things that Adam and Eve Did. Lets Pause and Think about what would happen if humanity kept going down this path. Suspose they built the tower. Eventually their unity would break down when one person or group would want to be in charge. One group would inevitably opress the other. Look at the world around us. We dont handle power well. Especially when we have power and our own agenda.

God comes down and scatters the language and the people. If the story ended there, then we would could walk away discouraged. But, its not. In the story of Pentecost we see a reversal of Babel. Lets revisit the text we studied together.

Reading Scripture: Acts 2:1-11

Acts 2:1–11 NIV

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

Pentecost as a reversal of Babel

God comes down not to bring division But Unity. As God promised, his Spirit is poured out on all flesh!

Diversity is a blessing to the people all around. Where it was once viewed as a negative it is now a blessing to many nations!

There are people that are able to hear from Galileans about Jesus in a way that they have never had before.

The people no longer come together to build up their own name, but God’s name as they declare the wonders of God.

The outcome is reversed: the apostles are scattered to bring unity under God’s reign and his kingdom.

What do we glean and take away!

God has given us His Spirit to build up his Kingdom, His Name, and to Share with others!

God can use anyone to testify! if God can use illiterate backwater fishermen to spread his message, He can use us in the spaces that he has put us in Now!

Our Diversity will bring Unity! We all have different stories to share and different ways to share it! Some of us can share in different l