1-2 At one time, the whole Earth spoke the same language. It so happened that as they moved out of the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled down.
3 They said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and fire them well." They used brick for stone and tar for mortar.
4 Then they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven. Let's make ourselves famous so we won't be scattered here and there across the Earth." (The Message)
The Tower of Babel story has many implications for us today it would seem. It is a story that we can relate to in an age when people seem to be regularly deciding that they will make themselves famous. It seems like our culture has begun to believe that being famous is worth any cost. The examples examples could include party crashers, steroid taking athletes, reality TV contestants, talk show hosts and guests willing to say anything to get noticed, "stars' releasing photos or videos because any news is good news, and on and on. It seems like people are still building their own towers to be noticed and become famous (god like maybe even) these days.
Just like the days of Babel there is a problem with setting out to be famous and god like and that is that it never lasts. In the Genesis story God comes along and scatters the people, thwarting their plans. Today God still does the same things but it just might be a bit more hidden than it was then. Famous people become infamous and the public that once idolized them turns on them. The next big thing comes along and before you know it the famous are forgotten.
There is a lot in the Bible about the need for a humble spirit and humble heart. It is there for our own good but we still don't seem to learn the lesson even if it has been taught repeatedly through the ages.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- Who do you see trying to be famous today?
- What is your definition of humility?
- Have you ever felt like God was "cutting you down to size"? How did it happen?
- What do you need to do to keep you humble?
No comments:
Post a Comment