OUR TOWERS OF BABEL.
Good evening, I hope you had a great day.
You can relax with this short write-up.
According to Genesis 11, Moses narrates the story of the Tower of Babel, where humanity's unified efforts to construct a monumental tower sparked divine intervention. God, perceiving their collective ambition, intervened in human affairs, dispersing the people and creating multiple languages, ultimately giving rise to the diverse tribes and nations we know today.
In the narrative, a notable development parallels the Tower's construction: the emergence of replacement technology. The people devised innovative substitutes, using bricks as substitute instead of stone and asphalt instead of mortar (Genesis 11:3), revealing their unyielding resolve and ingenuity in defying conventional methods.
The Tower of Babel narrative resonates profoundly with believers throughout history. While God’s benevolence surrounds us with goodness; nurturing relationships and joyful experiences and these blessings can subtly become sources of confidence, supplanting our devotion to God. Unwittingly, we elevate them to idolatrous status, lavishing worship upon ephemeral entities that offer no reciprocal love, only fleeting fulfillment and eventual regret.
For some individuals, family ties and inherited security can become a modern-day Tower of Babel. They place unwavering trust in the connections and investments established by their predecessors, relying on familial legacy rather than divine guidance. This misplaced confidence can lead them to neglect their spiritual foundation, forsaking God's providence for the perceived stability of family wealth and influence.
Similarly, legitimate wealth accumulation can also become an idolatrous distraction. When individuals focus solely on their hard-earned riches, they may temporarily experience a sense of self-sufficiency, believing their financial security renders them impervious to life's uncertainties. Like the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21, they obsess over their accumulated wealth, neglecting the transience of earthly possessions and the eternal significance of spiritual wealth.
The phenomenon of the Tower of Babel manifests in various forms, as individuals mistakenly attribute their security, success or righteousness to earthly entities rather than divine providence. Examples include wealth and material possessions, intellectual prowess, and self-righteousness, where one assumes moral superiority while judging others. Consequently, individuals overlook God's role in shaping circumstances and outcomes, elevating human achievements and possessions above spiritual devotion.
Isaiah 31 NIV: Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord. Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; he does not take back his words. He will rise up against that wicked nation, against those who help evildoers. But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, those who help will stumble, those who are helped will fall; all will perish together. This is what the Lord says to me: “As a lion growls, a great lion over its prey— and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against it, it is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor— so the Lord Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights. Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.
The divine perspective emphasizes trust in God's mercies as the ultimate source of sustenance. This stance is exemplified by King David, who, despite his military prowess, humbly acknowledged God's sovereignty. In Psalm 33:16-17, David proclaimed, "No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength, it cannot save." David's declaration underscores the limitations of human skill and strength, highlighting the crucial role of divine intervention in achieving victory. By recognizing God's influence in his successes, David demonstrated a profound understanding of the Lord's omnipotence. This posture of trust and dependence serves as a powerful model.
Get systems that makes for success, God ordains systems and processes, not for His benefit, but for ours. The systems are there not for God's sake but for yours to participate in the victory process because while He can triumph single-handedly, as seen in the miraculous defeat of Sennacherib's army (2 Kings 19:35), He often chooses to empower individuals with wisdom and strength for success. However, we must avoid idolizing these processes or our own abilities.
We should never honour and idolise the process over the God that makes all things tick. Proverbs 3:5 cautions against trusting in our understanding alone. Even with past successes, we must continue to seek divine guidance. Like David, who trusted God against the lion and the bear (1 Samuel 17:37), we should recognize that true victory comes not from our slings or war prowess but God Almighty. In pursuit of security and prosperity, many seek refuge in seemingly stable nations, yet neglect the fundamental truth: "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1). I remember speaking with my Papa one day and he said somehow some believers earning lower than hundred thousand are still going to survive even in Lagos because the Lord is good and his mercies endures forever.
Lastly, divine providence demands balance: human effort paired with unwavering trust. Don’t trust in prayers over God that answers prayers, Don’t trust in faith over God that gives us the faith yet We will pray, study, toil and strive and acknowledge God as the source of success, safety and sustenance. Let’s be able to still take all and every things to God in prayer and let our endeavors become acts of faith, recognizing His mercy and sovereignty. Our God is a jealous God and he specialises in demolishing idols of confidence, pride and self-reliance, As he demolished the tower of Babel, the things we put our faith and trust in are going to get demolished, and i pray that the wrath of God comes in his mercy to destroy them for our sakes.
