Undoing Babel

In Genesis chapter 11 you find the story of the Tower of Babel.  In this story the people of the earth all spoke one language and they all came together for one purpose: to "make a great name for themselves" (Genesis 11:4).  The people had great unity but a missed purpose; they wanted to be unified in order to make a name for themselves.

When God saw this he 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 is called Babel (or Babylon)... because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world.  From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth." Genesis 11:6-9

Before we get into why the LORD would do this, we must look at what the ramifications of this are.  What sorts of things would you expect to come out of this confusion and scattering?  One would expect: Misunderstanding, frustration, isolation, anger, suspicion of the "other", racism, nationalism, war and the like.  And isn't this what we see?  Don't we see fear of those not like us?  Don't we see cultures and nations waring?  Don't we see throughout history domination and subjection of the "others"? 

Any good reader of the Bible will wonder at Genesis chapter 11 a couple of things:  First, why did God do this and how can this be undone?

"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 them speaking in his own language." Acts 2:1-6

"Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the Holy Spirit.  The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off... for all whom the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:38-39

Pentecost is the answer to how to undo Babel.  Pentecost was the beginning of God bringing all the scattered together again.  From that day on the mission of God for us is to bring together what was scattered.  To undo under the banner of Christ the mess of nationalism, racism, division, isolation and the like. 

Our mission is not simply to unify for the sake of unity as was the case in Babel.  No, our mission is to call people from every nation, race, tribe and tongue (Revelation 7:9) to pursue proclaiming the great name of God, not the exulting of man's name.  When this great multitude is assembled this is what they will say:

"Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!" Revelation 7:12

At Babel the great division of the world's peoples began and that division has brought calamity and suffering.  At Pentecost the great gathering of the peoples of the world began and we Christians must proclaim the world peace that this offers.  All the peoples were together at Babel for a Hell-bent cause and one day all the peoples will be at the New Jerusalem enjoying the Heaven purchased for them by the great name of Jesus. 

Share the good news.  Let people know that Christ has won this victory already.  Go and share this good news to "every nation, tribe, people and language" today.