Our world is changing very fast. Today powerful forces are working to form the “Tower of Babel” again. It is vital to be aware of these forces so that we can guard against them and do the opposite.

The story of the Tower of Babel is in Gen 11:1-9. The people united to build a city and tower that would reach up to heaven. They were declaring their independence from God.

There were 3 influences at work in the people. These 3 influences showed their desire to succeed without God:

1.Earth to heaven

The people wanted to create a city on the earth that would reach the skies. They didn’t seek God about it, but used their own strength to build this huge tower. However, Jesus said that we are to pray to God for His will on earth as it is in heaven. This is the inverse of what the people of Babel wanted.

Today in the Church it’s very easy to try to achieve God’s work through our own efforts. So we concentrate on activism and pray little. But this will never succeed to bring God’s kingdom to our lives and community.

2.No boundaries

The people wanted to live a life free of any God-given boundaries, to live, act and enjoy whatever they wanted to do without reference to God. So they built their city and tower using bitumen on the outside. Why bitumen? This is normally used for boats to protect them from water entering. Moses’ basket was coated with bitumen when he was placed in a basket as a baby into the river. The people knew about Noah and the Flood. They wanted to be able to live their lives free of any future judgement from the Lord. So they protected their city and tower against any possible future flood!

Today we can be the same. We live part of our lives for God but guard the rest of our lives to live as we please. We guard and protect the latter against any interference from God. So for example we watch what films we want without much discernment. We spend more time on our mobile phones and social media than in praying and seeking the Lord,

3.To make a Name for themselves

They built the Tower of Babel for their honour. The honour of man and not the honour of God.

It is possible today to be a Christian and to have a successful ministry but to still be doing it to make a name for oneself rather than God.

God’s response

In response to this Tower of Babel, He confused the languages so that there would be a separation of the people. Why? Because He wanted to change their attitude of independence from God to dependence on Him. He wanted them to seek Him. We see this is Acts 17: 26-27

“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.”

To combat these three forces above that draw us away from the Lord, he is calling us to separate ourselves to Him in a much more radical way, like the Nazirites of old. To not live these partly consecrated lives, but instead to give our whole lives wholeheartedly to Him.

The famous preacher, D.L. Moody did this. One day he heard an English preacher say:

“The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.”

Moody decided that he would be this man. The rest is history. God used him to win more than one million souls for Jesus in a time when travel was still slow.

Will you be this man or woman today?