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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Babylon
As men 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 we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:2-4—NIV)
Shinar is Babylonia. This is the original Babylon.
The ambition to build a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens reveals the desire in the adamic personality to join with others in order to accomplish something of significance, the idea being that we can gain a name for ourselves. Also, we can achieve power that we would not have were we to be a single individual or a small group of people. By combining our efforts, our wisdom, and our talents we can establish a monument on the earth to our own glory.
However, God does not use the concerted efforts of people, their wisdom, or their talents to establish His Kingdom. God often works through intense interaction with one person, such as Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, or the Apostle Paul.
God immediately recognized that if people of one language joined together they indeed could accomplish whatever they pleased.
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." (Genesis 11:6—NIV)
We of today would emphasize the good that could be done if people would stop fighting against each other and work together to produce things and situations that would benefit mankind. Thus it is almost impossible for us to perceive the potential evil in everyone speaking the same language and being able to bring about results not possible for warring nations to accomplish.
God saw the danger immediately and confused the ability of the people to communicate with each other. To the present hour we have wars because of the self-interest of nations—nations separated from one another because they speak different languages.
What is the problem with wanting to join together with other people to accomplish something?
First let us explain we are not saying it is wrong to work together with other people in order to accomplish a task. Rather we are speaking of our human tendency to ignore the Lord Jesus Christ and look to the combined strength and wisdom of human beings to bring to pass what we desire. We are speaking especially of using this method in trying "to do things for God."
The problem is that when God created the world in six days He fashioned not only the physical universe but also the destiny of mankind. In particular, God determined the destiny of each member of His elect, His Israel, His governing priesthood. God does not desire that we join with others to do what we think needs to be done, particularly in the work of establishing the Kingdom of God on the earth. Only God knows His plan for our life, and only God knows His plan for His Kingdom.
To be continued.