The Daily Word of Righteousness

Togetherness, #4

And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. And they said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."(Genesis 11:3,4—NASB)

How idyllic! Peace, harmony, and love. There was no need for God to do anything but come down and join the family of mankind, thus averting subsequent years of war, famine, and other miseries caused by suspicion and hatred.

Why didn't God do this? It is important for us to know the answer to this question. Then we will understand that the problem in the world is not the United Nations and the loss of our freedom and nationalism but our personal relationship with God.

What was God's response to the marvelous oneness that existed on the earth in those early days?

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. (Genesis 11:5-8—NASB)

God recognized that because the people were one family, all speaking the same language, they soon would develop a marvelous, sophisticated civilization.

But isn't it desirable that all people work as one to develop a marvelous, sophisticated civilization?

Is it? What do you think?

No! This is not what God desires. This is why He acted as He did. God deliberately broke up the one family into nations that would war against each other throughout history. God did not want one human family living together in "love," being able to accomplish whatever the members desired.

This is evident from the account, but why this attitude on God's part?

The reason is, God wants each person to have a personal experience with Himself. God deals with people one at a time. When an individual gets too wrapped up in another person, God may move in and break up the relationship.

God's name is Jealous. He must have our heart. No person, thing, or situation can come between God and us. God will not have it. God must be first.

The first of the eternal laws of God is that we will love Him with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our strength.

There is no other commandment that approaches in importance this greatest of all commandments.

This was not true of the builders of the Tower of Babel. They knew little or nothing of the God of Heaven. They were in love with themselves.

There are two powerful desires in the human personality. One is to get to Heaven by one's own ability. The other is to join ranks with other people so there is a common name, a group that is able to accomplish the desires of the members.

To be continued.