Moment of Realization
The other day we were discussing the Book of Genesis and the Lord gave us a moment of clarity about an application of His Word. Mankind was created in the image of God, given dominion over His creation and was twice told to “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth…” (Genesis 1:28 & 9:1). Therefore it is not a stretch to say that the Lord wanted His creation to be filled with His image and for mankind to rule alongside Him. Unfortunately, shortly after the flood resides, we come to Genesis 11. We read that all the people of the earth had come together in one location and they said “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4). These people were concerned with staying in one place and making a great name for themselves and not concerned with filling the earth with God’s image and making His name great. These are the two points we’ll explore in the following sections: staying in one place and making a name for ourselves.
Christian Stasis
As followers of Jesus, are we meant to be static? Are we meant to stay in one place our entire lives? We have seen Christians live their lives in the same town, with the same people, attending the same church, eating at the same restaurant, and so on for decades or even lives. Now obviously people are placed in their specific times and boundaries by the Lord for His purposes (Acts 17:26) but we have to wonder if we are missing something crucial to the life lived unto the Lord. After He is raised from the dead, Jesus tells His disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). This is a command from our Lord to go, to make disciples, and to teach which means following Jesus is not static but dynamic. We even see a dynamism in the Lord’s example when He stepped down from His glory and put on flesh so that we may be saved. He moved toward us because He loved us. The very act of following Christ implies that we are moving with Him as He moves in this world. Unlike those who gathered together and remained static, in one place, around the Tower of Babel we are called to be dynamic in our lives.
His Name, Not Our Own
In the western church we see another shadow of Genesis 11 to walk alongside the static lifestyles of Christians: the desire for a great name. We want to tread carefully here because we, as Christians, should care about how we are viewed in society and how we love those around us because we do represent the name of Jesus. But we should be checking our motivation in desiring to be known as a loving and upstanding person in the community. Are we motivated by our careers, our titles, our investment/retirement accounts, or the legalistic pursuit of living the “proper Christian life?” Or are we motivated by the Lord and His purposes alone? We must remember that if we are considering the Kingdom of God and seeking to spread the gospel, people are going to dislike us because the gospel is a divisive message. It is a challenging thing to say that there is one truth in this culture of many self-truths. Be encouraged though, Jesus says “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26). Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians that “…if [he] were seeking to please men, then [he] would not be a bond-servant of Jesus Christ…” (Galatians 1:10). The motivation for our lives should be magnifying His name above everything and seeking His glory.
Conclusion
In Genesis 11 we see all people gathered together, seeking to remain and make a great name for themselves. We have briefly discussed how those two actions are counter to the life of a follower of the Lord Jesus in that we are dynamic and His name should be exalted above all. Does this mean that all Christians should go to the nations? Probably not. It would seem as if the Lord is leading the nations to America so there is ample opportunity to make disciples and to give a gospel witness where the message has not been heard. Pray, read the Word, and ask the Lord to lead you to people who need Him in your communities and He will! He does not wish for any to perish, wanting all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). May we all roll up our sleeves, forget our own desires and jump into His plans and purposes for the world! Simply ask the Lord to show you His Will and ask Him to align your will to His.
Grace and Peace,
Aquila and Priscilla
