The year is a long time ago. The whole of humanity exists in one city. The people of the city said to each other, “Let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” Ok, you may think, they want to build some buildings and some houses. No big deal. But they go on. “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top to the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves.” Now you’re thinking, Well, ok, they want to build the ancient equivalent of the Trump Tower. Then they give another reason for building their tower. “…lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” They didn’t want to go anywhere. They liked it where they were.
This is of course the story of the Tower of Babel. Humanity began to think too much of itself, and less of the total sovereignty of God. And as a result, in the ultimate act of irony, God confused their languages, and dispersed them over the earth. But the language confusion and mass migration isn’t what interests me. It’s what they did that brought it on. They built a tower. Well so what? Well, that’s true, why does that matter? It doesn’t. So let’s delve deeper. They used bricks. No, that’s not it. They wanted to do it for themselves. They wanted to be remembered. They built the tower not to give glory to God, but to man. How often do we see this today? Probably close to a million times a day. Professional athletes, Gangsta rappers, actors, politicians, those people on reality TV shows like American Idol, The X Factor, and countless other things.
Had you asked me two weeks ago if I wanted to make a name for myself, I would have said no. Looking back, that would have been a lie. At training camp, I didn’t know it, but I wanted to make a name for myself. I wanted to be on B-squad first and foremost because of the countries on that route. They were countries that I wanted to go to. As a result, I didn’t volunteer that night when they called our names. Rakeem even asked me, “What are you thinking, man?” and I said “I don’t know, I feel like I should go, but I really don’t want to and feel like I should stay.” I didn’t want to leave because of me. I was selfish. And then God pulled a Jonah and Babel on me all in one. The Jonah part, because I was afraid to go, and I ended up on C-squad, which, sorry guys, you’re kind of like the big fish (a big fish that turns out to be my best friend and I wouldn’t trade any of you for anything!) And the Babel part, I am going out to different countries. I was getting selfish, without even knowing it, and God set me straight, and done it hard, like God’s Gibbs slap.
God is the one who makes a name for people. He told Abram in Genesis 12:1-2 “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” As I sit here writing this, I realize that this is exactly what is happening to me. I’m living at home with my parents, but I will be leaving my country, my family, my home, and going on a trip chosen not by me, but by God. How amazing is He? I have a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as I think about this. He has revealed so much to me in just one day. What I want, what I think I need, how I look in front of others, just doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is God’s glory. My selfishness only hinders myself as God’s tool and creation. I must open myself and let him work in me and through me.
“Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:9-11
