When I was in grade school, we were required to take
German. In high school, I studied Spanish. Greek and Hebrew were required in
college and seminary. I have picked up a little Latin, a little Creole, a
little French, and a few words in Japanese (thanks to my son) over the years.
Google tells me that there are roughly 6500 spoken languages in the world. Truth
be told, I am not conversational in any of the above languages, and when it
gets down to it that puts a barrier between me and the speakers of those
languages.
That barrier was a consequence of the pride and arrogance
of people after the Flood. God had urged Noah and his family to fill the whole
earth, these descendants decided to build a tower to heaven so that they would
not be scattered. It was not only hubris, but also defiance to God’s will for
them. God decided to confuse their language. He put a barrier between them so
they could no longer communicate forcing them to abandon their grand tower.
There is an important lesson here: Sin always brings
division as one of its consequences. It might not causes us to start speaking
different languages, but it sure comes close sometimes. So often when people
are in conflict with one another they don’t hear each other, they talk past
each other, they willfully misconstrue what the other person is saying, so they
might as well be speaking different languages. Those divisions are not merely
verbal, however, but they manifest in hurts, bruises, heartache, and many more
separations.
Moses records that the name of that place became Babel.
Please notice that this is not babble,
but Babel. I suspect the English word has its roots in Babel, but not the other
way round. In fact, a word study shows that this word means confusion. A person might babble when
they are confused, but confusion is a lost and hopeless state of being. This is
a potent picture of how sin breaks people’s lives, shatters our hopes and
dreams, and leaves us alone and separated from others.
Why is this the Old Testament lesson for Pentecost
Sunday? We will look more closely at this tomorrow, but stop and consider what
the Holy Spirit did that day. He cut across the languages. He communicated the
cross and resurrection. He brought reconciliation through Jesus’ sacrifice and
new life. He delivered a connection to God in Christ, and having been connected
to Christ these people became part of a fellowship of believers known as the
Church.
Pentecost reverses Babel. Thanks be to God!
When have you experienced the confusion and separation
sin brings in your life? How has the Holy Spirit brought reconciliation and
community in Christ to you?
O God, your
judgement on the people of Babel was terrible. We still feel the consequences
of that day in our world. Please send us your Holy Spirit to connect us to you
in Jesus’ reconciliation. Let his cross and empty tomb connect us to you and to
one another because through them he defeated sin and death for us. Fill us, O
Holy Spirit, so that we will be people of reconciliation bringing new life and
forgiveness to the people you put into our lives. We pray these things in Jesus’
name. Amen.
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