The Wall of Babel

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

The people decided to build a tower in Babel "whose top will reach into heaven" (Genesis 11:4).  They convinced themselves that building bricks and mortar hundreds of feet into the sky would allow them to "reach into" heaven.   It's the essential mindset of godlessness: that human beings can, by their own efforts, by natural means, lay hold of spiritual blessing for themselves.

Scripture says their foolish belief that they could seize heaven by building a tower tall enough was based in their desire to "make for ourselves a name" (ibid).  Isn't pride always at the heart of godlessness ?  Is there anything God hates more than pride ?

I've been thinking this week about one of the first teachings God put directly into my thinking (i.e., "heart"), over 40 years ago: that we have nothing we were not given.  And that God is the only Giver of "every good thing given and every perfect gift..." (James 1:17).

I understood from the thought He put in my heart that we are profoundly foolish when we struggle...especially when we struggle in our own strength, and by natural means...to seize blessing.  We are foolish as well to struggle to keep possession of His blessing.  Blessing is entirely and only in God's gift, at His will: our struggle is with our own ungodliness and pride, which keep us from His will and His blessing.

Our current president continues to insist that his multi-billion dollar border-wall will keep "illegals" from entering America...from taking American jobs, from spreading crime across America, from stealing services and resources that belong to Americans.  And many have convinced themselves that building a steel and concrete wall for thousands of miles across the land will keep and protect for Americans God's blessings to America.

Is our border-wall any less an attempt to seize spiritual blessing by our own effort that the tower the people of Babel built, or any less the product of ungodliness and pride.

Is there anything God hates more than man's ungodliness and pride ?