IS UNITY ALWAYS A GOOD THING?

The people who built the tower of ancient Babylon were unified. Was it a good thing? Or was it wrong? Why did God interfere?

All men are born with a sinful nature because of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This sinful nature, if left to its own devices and without divine intervention by God who created us, will eventually lead to wrongdoing. Mankind left to his own wisdom and creativity will corrupt himself.

We read in Genesis 11:1 that “the whole earth was of one language and of one speech.” From the next verse it appears that they were a unified force as they journeyed from the east to where they found a plain in the land of Shinar (modern Iraq).

On this plain, under the leadership of the mighty hunter, Nimrod, they all united to build a city and a tower that would reach unto heaven. They wanted to make a name for themselves, perhaps of great fame. It seems they also had a fear of being scattered across the face of the whole earth (v. 3, 4).

We do not know why they feared being scattered abroad upon the face of the earth. Maybe they knew their strength and security was in their unity.

Nimrod led the first New World Order after the flood had destroyed the old-world order.

Genesis 10:8, 9: “And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.”

He began his manhood as a mighty hunter “before the LORD.” The fact that there is an emphasis on “before the LORD” denotes that he had some relationship with God that the rest of the people could plainly see. Because of his renown he became the world’s first universal leader.

But somewhere along the journey he took his eyes off God to build the world’s first capital city of a One World Order. This city would be famous for its extremely high tower. This tower symbolized the elevation of man to the point where man became his own god. He could accomplish anything he wanted to accomplish, and God did not have any say in the matter.

This is the foundation of all humanism. Man elevates himself to decide his own destiny. Man becomes his own lord.

God does not want man to put his affections and trust upon the cities and towers that he builds and all they represent. When the whole world gravitates to the plans and ideologies of mortal man and becomes united to form a new world order, even though on the surface it may appear to greatly benefit mankind, God will step in to confound it. Why? Because man was made to live his life in a right relationship with his Maker. Otherwise, his life and all those united with him, will be corrupted.

There is only one man worthy to lead the entire new World Order and that is the man CHRIST JESUS. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world by His own blood. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He specializes in digging wells of living water, not building towers of brick and slime.

To be continued

Be encouraged,

Colin Campbell