WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.200 --> 00:00:04.400 Grace mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from 2 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:06.800 our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 3 00:00:08.700 --> 00:00:11.300 In the first 11 chapters of Genesis, the 4 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:14.500 story of the Tower of Babel is the last of three 5 00:00:14.500 --> 00:00:18.600 great judgments by God against 6 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:20.100 ancient human beings. The first one 7 00:00:20.100 --> 00:00:23.900 is of course after the fall when God expelled Adam 8 00:00:23.900 --> 00:00:27.000 and Eve from the garden. The second one is the flood and finally 9 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:30.300 here at Babel God himself comes down mixes up 10 00:00:30.300 --> 00:00:32.500 their language and scatters the people. 11 00:00:34.300 --> 00:00:37.100 It's a strange story and strangely told. 12 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:41.800 What I mean, is that for a story with such serious implications? It's 13 00:00:41.800 --> 00:00:44.100 told in a very light-hearted way full of 14 00:00:44.100 --> 00:00:47.200 amusing word plays that make me chuckle when I 15 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:47.400 read it. 16 00:00:48.100 --> 00:00:51.400 It's sort of a jarring contrast to the seriousness with 17 00:00:51.400 --> 00:00:54.700 which most of us take the story, especially when we talk about the grim 18 00:00:54.700 --> 00:00:56.700 consequences of our divisions. 19 00:00:57.400 --> 00:01:00.400 That have resulted as a result of 20 00:01:00.400 --> 00:01:03.200 the language mixing and the scattering of 21 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:03.300 people. 22 00:01:04.800 --> 00:01:07.200 It's almost as if the story is poking fun at 23 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:10.200 the futile pretensions of human beings. 24 00:01:11.300 --> 00:01:14.800 From God's perspective humans are almost laughable. The people 25 00:01:14.800 --> 00:01:17.400 say with great fervor. Come on, let's build 26 00:01:17.400 --> 00:01:20.000 ourselves a tower and a city and let's make a 27 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:22.000 name for ourselves lest we be scattered. 28 00:01:23.400 --> 00:01:26.300 God mocks them with equal verb, come on. Let's go 29 00:01:26.300 --> 00:01:29.600 down and mix up their language so that they can't understand each 30 00:01:29.600 --> 00:01:29.700 other. 31 00:01:31.500 --> 00:01:34.300 Humans work arduously not to be scattered. 32 00:01:35.300 --> 00:01:38.400 God comes down and scatters them. The joke 33 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:41.000 is once again on the hapless human race. 34 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:44.500 What exactly was our crime? 35 00:01:46.300 --> 00:01:49.400 Well, most readers think that it is just one more example of 36 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:52.700 human arrogance. The tower is a massive 37 00:01:52.700 --> 00:01:56.000 declaration of independence from God as Andy Crouch's 38 00:01:55.600 --> 00:01:58.400 assessment. It is another example of 39 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:01.800 the problem that brought the first judgment when 40 00:02:01.800 --> 00:02:04.200 Adam fell for the Serpent's promise. You 41 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:07.900 shall be like God and it's invitation to become 42 00:02:07.900 --> 00:02:09.500 masters of our own destiny. 43 00:02:10.300 --> 00:02:13.500 It's one more indication that even the drastic second 44 00:02:13.500 --> 00:02:14.100 judgment 45 00:02:15.100 --> 00:02:17.200 the life destroying flood 46 00:02:19.100 --> 00:02:22.000 ad done nothing to change the root problem. 47 00:02:23.300 --> 00:02:26.800 Every intention of the thoughts of human hearts was still only 48 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:28.500 evil continually. 49 00:02:30.100 --> 00:02:33.500 So God mixed up the languages and by that action, he scattered 50 00:02:33.500 --> 00:02:37.800 mankind and divisions and factions only proliferated 51 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:38.700 from there. 52 00:02:39.600 --> 00:02:42.200 This was God's judgment on the human race. 53 00:02:43.200 --> 00:02:46.900 But we should not read much more into it than that. 54 00:02:48.100 --> 00:02:51.500 In other words God's judgment was not a lasting solution for 55 00:02:51.500 --> 00:02:54.700 anything. Expulsion from the garden didn't solve 56 00:02:54.700 --> 00:02:55.400 the root problem. 57 00:02:56.300 --> 00:02:59.200 The flood didn't solve the root problem. 58 00:03:00.100 --> 00:03:01.900 The scattering didn't either. 59 00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:06.100 Our own experience should be enough to convince us of this. 60 00:03:06.100 --> 00:03:09.600 It is not as if the human race has regrouped after our 61 00:03:09.600 --> 00:03:11.600 initial scattering. Is it quite the opposite. 62 00:03:12.700 --> 00:03:16.000 The thoughts of our hearts are still only evil continually. 63 00:03:15.600 --> 00:03:18.700 Sin has only taken advantage of the divided 64 00:03:18.700 --> 00:03:21.600 situation to increase our divisions and 65 00:03:21.600 --> 00:03:23.000 factions amongst each other. 66 00:03:23.900 --> 00:03:26.300 So we divide more and more over 67 00:03:26.300 --> 00:03:27.200 less and less. 68 00:03:29.100 --> 00:03:32.300 So strong is the propensity of mankind to fall into 69 00:03:32.300 --> 00:03:33.700 mutual animosities, 70 00:03:34.500 --> 00:03:37.900 James Madison wrote over 200 years ago. That where 71 00:03:37.900 --> 00:03:40.300 no substantial occasion presents itself. 72 00:03:41.600 --> 00:03:44.900 The most frivolous and fanciful distinctions have 73 00:03:44.900 --> 00:03:45.600 been sufficient 74 00:03:46.600 --> 00:03:48.700 to kindle their unfriendly passions 75 00:03:49.400 --> 00:03:52.400 and excite their most violent conflicts. 76 00:03:54.200 --> 00:03:57.300 That's as painfully true today as it was 77 00:03:57.300 --> 00:03:59.300 when Madison wrote those words. 78 00:04:00.900 --> 00:04:01.900 So Babel 79 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:05.100 was only the beginning and I suppose that at this 80 00:04:05.100 --> 00:04:08.700 point in the Book of Genesis the story could have gone on to emphasize this 81 00:04:08.700 --> 00:04:09.100 truth. 82 00:04:10.600 --> 00:04:13.300 In other words after the story of Babel we could have read 83 00:04:13.300 --> 00:04:16.500 a story of Babel's ripple effects in the long 84 00:04:16.500 --> 00:04:19.600 course of human history. We could have read 85 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:23.100 account after account of human rebellion against God and increasing 86 00:04:22.100 --> 00:04:25.200 animosity against each other. 87 00:04:28.100 --> 00:04:30.500 But that's not where the Book of Genesis takes us. 88 00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:34.600 After this story of Babel in Genesis 89 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:36.400 chapter 11, we get another story. 90 00:04:37.400 --> 00:04:40.400 In chapter 12 about God's intervention into human 91 00:04:40.400 --> 00:04:40.700 history. 92 00:04:42.200 --> 00:04:45.500 But here God does something unexpected and beautiful 93 00:04:46.500 --> 00:04:47.400 and quite different 94 00:04:48.500 --> 00:04:50.100 than the previous three judgments. 95 00:04:51.100 --> 00:04:52.000 Out of the blue, really 96 00:04:52.900 --> 00:04:56.500 God calls a sinful hearted unbelieving wandering 97 00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:57.900 Aramian named Abram 98 00:04:58.700 --> 00:05:00.100 and makes him a promise. 99 00:05:01.200 --> 00:05:03.000 I will bless you He says. 100 00:05:04.400 --> 00:05:07.200 And in contrast to the people of Babel who wish 101 00:05:07.200 --> 00:05:10.800 to make a name for themselves God promises Abram I 102 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:13.800 will make your name great and in you all 103 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:15.400 families of the earth will be blessed. 104 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:17.800 Don't miss the irony. 105 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:21.500 The people want to make a name for themselves. They can't 106 00:05:21.500 --> 00:05:21.700 do it. 107 00:05:22.500 --> 00:05:25.000 But God promises that he will do it for them. 108 00:05:26.500 --> 00:05:29.900 And the rest of the scriptures really when you think about it focus on 109 00:05:29.900 --> 00:05:32.900 this story and how God is 110 00:05:32.900 --> 00:05:34.600 going to keep that promise to Abraham. 111 00:05:35.500 --> 00:05:37.600 It is a story with a different dynamic 112 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:41.600 than the stories of the three judgments. 113 00:05:43.200 --> 00:05:47.300 Now you can see the creative really amazing power 114 00:05:46.300 --> 00:05:49.200 of God's promise. Most clearly a few 115 00:05:49.200 --> 00:05:53.100 chapters later in Genesis 15. God reiterates his 116 00:05:52.100 --> 00:05:54.200 promise to Abram. 117 00:05:54.900 --> 00:05:57.800 Who remember was a childless old man. 118 00:05:59.100 --> 00:06:02.700 Who could in no way see how God was going to keep his promise. It 119 00:06:02.700 --> 00:06:04.200 looked impossible. 120 00:06:06.300 --> 00:06:07.800 So God repeats the promise. 121 00:06:09.300 --> 00:06:10.600 And then remember the crucial words. 122 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:14.000 Abram believed the Lord 123 00:06:15.500 --> 00:06:19.300 and the Lord counted it to him as righteousness. 124 00:06:21.700 --> 00:06:24.100 Through the word of the promise God created Faith out of 125 00:06:24.100 --> 00:06:27.900 nothing and he imputed his faith to Abram as righteousness. 126 00:06:27.900 --> 00:06:30.300 In other words outside of any 127 00:06:30.300 --> 00:06:33.700 moral improvement on Abram's part outside of 128 00:06:33.700 --> 00:06:37.000 the good intentions of Abram's heart solely 129 00:06:36.100 --> 00:06:38.700 by his judgment. Remember that word. 130 00:06:39.500 --> 00:06:42.500 Solely by his judgment the Lord declared him righteous 131 00:06:42.500 --> 00:06:44.100 sinful heart and all. 132 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:48.500 God's Judgment of righteousness came when Abram was 133 00:06:48.500 --> 00:06:49.100 a total sinner. 134 00:06:50.400 --> 00:06:53.500 So it is an entirely different kind of judgment that 135 00:06:53.500 --> 00:06:57.100 God brings to Abram and those three previous judgments 136 00:06:56.100 --> 00:06:59.300 that God brought to mankind on account of 137 00:06:59.300 --> 00:07:00.200 our sinful hearts. 138 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:04.800 God didn't wait for humans to gradually improve our 139 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:08.000 morality. He didn't wait for us to somehow 140 00:07:07.900 --> 00:07:10.200 untangle the evil intentions of 141 00:07:10.200 --> 00:07:13.600 our hearts so that we could at last bring back the 142 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:16.200 Golden Age of human existence. So that 143 00:07:16.200 --> 00:07:19.100 we could once more finely return to the 144 00:07:19.100 --> 00:07:19.800 Garden of Eden. 145 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:24.600 Nope, he brought that Golden Age 146 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:27.100 down to Abram himself way ahead of time 147 00:07:27.100 --> 00:07:30.700 in one glorious outside of the law Judgment 148 00:07:30.700 --> 00:07:33.700 of righteousness. It's the end times 149 00:07:34.500 --> 00:07:37.700 Word to Abram come ahead 150 00:07:37.700 --> 00:07:38.800 of time to him. 151 00:07:40.900 --> 00:07:43.300 But because Abram was still an ever 152 00:07:43.300 --> 00:07:46.600 a sinner when God pronounced him righteous on 153 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:49.400 acount of his faith God's Judgment of righteousness is not 154 00:07:49.400 --> 00:07:52.100 only this eschatological event that comes ahead 155 00:07:52.100 --> 00:07:56.500 of time to Abram. It is also this anticipatory proclamation. 156 00:07:57.900 --> 00:08:00.400 Anticipatory proclamation of 157 00:08:00.400 --> 00:08:03.200 the new age which God will bring when he has 158 00:08:03.200 --> 00:08:06.500 completely fulfilled the promise that he made Abram and his 159 00:08:06.500 --> 00:08:06.700 seed. 160 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:10.400 It is also this great promise that one 161 00:08:10.400 --> 00:08:13.700 day sin and evil will be expunged from 162 00:08:13.700 --> 00:08:16.100 human hearts, and we will be 163 00:08:17.100 --> 00:08:20.100 the human creatures that God created us to be. 164 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:24.400 This is why Abram already a child of the new age 165 00:08:24.400 --> 00:08:25.600 according to God's judgment. 166 00:08:26.400 --> 00:08:29.600 Also looked forward to God's kingdom coming 167 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:31.400 in all its tangible fullness. 168 00:08:33.100 --> 00:08:36.800 In view of today's text in which human beings try to 169 00:08:36.800 --> 00:08:39.500 build for themselves a tower 170 00:08:39.500 --> 00:08:40.100 and a city. 171 00:08:41.500 --> 00:08:45.300 I just cannot resist quoting how the author of Hebrews describes 172 00:08:44.300 --> 00:08:47.000 Abram's hope. 173 00:08:48.400 --> 00:08:51.400 He was looking forward to a city that has 174 00:08:51.400 --> 00:08:54.600 foundations whose designer and builder is 175 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:55.100 God. 176 00:08:56.100 --> 00:08:57.900 Again, think of the irony. 177 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:01.400 The people thought that they could build a city and 178 00:09:01.400 --> 00:09:04.200 a tower and make a name for themselves thereby. 179 00:09:05.500 --> 00:09:08.300 But God's going to be build another city for his 180 00:09:08.300 --> 00:09:12.000 people one in which his name and theirs will 181 00:09:11.300 --> 00:09:12.800 be glorified. 182 00:09:14.400 --> 00:09:17.400 And you all know the way that the prophets describe that 183 00:09:17.800 --> 00:09:18.100 Eternal City. 184 00:09:19.300 --> 00:09:22.500 In terms that reverse the events of the story 185 00:09:22.500 --> 00:09:26.200 of the Tower of Babel picture all nations flowing to 186 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:28.700 Zion to hear the word of the Lord. Picture nations 187 00:09:28.700 --> 00:09:32.300 beating their spears into plowshares. Sheathing 188 00:09:31.300 --> 00:09:34.400 their swords ceasing their 189 00:09:34.400 --> 00:09:35.500 endless Wars. 190 00:09:36.500 --> 00:09:39.200 Picture an eternal kingdom in which all creation will 191 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:42.900 live in peace. They shall not hurt nor destroy 192 00:09:42.900 --> 00:09:44.500 on all my Holy Mountain. 193 00:09:45.400 --> 00:09:46.600 Picture a feast 194 00:09:47.400 --> 00:09:50.200 prepared for all people in which even death will be 195 00:09:50.200 --> 00:09:51.600 swallowed up in victory. 196 00:09:53.400 --> 00:09:56.400 And you all know the beautiful story of how God kept 197 00:09:56.400 --> 00:09:59.300 his promise to Abram and gave us the first 198 00:09:59.300 --> 00:10:02.900 taste of the glorious visions of the prophets again 199 00:10:02.900 --> 00:10:05.400 ahead of time by coming down once more. 200 00:10:06.400 --> 00:10:09.700 But not to divide and scatter not 201 00:10:09.700 --> 00:10:12.500 to condemn the world, but to 202 00:10:12.500 --> 00:10:14.600 redeem the world from sin and every evil. 203 00:10:16.100 --> 00:10:19.600 In the Word made flesh. God is again spoken 204 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:20.500 his promise 205 00:10:21.300 --> 00:10:24.600 of forgiveness and salvation for his 206 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:27.400 sake God reckons us as 207 00:10:27.400 --> 00:10:28.000 righteous. 208 00:10:29.700 --> 00:10:31.500 Again, notice the creative power 209 00:10:32.400 --> 00:10:36.800 of God's promise that he has given us in Jesus. We preach 210 00:10:35.800 --> 00:10:38.500 the Word this gospel 211 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:42.900 and God creates Faith out of nothing. Believers out 212 00:10:42.900 --> 00:10:43.600 of unbelievers. 213 00:10:44.500 --> 00:10:47.600 And God judges us righteous as faith 214 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:51.100 in Jesus, even while we are yet complete 215 00:10:50.100 --> 00:10:53.300 sinners. Those of us who 216 00:10:53.300 --> 00:10:56.900 are in Christ are also people of the new age right along 217 00:10:56.900 --> 00:10:57.400 with Abram. 218 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:01.800 This is the reality into which Christ has 219 00:11:01.800 --> 00:11:04.500 brought us and notice how Paul describes it. 220 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:08.100 For in Christ Jesus you were all sons of God 221 00:11:08.100 --> 00:11:11.600 through faith for as many of you as were baptized 222 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:12.900 into Christ to put on Christ. 223 00:11:14.700 --> 00:11:16.300 There's neither Jew nor Greek. 224 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:20.800 There's neither slave nor free. There's no male 225 00:11:20.800 --> 00:11:21.500 and female. 226 00:11:22.400 --> 00:11:25.100 For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 227 00:11:26.600 --> 00:11:29.200 I don't know. I think this is as contra the Tower 228 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:32.000 of Babel scattering as you can get. 229 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:36.500 And it is our reality now. 230 00:11:38.500 --> 00:11:39.100 And yet 231 00:11:40.400 --> 00:11:44.000 because we are at the same time Saints and 232 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:44.400 Sinners. 233 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:49.000 This is also an anticipatory Proclamation 234 00:11:50.400 --> 00:11:53.600 Of the new age, that's still awaits us when Jesus comes 235 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:56.500 down from above one last time. 236 00:11:57.800 --> 00:12:00.500 Because the end has not yet fully come. 237 00:12:01.700 --> 00:12:04.500 In the present life of the church we still find ourselves 238 00:12:04.500 --> 00:12:06.300 incredibly fractured. 239 00:12:07.400 --> 00:12:10.900 Under perverse and sinful groupings which in 240 00:12:10.900 --> 00:12:11.600 our arrogance 241 00:12:12.900 --> 00:12:14.300 we create at every level. 242 00:12:16.100 --> 00:12:19.000 Too often we act as if Jesus is not our Lord at all. 243 00:12:20.500 --> 00:12:23.500 By our actions we declare our independence from 244 00:12:23.500 --> 00:12:23.700 God. 245 00:12:25.300 --> 00:12:28.900 And we divide over the most frivolous and fanciful 246 00:12:28.900 --> 00:12:29.400 distinctions. 247 00:12:31.700 --> 00:12:34.800 I will leave it to you to describe to yourself the divisive 248 00:12:34.800 --> 00:12:37.600 and damaging sins that you yourself commit against 249 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:38.000 other people. 250 00:12:39.300 --> 00:12:42.500 I've been spending a lot of time this week doing that myself my sins 251 00:12:42.500 --> 00:12:43.200 against others. 252 00:12:44.200 --> 00:12:46.100 My rebellion against God my goodness. 253 00:12:48.500 --> 00:12:50.400 What's God going to do about all this sin? 254 00:12:51.300 --> 00:12:54.100 Or to ask it Paul's way. Wretched Man 255 00:12:54.100 --> 00:12:57.300 that I am who will deliver me from this body of death. 256 00:12:58.700 --> 00:13:00.400 Well Paul answers his own question. 257 00:13:01.400 --> 00:13:04.300 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ Our Lord. 258 00:13:05.800 --> 00:13:08.500 In my words, what's God going to do with all this sin? 259 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:10.100 Well, I'll tell you again. 260 00:13:11.100 --> 00:13:12.300 He forgives you anyway. 261 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:16.700 Against the continuing laughable pretensions of 262 00:13:16.700 --> 00:13:19.700 us sinful rebellion human beings God 263 00:13:19.700 --> 00:13:22.900 puts his unbelievable foolish sounding 264 00:13:22.900 --> 00:13:25.600 declaration of unmerited forgiveness 265 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:26.600 for the sake of his Son. 266 00:13:27.500 --> 00:13:29.800 And you should know by now who's going to win that battle. 267 00:13:31.100 --> 00:13:33.400 Nothing gets in the way of God's promise. 268 00:13:34.800 --> 00:13:35.400 Amen. 269 00:13:36.400 --> 00:13:39.300 Now may the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which passes all our 270 00:13:39.300 --> 00:13:42.200 understanding keep your hearts in minds together in Christ 271 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:43.700 Jesus. Amen.