Have We Settled?

In this Sunday’s lesson, Lifeway brought out something I’d never considered about the tower of Babel. Building the tower was not the only sin committed in that place. Genesis 11:2 “As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there.” Settling in Babylon contradicted God’s command in Genesis 1:28 and 9:7 to fill the earth. Humans weren’t supposed to settle in one area—they were supposed to populate the planet. So, the Lord scattered them.

When I read this, I immediately thought of another time God’s children settled. Jesus’s last words to his disciples in Matthew 28:19 were, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations….” Yet, where was his church in Acts 6? Hanging out in Jerusalem. They had created a tight community—going to church, fellowshipping, and, even, running food programs. But Jesus had not told them to stay in Jerusalem. He told them to go into the world. So, he scattered them.

Now, I look at the church in our country, and I wonder. Have we settled? Like the people in Babylon and the early church, have we created tight communities that meet our every need but are in opposition to God’s command for us? Have we separated ourselves so far from the world that we no longer know how to minister to our communities? We need to prayerfully examine ourselves and, then, our churches. I fear if we do not, the last words about us will be—So, the Lord scattered them.  

My novel Lost in the System explores what happens when a con man comes face to face with a holy God. It’s available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and all your other favorite online stores.