Pride Comes Before the Fall

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PRIDE COMES BEFORE THE FALL

 

Gen 11:1-9

11:1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel — because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

NIV

This story is about what the LORD God did because of man's inclination to make a name for himself by building a tower to reach the heavens. We do not know how tall that tower was before God intervened and confused their language so that they sounded like they were just babbling to each other and had to abandon construction of the city tower. Strangely, today we have skyscrapers that must be far taller than they could have built with bricks, and God allowed men to build them. We also have been able to communicate with almost all of each other, no matter what language we speak, and God has not intervened to confuse us further. It seems in our post-modern time, mankind has accomplished far more than the people of Babel. It is also the same in the sense of people wanting to make a name for themselves, to be considered great achievers. That pride of desiring to make a name for oneself reaches into every sector of life: science, business, entertainment, sports, or any other area not mentioned. What is most troubling is that same kind of pride has invaded the religious world. When the Lord tells us to learn from him, for he is humble and gentle of heart, we should be living humbly before the Lord and all mankind. But what seems to be a drive to become a famous preacher or to have the largest church- that the number matters, the tithe matters, so the preacher can live in luxury is all based on pride, not humility. What the church in general has become is not about bringing people to Jesus, but bringing them to a pew or seat in their church. How can we get more people in our church? If we just get them in, even if we have to steal them from another church, then we will be able to afford that building project to increase our capacity for more people in the church. Of course, pastors should care about the spiritual walk of those God has placed under their care. Pastors should be preaching the word of God, leading the church to worship in spirit and in truth. But the church is also filled with purveyors of deception, garnishing followers for their own benefit and pride. Let us lead each other, let us admonish each other, and encourage each other to walk humbly before God and each other, for pride comes before the fall.