“Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.” Genesis 11:7-8 (Read v. 1-9)
“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judæa, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:4-11 (read v. 1-47)
In the days following the Genesis Flood, everyone spoke the same language, making it possible through communication to share ideas and join together in great works. But the problem was that men gathered to make a name for themselves and to disobey the LORD God who had created them. God’s solution to the great city and tower they were building for their own honor and glory was simple. He confused their languages so that they no longer understood each other.
On the day in which our Lord Jesus poured out His Holy Spirit upon His disciples, people of every nation and language were gathered to Jerusalem in observance of the Jewish feast of Pentecost. On that day, the Holy Ghost worked a great miracle, for He caused Jesus’ disciples – most of them from Galilee – to speak in other tongues. These were not unknown languages but the native languages of the people gathered to Jerusalem. Each heard the apostles proclaiming in their own native tongue “the wonderful works of God” in sending His own Son, Messiah Jesus, to redeem lost and condemned sinners and give them forgiveness of sins and life everlasting in the glories of heaven.
In Genesis 11, confusion came when men suddenly began to speak in different languages – so much confusion that they gave up on their wicked plans to build a huge city and tower and called the name of the place Babel.
In Acts 2, what sounded like confusion and even drunkenness to some resulted in clarity. By the mighty working of the Holy Spirit, people from all over the world heard of Christ Jesus and what He had done to redeem them and give them a part and place in God’s eternal city in the heavens.
In our own day, we have through a wide variety of media the ability to communicate and share ideas and plans with people of all nations around the world. Through the Internet, the boundaries created by governments and language have to a great degree been removed.
Like in ancient Babylon, men use these means of communication for every sort of evil and wickedness. People from around the world join together in sinful and rebellious endeavors.
But like never before, we have opportunity, with the help and aid of God’s Holy Spirit, to bring clarity and truth to this fallen and confused world. We can speak of the wonderful works of God to people of all nations and tongues. We can spread the Word of the Lord and make known the forgiveness and life He offers and gives in the Son, Christ Jesus! And when we proclaim the Word of the Lord, we can know and be sure that God’s Spirit will be at work, as He was on the day of Pentecost spoken of in Acts 2, convicting people everywhere of their own sinfulness and comforting them with the good news of pardon and peace in Messiah Jesus.
O dearest Jesus, grant us Your Holy Spirit and faith which holds fast to You for the forgiveness of all our sins and life everlasting. Move us to speak of Your wonderful works to all people everywhere that they too might repent and turn back to You for forgiveness and life everlasting. Grant this to us for the sake of Your holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our stead. Amen.