Daily Devotion for Lent 2018 - Day 9, Friday

Scripture Reading: Genesis 11 (NRSV)

"Why does that man talk funny?"

"He's speaking in another language.  He understands everything he is saying."

"Where did his language come from?"

"Well, let me tell you the story of the Tower of Babel..."

The first part of chapter eleven deals with the origin of linguistics.  It was not a scientific explanation as modern science was unknown to the people telling the story.  But it was an explanation rooted in their theology.

If God is sovereign, then God must have created languages just as God created people.  It comes in a single event rather than developing over time.

It's amazing how many times I've had 

difficulty understanding people speaking

my native tongue in other places around the world.

This makes sense for us at this moment in time.  Because we are here in the now.  The languages we can observe are here in the now.  They must have always existed like they are now.

We know that the English language (in which this blog is written) did not exist when Genesis was first written down.  We can trace how it evolved through time (and continues to change).

So according to Genesis, why do people speak different languages?

Because of hubris.

People placed themselves in the realm of God (in the heavens).  As idolatry is later addressed in scripture, this is an idolatrous act - presuming to replace God.  The consequence is division.

When we place ourselves as God, it results in an elevation of the self.  To take over the realm of God may also mean that I elevate myself over you.  Human achievement becomes worthy of worship rather than God.

There are many times we would seek to do this today.  We celebrate advancements in medicine and longevity.  However, even though it is delayed, we still face mortality.  It is a good thing to have a long life if it contains quality.  I, too, celebrate these new discoveries.  But they are not the end-all.

When Jesus is tempted in the desert with all the kingdoms of the world, it is offered to him if he would worship the devil.  This is the ultimate displacement of God - a matter of following the opposite of God's will.  Jesus resists with the words, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him." from Deuteronomy 6:13.

This stance could also come from today's story in Genesis.

As we continue in Lent, we might ask ourselves where we may tend to elevate things over God.


Set our hearts on fire with love of thee,
O Christ our God,
that in that flame we may love thee with all our heart,
with all our mind,
with all our soul,
and with all our strength,
and our neighbors as ourselves;
so that, keeping they commandments,
we may glorify thee, the giver of all good gifts.
Amen.


Prayer source unknown from the Eastern Orthodox tradition

Photo by Zhu via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.