As we contemplate the God-centered values we espouse for Africa’s leadership as AFReG, we realize that change in all of us is imperative if these are to become a reality. In this series of devotions, we consider several topics under the general theme – “Changing Against the Tide” based on Romans 12:1-2. With transformation, everything changes. Through the transformative power of the Gospel, grace through faith and the Holy Spirit’s enablement, this change becomes a reality. Journey with us as we look at where it all began, why there is such inertia to change, why we should change, how we change and how this change can be sustained to become a legacy for generations to come.

We look at the dismal state of man as he is without God – Lessons from the Tower of Babel.

The account of what happened in the first nine verses of Genesis 11 is illustrative of the sinful condition of man today. It shows that underlying everything that ails us today is the problem of sin and without dealing with this, it is impossible for man’s condition to be changed.

Four major stories emerge in the first eleven chapters of the Bible. First is the Creation story in which all that God made was good by God’s standard. The second is how disobedience messes this up as Adam and Eve take the forbidden fruit. The Antediluvian Age leads to God wiping the slate clean through the flood. This is immediately followed by the Tower of Babel which is our text for this devotion. Let us consider what happened here. First, God had given clear instructions to Noah and his sons: Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Gen 9:1). Instead of obeying this command, Noah’s descendants’ motivation in building the tower was twofold: “…let us make a name for ourselves lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” As was true of Adam and Eve as well as the Antediluvian men, the descendants of Noah were deliberately disobeying God’s instruction. In simple terms, sin is the desire to be my own boss and to do my own thing in defiance of what God has commanded. It is man poking his fingers at God’s nose and saying…”There! What will you do about it!?!” Another word for sin is rebellion…refusing to come under the rulership of God.

This is where man is today. We have rejected everything that God laid out for humanity in our personal, family and social relationships, and carved out new rules for ourselves. The propensity to do this is inbuilt. Every human being is born with this sinful nature. The consequences are the same every time anyone disobeys God’s commands. The truth is that no one has ever succeeded in breaking God’s laws…instead, God’s laws break you when you violate them. It was true of Adam and Eve, of the people of the Flood, of the men of the Tower of Babel and it’s true of us today. Sin puts us on a self-destruction course. What ails us is a virus for which no human vaccine can work. Despite appearing to be clever, the end is death. Mercifully, God, in each of the cases above, provided a way of escape. For Adam and Eve, the promise was of a Seed that would bruise the heal of the serpent which pointed to Calvary. We know that Noah found grace in the eyes of The Lord. God confusing the languages and scattering the men of Babel was an act of mercy. Otherwise, as would have been the case had Adam and Eve found their way to the Tree of Life after their disobedience, evil would have been permanent. All this pointed to the ultimate plan: The Cross! The solution for sin is therefore simple: Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Adam’s sin was imputed on all mankind. All of mankind’s sin was imputed on Christ at the cross. BUT! Praise God this was so that all of His righteousness might be imputed to all who would believe in His Name! Babel teaches us that instead of man reaching heaven, heaven came down to man and immediately, God starts a new plan through Abraham that results in the Messiah! God’s grace won over the sin of man. There is a cure that works. The blood that flowed from Immanuel’s veins!

Prayer:

• We confess that often times we have sought to do things in our own way and without any reference to You, God. Have mercy on us and forgive our foolish endeavors outside Your will and way.

• Thank you Lord for the work You accomplished on the cross to make a way for us back to You.

• Lord, in response to Your amazing grace, we turn our hearts completely to You. By Your Spirit, work in us to will and to do Your good purpose. Take charge of all we have and are. We are Yours forever.