GENESIS 11:1-9; ACTS 2:1-13| LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING

LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING

GENESIS 11:1-9; ACTS 2:1-13

MAY 20, 2018

IT’S HARD TO KNOW WHAT TO THINK OF THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL.

THE SIMPLEST UNDERSTANDING IS PROBABLY THE BEST: THAT THE AUTHOR, ACTUALLY, AUTHORS OF GENESIS, WERE SIMPLY TRYING TO EXPLAIN HOW IT IS THERE WERE DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WITH DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, SPREAD ACROSS THE KNOWN WORLD OF THE TIME.

THIS IS THE SAME WAY GENESIS TRIES TO EXPLAIN OTHER THINGS: THE ORIGINS OF THE UNIVERSE, THE EXISTENCE OF HUMAN BEINGS, WHERE SIN COMES FROM, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER OF LIFE’S GREAT QUESTIONS.

I SAID AUTHORS BECAUSE IT’S CLEAR THAT THERE WERE DIFFERENT WRITERS, DIFFERENT SOURCES, DIFFERENT STREAMS OF THOUGHT, WHICH WERE BLENDED TOGETHER TO FORM THE BOOK WE KNOW AS GENESIS.

THERE ARE THE PRIESTLY, YAHWIST, AND ELOHIST SOURCES, AS WELL AS OTHERS.

WE KNOW THIS, BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT CREATION STORIES IN GENESIS; DIFFERENT NAMES FOR GOD; DIFFERENT TRAINS OF THOUGHT;

AND HERE, TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF EXPLAINING HOW THERE ARE DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WITH DIFFERENT LANGUAGES IN THE WORLD.

THE PRIESTLY SOURCE WRITER DOCUMENTS THE SPREAD OF PEOPLES, CULTURES, AND LANGUAGES AS THE RESULT OF NOAH’S THREE SONS, AND THEIR ANCESTORS, MULTIPLYING AND SPREADING OUT ALL OVER THE WORLD.

THE YAHWIST SOURCE EXPLAINS IT USING THE TOWER OF BABEL STORY.

AS I SAY, IT’S HARD TO KNOW WHAT TO THINK OF THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL.

THE PEOPLE IN THE STORY SEEM TO BE DOING A GOOD THING.  THEY SHARE A SINGLE LANGUAGE, THEY WORK WELL TOGETHER, THEY PLAN TOGETHER TO BUILD A CITY IN WHICH TO LIVE, AND A TOWER REACHING INTO THE HEAVENS.

THEY SEEK TO MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES.

ALL OF THIS WOULD SEEM TO SUGGEST A CERTAIN LEVEL OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT, INGENUITY, COOPERATION, PLANNING, AND BASICALLY, GETTING ALONG.

BUT THEN THE AUTHORS OF GENESIS TELLS US THAT THE LORD CAME DOWN TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.

AND WHEN THE LORD SAW IT, HE SAYS (TO WHOM, WE’RE NOT EXACTLY SURE?!) “LOOK THEY ARE ONE PEOPLE, WITH ONE LANGUAGE, BUILDING A CITY AND A TOWER; AND IT’S ONLY THE BEGINNING OF WHAT THEY’LL DO; NOTHING THEY PROPOSE WILL NOW BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM.”

AND WHAT DOES GOD PROPOSE TO DO ABOUT THIS, TO WHOMEVER IT IS GOD IS TALKING?

“COME, LET US GO DOWN, AND CONFUSE THEIR LANGUAGE, SO THAT THEY WILL NOT UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.”

THEN THE AUTHORS OF GENESIS SAY THAT THE LORD SCATTERED THE PEOPLE ABROAD OVER THE FACE OF THE EARTH, AND THAT’S THE END OF THAT, NO CITY, NO TOWER, NO SINGLE LANGUAGE.

THE AUTHORS ALSO TELL US THAT THE PLACE WAS CALLED BABEL, WHICH SOUNDS A LOT LIKE THE HEBREW WORD BALAL MEANING “TO CONFUSE;” AND, OF COURSE, FROM WHERE WE GET OUR WORD BABBLE.

THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL HAS BEEN USED BY SOME, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF HISTORY, AS A PROOFTEXT THAT GOD IS AGAINST NATION BUILDING, AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.

IT WAS USED TO REFUTE THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS; IT HAS BEEN USED AS AN OBJECTION TO THE UNITED NATIONS; IT WAS EVEN USED AS A COUNTER ARGUMENT TO THE EUROPEAN UNION, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EURO AS ONE COMMON CURRENCY.

RECENTLY, KAREN AND I SAW A NUMBER OF CONSTRUCTION TRAILERS FOR A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, AND ON EACH OF THEM WAS PRINTED, “WE’RE NOT BUILDING THE TOWER OF BABEL.”

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT I’D LOVE TO CALL THE COMPANY AND FIND OUT, BUT THERE’S SOME SORT OF ANTI-TOWER OF BABEL SENTIMENT GOING ON THERE.

BUT HERE ARE A COUPLE OF CORRECTIONS TO SOME OF THE USUAL INTERPRETATIONS OF THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL.

THE STORY IS NOT ABOUT HUMAN PRIDE, OR THAT THEIR “MAKING A NAME FOR THEMSELVES” WAS A BAD THING.

GOD WAS NOT THREATENED BY A “TOWER REACHING INTO HEAVEN” THAT’S SIMPLY A EUPHEMISM FOR A VERY TALL TOWER.

IT IS NOT ABOUT GOD PUNISHING THE PEOPLE FOR BEING UPSTARTS; OR THAT GOD IS SOMEHOW AGAINST INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.

PLAIN AND SIMPLE, IT IS THE AUTHORS OF GENESIS TRYING THE EXPLAIN THE REALITY OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT LANGUAGES;

AND, BY THE WAY, TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE ZIGGURATS, THE TOWERS BUILT IN THIS REGION, THAT THE ISRAELITES WERE SEEING FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL IS ACTUALLY MEANT TO FULFILL ONE OF THE EARLIEST COMMANDMENTS OF GOD TO HIS COVENANT PEOPLE.

IN GENESIS 1:28, JUST AFTER CREATING HUMAN BEINGS, GOD BLESSES THEM, AND TELLS THEM (TELLS US) “TO BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY, AND FILL THE EARTH…”

GENESIS SUGGESTS: IT WAS NEVER GOD’S INTENTION FOR ALL OF US TO REMAIN IN ONE PLACE, WITH ONE FAMILY, WITH ONE LANGUAGE, BUT RATHER, TO POPULATE THE EARTH; TO SPREAD OUT; TO FILL THE EARTH.

THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL IS ABOUT DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

THE TOWER OF BABEL IS A BLESSING, NOT A CURSE.  IT IS EMPOWERMENT, NOT PUNISHMENT.

IT IS “DON’T STAY IN ONE PLACE BUT SEE THE WORLD!”  IT IS “NOT ONE NATION BUT MANY NATIONS – WITH MANY TONGUES – ALL OVER CREATION!”

WHICH BRINGS US TO PENTECOST.

ORIGINALLY, A JEWISH FESTIVAL SET FIFTY DAYS AFTER PASSOVER, IT WAS ADOPTED BY CHRISTIANS, AS FIFTY DAYS AFTER EASTER, AND BECAUSE OF THE EVENTS OF THAT DAY, DESIGNATED AS THE BIRTHDAY OF THE CHURCH.

ACTS 2 TELLS US THAT ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, THE DISCIPLES WERE ALL GATHERED TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE.

OUT OF HEAVEN CAME A SOUND LIKE THE RUSH OF A MIGHTY WIND, FILLING THE HOUSE; DIVIDED TONGUES, AS OF FIRE, APPEARED AMONG THEM, AND THEN RESTED ON EACH OF THEM, AND THEY WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT;

AND EACH BEGAN TO SPEAK IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, AS THE SPIRIT GAVE THEM ABILITY.

BEING PENTECOST, AND THUS, AN OFFICIAL JEWISH HOLY DAY, THERE WERE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF JEWS IN THE CITY OF JERUSALEM, AT THE TEMPLE, FOR THE CELEBRATION OF PENTECOST.

JEWS FROM ALL OVER THE KNOWN WORLD, AND WITHOUT RECITING ALL OF THOSE NAMES AND PLACES I READ OF EARLIER IN OUR PASSAGE FOR THIS MORNING, SUFFICE IT TO SAY, THEY WERE FROM ALL OVER, AND ALL OF THEM SPEAKING DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

EACH OF THEM, NOW, HEARING THESE GALILEAN FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST SPEAKING IN HIS OR HER OWN LANGUAGE;

ONE SPEAKING PARTHIAN, ANOTHER LATIN, AND TWO MORE CURLING THEIR TONGUES AROUND THE EXOTIC SOUNDS OF EGYPTIAN AND ARABIC.

ALL OF THEM, AMAZED AND PERPLEXED, BUT NONETHELESS, HEARING THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IN THEIR OWN NATIVE TONGUE.

THE HOLY SPIRIT TURNED OUT TO BE A GOOGLE TRANSLATOR, WHOM EVERYONE PRESENT COULD UNDERSTAND.

AND STILL IT BAFFLED THEM ALL, THE SPEAKERS AND THE LISTENERS.

THEY WERE IN THE GRIPS OF SOMETHING THAT DEFIED DESCRIPTION, THOUGH SOME PASSED IT OFF AS ALL OF THEM SIMPLY BEING DRUNK, THOUGH IT WAS MUCH TOO EARLY IN THE MORNING FOR SUCH TOM FOOLERY.

THEN PETER GOT UP AND PREACHED A SERMON FOR THE AGES; BASED UPON THE WORDS OF THE HEBREW PROPHET JOEL:

“IN THE LAST DAYS, I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UPON ALL FLESH, AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN WILL DREAM DREAMS.”

THAT – IS WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, PETER TELLS THEM.

THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD IS BEING POURED OUT UPON THEM AND THIS IS HOW IT LOOKS:

WIND LIKE THE WIND THAT REVIVED THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES, AND FIRE LIKE THE FIRE THAT LED ISRAEL THROUGH THE DESERT, AND TONGUES LIKE THE TONGUES THAT ERUPTED IN BABEL.

ONLY, THIS TIME, WHAT SOUNDS LIKE BABBLE IS INTELLIGENT SPEECH – AND BETTER YET, IS GOSPEL, GOOD NEWS, AND EVERYONE PRESENT UNDERSTANDS IT.

ACCORDING TO ACTS, THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE BAPTIZED THAT DAY.  IT WAS A MIRACLE!  IT WAS A NEW BIRTH FOR 3000 SOULS, AND THE BIRTHDAY OF THE CHURCH.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT UPPER ROOM IN JERUSALEM, SPILLED OUT INTO THE STREETS OF THE CITY, AND SPREAD FROM JERUSALEM TO ATHENS TO ROME TO ALEXANDRIA.

IT SPREAD ACROSS NATIONS, ACROSS CENTURIES, ACROSS CULTURES.

BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT ROOM, PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SPEAK A WORD OF HEBREW HAVE COME TO BELIEVE IN THE HEBREW LORD, WHO IS WORSHIPPED TODAY IN EVERY LANGUAGE ON EARTH.

IT HAPPENED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF IN AT LEAST TWO WAYS.

FIRST, THERE IS THE SPIRIT THAT IS THE ABIDING PRESENCE OF GOD IN CHRIST, WITH ALL THE SAFETY AND COMFORT THAT RELATIONSHIP PROMISES.

THIS IS THE SPIRIT MOST OF US KNOW AND LOVE – THE SPIRIT OF PEACE AND CONCORD – THAT SMOOTHS OUR RUFFLED FEATHERS AND REVIVES OUR SOULS AND IS WITH US ALWAYS.

BUT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY THE SPIRIT ACTS – LIKE IT DID AT BABEL – LIKE IT DID ON PENTECOST – THAT IS NOT NEARLY SO COMFORTING.

IT IS THE SPRIT THAT BLOWS IN, FLIPPIN’ A TABLE IN THE TEMPLE; LIKE THE RUSH OF A MIGHTY WIND; THE WHIRLWIND IN JOB; THE BLOWING BREATH OF GOD REANIMATING THE DRY BONES IN EZEKIEL’S VALLEY.

IT IS A SPIRIT THAT’LL SET YOUR HAIR ON FIRE, AND YOUR TONGUE TO WAGGING WITH TALES OF THE GOSPEL; OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE, IS DOING IN YOUR LIFE.

IT IS THE WIND AND FIRE OF THE LORD THAT’LL STIR UP THE STATUS QUO, BLOW DOWN THE WALLS OF OPPOSITION, IN-SPIRIT THE HEARTS OF HUMANITY, AND IGNITE THE FIRES OF IMPASSIONED JUSTICE.

“ONLY A FOOL WOULD PRAY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT,” SAYS ALAN JONES, DEAN OF THE EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL IN SAN FRANCISCO.

“ONLY FOOLS FOR CHRIST DO,” HE GOES ON, SUGGESTING THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS MOST PRESENT AT THREE OPEN SPACES IN OUR LIVES:

IN THE UNPREDICTABLE; IN THE PLACE OF RISK; AND IN THOSE AREAS OVER WHICH WE HAVE NO CONTROL.”

WHICH, OF COURSE, IS WHERE THE DISCIPLES WERE ON THAT PENTECOST MORNING.

AND WHERE WE ARE, MORE OFTEN THAN WE WOULD LIKE TO ADMIT – NOT ONLY AS INDIVIDUALS, BUT AS THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST, BORN SOME 2000 YEARS AGO NOW.

IT’S NO CRIME FOR US TO PRAY FOR THE GENTLE SPIRIT AT SUCH TIMES – TO ASK GOD TO RESTORE PREDICTABILITY, TO REMOVE US FROM RISK, TO GIVE US BACK THE COMFORTABLE ILLUSION THAT WE ARE IN CONTROL.

BUT PENTECOST ALSO REMINDS US THAT THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE TO GOD’S SPIRIT – ONE THAT CAN SET US ON FIRE, TRANSFORM OUR LIVES, TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN.

IT IS NOT PREDICTABLE.  IT’S VERY RISKY, AND ABSOLUTELY BEYOND OUR CONTROL; IF IT IS FOOLS FOR CHRIST, WE SEEK TO BE.

IT IS THIS SPIRIT THAT EMPOWERS THIS CONGREGATION.

IT IS THIS SPIRIT THAT ENLIGHTENS, ENCOURAGES, ENABLES, AND ENNOBLES US AS INDIVIDUAL BELIEVERS TO LIVE OUT OUR FAITH IN THE WORLD;

TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL IN OUR LANGUAGE OF CHOICE;

AND HELPS US BLESS OTHERS.

IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT ENCOURAGES US TO BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY THE WORD OF GOD THROUGHOUT THE EARTH;

FILLING THE WORLD WITH GOD’S LOVE AND GOODNESS.

IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT BY WHICH WE MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES, AND THAT NAME IS CHRISTIAN.

IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT BY WHICH WE ARE ABLE TO LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING OF THE GOODNESS AND GLORY OF GOD.

OTHERS MAY SNEER, AND SAY WE ARE “FILLED WITH NEW WINE” AND THEY AREN’T FAR OFF – IT’S JUST A DIFFERENT SORT OF SPIRIT, WITH WHICH WE ARE DRUNK.