Hymns of the Church – Far Away in the Depths of my Spirit – 5 May 2015, Anno Domini

Anchor of peace

7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. 8 Yet the LORD will command his loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. 9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? 11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. (Psalms 42:7-11)

            This beautiful old hymn was selected by our church musician, Hanna Kwon, this past Sunday to my great blessing. It is one that my family used to sing when I was young and impressionable – and it did made a lasting impression on my soul. It is a hymn of deep and arresting spiritual meaning. It possesses an enduring quality for which the old Methodists are well known after the example of John and Charles Wesley. In fact, this hymn was composed – both lyrics and music, at a Methodist camp meeting at West Bend, Wisconsin, in 1889. The lyrics are those of Warren D. Cornell; and the music is the composition of W. George Cooper.

            Just as a man does not resemble the house in which he lives, neither is the soul depicted by the outward bodily form of its abode, the body. The true spirit and soul of man lies deep in the hidden chambers of the heart where no man’s eye can penetrate; but no secrets therein are hidden from the omniscient eyes of the Lord his God. Just as the early dawn of Creation was cloaked in thick darkness, so is the soul often disposed to consider this worldly creation as a wilderness of woe and darkness. The soul of the Christian eagerly awaits the rising of the Day Star at Resurrection Morning to end all darkness. The sentiments of the spirit are reverently expounded in this hymn.

Far Away in the Depths of my Spirit

Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight

Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;

In celestial strains it unceasingly falls

O’er my soul like an infinite calm.

Refrain

Peace, peace, wonderful peace,


Coming down from the Father above!


Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray


In fathomless billows of love!

What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,

Buried deep in the heart of my soul,

So secure that no power can mine it away,

While the years of eternity roll!

Refrain

I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace,

Resting sweetly in Jesus’ control;

For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day,

And His glory is flooding my soul!

Refrain

And I think when I rise to that city of peace,

Where the Anchor of peace I shall see,

That one strain of the song which the ransomed will sing

In that heavenly kingdom will be:

Refrain

Ah, soul! are you here without comfort and rest,

Marching down the rough pathway of time?

Make Jesus your Friend ere the shadows grow dark;

O accept of this peace so sublime!

Refrain

           

Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm; In celestial strains it unceasingly falls O’er my soul like an infinite calm. Those old sweet melodies that our mothers sang when we were young (in far away times) evoke sentiments of peace and love; and particularly those that appealed to biblical truth. When the mad world overwhelms the soul with its pretentions, hypocrisy, cruelty and carnal exertions, the Christian enjoys an uninterrupted peace in the very depths of his soul where such aggravations cannot intrude. When stormy billows of the soul arise, the Christian can settle into that sweet and celestial melody that God has placed in the heart of all who love Him. This thought is fully expressed in another old hymn, There’s within my Heart a Melody.” God does, indeed, put a beautiful melody in our hearts. No one can hear that melody but its owner. The melody drowns out the discordant strains of the world, and puts our hearts at peace with God and with ourselves in the same way that the gurgling could not be heard of the underground river at Shechem.

Refrain

Peace, peace, wonderful peace, Coming down from the Father above! Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray In fathomless billows of love!  That Peace God showers down upon us is not contingent on the circumstances of the world or our present environment. The peace of God transcends all else. We may find ourselves in the heat of desperate combat on a blood-soaked battlefield, but the peace of God may still rule in the heart of the Christian warrior – even if tied to a burning stake as were many of our Reformers. It is THAT kind of peace that comes over us in the midst of our most trying moments – just as the billows and breakers of a restless sea. That peace of God breaks over us and covers us with the waters of love and comfort even as all around seems a mass of confusion. Would you like an example?

Let us consider the life (and martyrdom) of one of the earliest Christian Reformers – John Huss – who advocated Solo Scriptura – Scripture Alone in Faith:

In November 1414, the Council of Constance assembled, and Huss was urged by Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund to come and give an account of his doctrine. Because he was promised safe conduct, and because of the importance of the council (which promised significant church reforms), Huss went. When he arrived, however, he was immediately arrested, and he remained imprisoned for months. Instead of a hearing, Huss was eventually hauled before authorities in chains and asked merely to recant his views.

When he saw he wasn’t to be given a forum for explaining his ideas, let alone a fair hearing, he finally said, “I appeal to Jesus Christ, the only judge who is almighty and completely just. In his hands I plead my cause, not on the basis of false witnesses and erring councils, but on truth and justice.” He was taken to his cell, where many pleaded with him to recant. On July 6, 1415, he was taken to the cathedral, dressed in his priestly garments, then stripped of them one by one. He refused one last chance to recant at the stake, where he prayed, “Lord Jesus, it is for thee that I patiently endure this cruel death. I pray thee to have mercy on my enemies.” He was heard reciting the Psalms as the flames engulfed him.  (Christian History)

The peace that came over the soul of John Huss was the kind of peace the world cannot offer. IT is the kind of peace described by the Apostle Paul to the Philippians:  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)

What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace, Buried deep in the heart of my soul, So secure that no power can mine it away, While the years of eternity roll! One point concerning the peace that God grants is this: It is not a temporary peace, but an ETERNAL one! Of course it is so, because the soul that knows Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior never dies. The world cannot get at the heart’s treasure chest to steal away or to mar that peace buried deep in the heart of the soul. Not only the years, but the decades, the centuries, and millennia roll by while this peace is not diminished even an iota – and even eternities of light-years roll by.

I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace, Resting sweetly in Jesus’ control; For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day, And His glory is flooding my soul!  The only means that we can enjoy that peace to its fullest is to insure that it is the Lord who is in control of our lives and not our own unholy wills. Jesus Christ is our Sabbath Rest. He is our all in all. As Paul says, once more: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.  (Acts 17:28) In moments of loneliness or despair, I have often resorted to hymn-singing and, suddenly, find my heart is rejoicing in that melody that God placed in my heart at His first Calling.

And I think when I rise to that city of peace, Where the Anchor of peace I shall see, That one strain of the song which the ransomed will sing In that heavenly kingdom will be: The author here makes reference to the refrain of this hymn expounded above. What is that Anchor of Peace?  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.  (Heb 6:19-20) The good man, Rev William Arnot, described 150 years ago, that way in which that Anchor holds a sailing vessel.  When the gale winds arise and the billows break against the broadsides of our ship, we drop anchor, furl the sails, and turn the bow, head-on, into the storm. The anchor holds and the ship endures. So does our souls when anchored to that Anchor of Peace and Hope which is Jesus Christ. The Anchor holds because it is set in that Great Rock of the Deep, Jesus Christ!

Ah, soul! are you here without comfort and rest, Marching down the rough pathway of time? Make Jesus your Friend ere the shadows grow dark; O accept of this peace so sublime! What a tragedy that the greater number of aged men and women of this world languish in sorrow and misery as the shadows of life lengthen and the darkness looms before them as a coming night of terror! They have not known the Lord as their Refuge, and go off to their “long homes” in fear and trembling of that which awaits them beyond the grave. Even the midnight hour is better than no time at all to accept the call of Jesus as Lord and Savior. But how much more efficacious for the soul to respond to His call early in life while seed time and harvest remain. The Psalmist gets it right: O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.  (Psalms 63:1-2)

Early is better, but late is better than never at all.

Sermon Notes - Fourth Sunday after Easter - 3 May 2015, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

- From Atlanta, Georgia

The entire AOC Sunday Report is RIGHT HERE!

The Fourth Sunday after Easter.

The Collect.

O

 ALMIGHTY God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; Grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (John 16:5-15)

But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? The Lord had told them often that He must leave them. The reaction of the disciples had been one of casual inquiry as to where He would go, but never a serious, heartfelt persistence in learning the answer (John 13:36 & 14:5). A casual inquiry into the Will of God in prayer will generally lead to no prompt response to that prayer. The Lord would have us make our petitions in earnest and serious persistence. The manner in which we pray will determine the manner in which we receive an answer. While Christ was with the disciples, the full brunt of hate would be directed towards Him. When He would depart, that hatred would descend upon His disciples – and upon us!

But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Why the immoderate grief at the loss of a loved one by Christian people? If we know and believe that our loved ones ascend to the Strong Embrace of our Loving Lord, why the grief? We place too great an affection upon this present world and on all of it which we enjoy. The grief may more appropriately result from our own lot in remaining behind and missing the present company of our loved one. It is likely that the disciples, at this point, had believed only with a superficial understanding what Christ had meant about His returning to the Father. Rather than looking to the glorious resurrection and ascension, their foresight ended, where it had always ended in this mortal life, at the Tomb!

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Christ came to us in human form. A human body lacks the versatility of movement that a spirit possesses – that is, to be at all places at once. It was expedient that Christ fulfill all of the requirements of the law for our redemption, and to return to the Father so that the compassionate and loving Holy Spirit would come to us! We have already observed how faithless the disciples were when physically parted from Christ – the disciples on the stormy seas, the men on the road to Emmaus, and Peter the night preceding the crucifixion! The Holy Spirit (or Comforter) would ALWAYS be with them and strengthen in the hour of trial and weakness. I need not remind you of the amazing courage and faith demonstrated by these same disciples once the Holy Spirit descended. Do we have that courage and conviction today? Do we, perchance, offend the Holy Spirit? Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, Christ is with us forever in our Emmaus walks.

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. A profoundly meaningful discourse here. Christ describes herein the ministry of the Holy Spirit in His operation toward the individual as well as the larger masses, the believer as well as the unbeliever. Not only will the Holy Spirit reveal righteousness to the Christian believer, but He will also CONVICT of sin the unbeliever and remove all doubt or excuse from His lips at the Judgment. He will accomplish this conviction through the power of the Word, for it is a two edged sword either to convince, or condemn! Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. That seals up the whole! Satan has already been judged and his fate sealed!

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. It is likely that Christ has much more to say to each of us in due course, but we cannot receive it at once. Just as the disciples could not believe that Christ would raise Lazarus, or rise again on the third day, Himself, as prophesied prior to the crucifixion, we, likewise, cannot be mature enough at all points of our walk with God to have all things suddenly revealed to our unprepared ears. The knowledge of God requires consuming the Bread and Water of Heaven to build strong spiritual bones and muscles. Such bones and muscles do not appear overnight. “Line upon line, precept upon precept!”

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. I do love this passage! How shall He reveal that which is written about Christ if we have not yet taken the trouble to read and study the Word? He is our Guide, but we, too, must at least walk and follow. The Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself! In many churches today, we hear that they are a Holy Spirit Church. When such a claim is made, we can be sure that they are NOT a Holy Spirit Church for He will not speak of His own, but point, invariably, to Christ! He shall show us precious treasures and beauties from the Word concerning Christ alone! All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. The Holy Spirit will teach us ALL of Christ! And not only of Christ, the Son, but the Father as well, for They are ONE with the Spirit! The Church belongs to Christ for He purchased it with His own blood. So our Church is a Christian Church if we heed these truths, AMEN!

Devotion on Firsts of the Bible - First Man called of Israel, 2 May 2015, Anno Domini

  

… Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee.…

1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Gen 12:1-3)

            Archaeologists have unearthed evidence at Ur of the Chaldees of the most ancient civilization of the known world. This was the home of the Patriarch called out to be the means by which God would bring forth the Seed of Promise. There was nothing written in Scripture to distinguish Abram either as a great leader, or a particularly righteous man – but the ways of God are beyond finding out by man. He rules in the capacity of His predestined plan and purpose. 

            For just a moment, let us pretend we are Abram, busily going about our business in Ur of the Chaldees. The only worship we have known from childhood has been that of idol worship. From the cloudless sky, so common in that part of the world, there sudden burst forth a Voice from somewhere high above and far away from this dirty little town: Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. This is not wooden or stone idol! This is a Voice of the Almighty. What are the precise instructions given? The Voice of the Lord, as readily recognized by Abram as did Saul on the Road to Damascus as belonging to the true Lord of all, told Abram to leave his home, and all of his kindred, and go someplace that the Lord would show him – no further details about the destination! What would you do?

            The Counsel of God is always accompanied by rewards for obedience. Those today who live a life that is honoring to the Lord enjoy better health, greater joy, and have more of their needs met, than all of the godless of society who hustle and cut corners to get advantage over others, or who lie in gutters of sin night after night. The reward offered to Abram is even greater than his mind could have comprehended. It meant, ultimately, that he would be recipient of that same favor and satisfaction that all are beneficiaries of in the Kingdom of God. But in more immediate sense, it meant that God would call His people from among the descendants of Abram (later Abraham). Note: I said from AMONG, for all who are the fleshly offspring of Abraham are not necessarily the children of God. They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. (Romans 9:8) This means that the same faith in that Promised Seed to which Abraham looked forward in obedience is the same to which we look back upon in the works of Redemption done on our behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:29)

            So how did father Abram respond to that call of God? He responded in the same way that we most often respond to God’s Counsel – with less than total obedience.

1.     So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him. (Gen 12:4a)

a.     Commendable, so far. There is no delay, but IMMEDIATE obedience. But wait!

2.     . . . . and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. (Gen 12:4b-5)

Is THIS in exact obedience to what God had commanded? Did God not say, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house?” That little detail about leaving behind his kindred resulted in many a grief and hindrance to Abraham in later trials. He was delayed at Haran until after his aging father passed away, and he was engaged in war against the enemies of Lot, rescuing them in the process. Later, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah in which Lot had set up residence. If we overlook the detail of God’s Word, it will only result in heartache and spiritual setback later.

            Need I mention the dangers that developed for Abraham on two separate occasions due to having his beautiful wife, Sarah, along? Here is what Abraham (Abram) took with him from Haran: 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. (Gen 12:5) Seems like quite a lot of kindred to me, does it to you?  I can almost hear you second-guessing God on this one, but read the counsel of Jesus in St. Matthew’s Gospel:  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (Matt 19:29) This does not mean to literally abandon one’s familial responsibilities, but it does mean places the Word of God above every other affection. When we are called to serve the Lord, the first question that comes to mind should be “What has the Lord commanded” not “How will this affect my family!”

            I am not putting the faithful Abraham down to scorn! He has already demonstrated greater faith than most by his immediate obedience to God’s command to leave Ur of the Chaldees and go to a destination of which he knows not. I simply point out the chinks in the armor of a great man of God. If Abraham was subject to such weaknesses, where do you believe you and I stand in our own obedience to God?

            And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. (Gen 12:7) No idol god had ever made a miraculous appearance to Abram, but the Lord is the only true God, and He makes more than one appearance to Abram. When Abram has finally arrived on Canaan’s land, he built and altar to the Lord just as had Noah when he departed on dry land from the Ark. Abram moves on to near Bethel and builds yet another altar, and there calls upon the name of the Lord. He has arrived at the land in which God has promised to bless him and give him an inheritance, yet, Abram does not stay put. There is a famine in that land. Instead of toughing it out where God has planted him, Abram continues moving south into Egypt – far away from the land in which God has sent him to dwell. When we add our will to that of the Lord, trouble will surely ensue, and it does now for Abram.

            Abram fails to tell the whole truth in Egypt.  10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. 11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. 13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. (Gen 12:10-13)

            The sordid results are all recorded in the following text of this chapter. Sarai does fall victim to Pharaoh’s amorous intentions. Pharaoh decides to take Sarai to wife, but the Lord sends boils and discomfort upon his house. Even Pharaoh knows this is from God. So he releases Sarai and rebukes Abram for lying to him. He sends them out of the land of Egypt with ample provision for their sustenance.

            These and many more painful experiences happen to Abram because he didn’t take very detailed notes of what God had said to him. Do you suppose God was shocked that Abram was slow to obey the letter of His Word to him? I do not believe God is ever shocked at any behavior of His people. He allows the dirty laundry to be displayed along with the robes of silk so that we may learn lessons concerning our own hearts and the weak defenses of its walls against temptations of every kind.

            The Word of God is a mirror to our souls. We see our own failures and weakness in men such as David, in Jacob, in Absalom, in the Woman taken in Adultery, and in the Woman at the Well. If we do not see our sinful natures reflected there, we are in the company of the Pharisees who considered themselves too moral to learn a lesson from a supposed Carpenter’s Son.

            Lessons that we may take to heart on the calling of Abram include:

1.     We must promptly obey the call of God;

2.     We must leave off our old idols of gold and silver to follow the only true God;

3.     We must place God’s command above every other consideration of family and domicile;

4.     We must go where the Lord tells us to go, and we must STOP where the Lord commands us to stop;

5.    We must never add our wills to that of the Lord. His will must become our own.

Devotion on Firsts of the Bible - First Tongues Movement, 1 May 2015, Anno Domini

… let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name.…

1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech  2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. (Gen 11:1-4)

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (1 Cor 14:33)

            For some nonsensical reason, man has always coveted the powers of Heaven.  He resents a sovereign God and who will exercise sovereignty over all who sin and are disobedient to the Law of Love. We see churches have grown up today that envy power more than they love the arbiter of power, God. They desire to appropriate that power of God to themselves and expect it to respond to their every whim and misguided prayer. These are the charismatics of our day. Many such churches teach that God has no volition to act without the utterance of their tongues preceding His action, and empowering it. They claim that the power of their fleshly tongues can make demands upon Heaven that cannot be denied. This movement has its roots in Arminianism. Arminiansim, perhaps unintentionally, places the will of man (unabated ‘free will’) on a par with that will of God that cannot be denied. Often, it attempts to place that free will above God’s power to nullify. We sometimes refer to this as the “name it, and claim it” false gospel of the gold-digger evangelists.

            We might be surprised to learn that there is a precedent for this false faith found in the Book of Genesis. That subject will be the focus of today’s devotion.

            After the Flood of Noah, men began to multiply upon the earth. This fact pretty much disavows any considerations of so-called “gay marriage.” The population quickly expanded to perhaps hundreds of thousands, or even millions. This can easily be calculated as a mathematical progression. See how the twelve sons of Jacob multiplied, in only 400 years, to more than six million.

            The people of that day were puffed up in pride. They lived in a post-Flood world and felt themselves exempt from destruction since God had promised not to destroy the world by flood waters again. They paid no account to the fact that God surrendered no sovereignty after the flood. He still rules in the Universe of His making, and especially in the mortal lives of men. Desiring to be, as did Lucifer, on a par with God Almighty, these men and women decided to build a tower that would reach all the way to Heaven. Remember the words of the fallen angel (Lucifer):  12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isaiah 14:12-14) Interestingly, Isaiah issued this polemic against the King of Babylon. Babylon is the site for the construction of that Tower of Babel to which today’s lesson makes application.

            The post-Flood civilization had much to be in comfort about: they were all together, and they were all of one language. It was the first example, and a pitiful one at that, of the political desire of the ages – One World Government. Pride always precedes an act of willful sin, and the hearts of these people were filled with Pride. You may recall that the Lord hates Pride – the sin of which Satan’s heart was filled in abundance. God has given us seven abominable sins that He hates. Guess which of these is listed first?

1.     A proud look,

2.     a lying tongue,

3.     hands that shed innocent blood, (woe to abortionists)

4.     An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,

5.     feet that be swift in running to mischief,

6.     A false witness that speaketh lies,

7.     he that soweth discord among brethren.  (Prov 6:17-19)

            The people made plans totally separate and apart from any reliance on the counsel of God. They were too good to make such appeal. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. (Gen 11:4) They liked the big nest they had created, and wanted to take measures to prevent God, or anyone else, from breaking up their little gaggle. We see this demeaning nature, too, in many modern churches. They build magnificent structures and make plans for growth totally separate from what God has counseled. How many widows and orphans do such churches assist; and how many lands do their missionaries labor and languish in?

            But God is not oblivious to the rebellious will of man. He knows not only the outward behavior, but the inward, sinful desires of the hearts of all men. 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (Gen 11:5-6) This is a manner of speaking in Old Testament times. I hope the reader will not believe that God cannot know from the distance of Heaven what sins rule in the hearts of men on earth.

            The name of the Tower which that rebellious civilization began, but did not finish, is named BABEL. Since it is located on the site of ancient Babylon, the later city of Babylon which was built on the ruins of Babel, took its name from it. Scripturally, Babylon has become the symbol of that desire for ungodly One-World Government that motivated the people of Babel. It is still extant in the minds of sinful rulers today. God toppled the League of Nations. He will topple every unregenerate effort of men to construct their tall towers of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, Global Banks, and the European Union. These are all vestiges emanating from that first attempt at Babel (Babylon) to mar the works of God:

 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.  (Rev 14:6-8) 9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.  (Rev 18:9-10)

            There was, at the beginning of the New Testament Church, a miraculous work of God that could only be accredited as a miracle. While men were gathered in Jerusalem from all of the known world, and whose language was a diverse as the countries from which they came, the Apostles (at Pentecost) spoke in a tongue that every man, regardless of his native language, understood perfectly. If that is not a convincing miracle, I do not know the definition of a miracle!  1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?” (Acts 2:1-8)

            Well, God is about to work another miracle to foil the failing plans of the tower-builders of Babel:  7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.  (Gen 11:7-9) These men of one language became a hodge-podge of different languages and speech. They became, as some modern worship scenes suggests, Babel-ling fools. God never speaks in uncertain tones. He is direct, clear, and without equivocation in His Holy Word. When will men understand that! Utterances not understood are not of God!

            Not able to understand one another, this monolithic civilization splintered into the known nations of the world. The glue of human WILL-power could not withstand the power of God to divide sinner from sinner. That miracle that God used from the beginning to make His Church One with Him (at Pentecost) is a two-edged sword to divide and scatter those who would be God. But our Church today still speaks the same language, though in different dialects, from Scripture. We repeat the same Lord’s Prayer, recite the same Apostles Creed, and worship the same Triune God Sunday after Sunday – and there will be heard no BABEL-LING! AMEN.