David Bahn – Reflections

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These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Job 23-25; Psalm 21.

Job 23:8-17

“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there,
    and backward, but I do not perceive him;
⁹ on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;
    he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.
¹⁰ But he knows the way that I take;
    when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.
¹¹ My foot has held fast to his steps;
    I have kept his way and have not turned aside.
¹² I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
    I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
¹³ But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back?
    What he desires, that he does.
¹⁴ For he will complete what he appoints for me,
    and many such things are in his mind.
¹⁵ Therefore I am terrified at his presence;
    when I consider, I am in dread of him.
¹⁶ God has made my heart faint;
    the Almighty has terrified me;
¹⁷ yet I am not silenced because of the darkness,
    nor because thick darkness covers my face.

It’s obvious that Job was not feeling a sense of God’s presence and grace. He felt hemmed in as he laments, “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; ⁹ on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.”

As I read how Job looked left and right or moved backward or forward in search of God’s favor, I was reminded of this blessing:

May the Lord go before you to guide you.
May he go beside you to comfort you.
May he go behind you to protect you.
May he go beneath you to sustain you.
May he go above you to watch over you.
May he go within you to give you peace.

And may the blessing of almighty God —
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit —
be with you and remain with you always.
Amen.

What a beautiful benediction! Job will one day see the faithfulness of God in this manner again. But for now he is being tested and refined. Yet, I see a glimmer of hope and faith when he says, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.”

I’m reminded of Peter’s words to suffering believers: “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)

We can lament our suffering without abandoning our faith in God. The key is to hold to God’s faithfulness and remember the ultimate joy that we will experience in the Life of the World to Come. We will glory in God’s grace (cf. Ephesians 1:6), because of its breadth and our deepening realization of our desperate need for it, fully revealed when Jesus returns.

As we wait for that ultimate deliverance, we can seek God’s abiding blessing surrounding every aspect of our being and doing.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Job 20-22; Psalm 20.

Psalm 20

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
    May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
² May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and give you support from Zion!
³ May he remember all your offerings
    and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

⁴ May he grant you your heart’s desire
    and fulfill all your plans!
⁵ May we shout for joy over your salvation,
    and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

⁶ Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with the saving might of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They collapse and fall,
    but we rise and stand upright.

⁹ O Lord, save the king!
    May he answer us when we call.

In Job 20–22 we see these convictions collide. Zophar insists that the prosperity of the wicked is always temporary and that suffering inevitably exposes hidden sin. Job counters that lived experience contradicts this claim: many wicked people flourish and die in peace, showing that suffering cannot be explained by simple moral formulas. Eliphaz responds by moving from implication to accusation, defending God’s transcendence while turning repentance into a means of restoring material blessing. The conversations are combative and ultimately self-defeating.

Psalm 20 then offers a striking counterpoint. While it affirms that the wicked collapse and fall and that the righteous stand firm (v. 8), it does not defend God’s predictability in the way Job’s friends do. Instead, the psalm points to God’s justice. It calls us to trust that justice even when outcomes are unclear and suffering seems undeserved.

This is the tension Job lives in. Whether or not he fully trusts God’s justice, he never disengages from God himself. His anger and accusations presume that God is there and that God is just – otherwise his protest would make no sense. Job’s struggle is not unbelief, but faith under strain.

There is only One who entrusts himself perfectly to God’s justice in the face of profound injustice. Jesus knew how to lament and how to expose empty piety. And at the moment of his deepest suffering, he placed himself wholly in his Father’s care: “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”

It is easy to fall into the pattern of Job’s friends – accusing, correcting, and pontificating. It is also easy to become defensive and self-righteous like Job, even charging God with injustice. But Jesus is not merely an example to imitate. He is God’s Son and our savior, the one who bears injustice for us and entrusts us, even in suffering, into the hands of a just and faithful God.

Job was honest with God. He remained engaged with God. He will be vindicated, but not by his own righteousness, but by God’s grace.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Job 17-19; Psalm 19.

Job 19:23-29

“Oh that my words were written!
    Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
²⁴ Oh that with an iron pen and lead
    they were engraved in the rock forever!
²⁵ For I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
²⁶ And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    yet in my flesh I shall see God,
²⁷ whom I shall see for myself,
    and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
    My heart faints within me!
²⁸ If you say, ‘How we will pursue him!’
    and, ‘The root of the matter is found in him,’
²⁹ be afraid of the sword,
    for wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
    that you may know there is a judgment.”

It is not at all clear that Job had any sense of how far-reaching or prophetic his words would be when he cried out, “Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!” These words emerge not from quiet reflection, but from the midst of intense verbal conflict. Three self-righteous friends launch repeated accusations against Job, who has become deeply defensive – at times even self-justifying. The friends take turns pressing their case. Job responds with sarcasm and counter-accusation. It is not a pretty scene on any level.

In that context, it seems unlikely that Job imagined his words would one day be read at funerals and graveside committal services, or sung by the Church as a hymn of resurrection hope: “I know that my Redeemer lives.” We rightly hear these words fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who lives triumphant over the grave. He lives, having conquered death – and Job will indeed see him, even after his body has returned to dust.

Yet the immediate spirit of Job’s words seem to be more courtroom appeal than calm confession. Job is fighting for vindication. He longs for a living witness who will stand for him when everyone else condemns him. And in that desperate plea, God gives words that reach far beyond Job’s moment – words that the Church hears, at last, fulfilled in Christ.

It might be that Job uttered these words in faith – believing that God would come to his aid and justify him before his three visitors. But the evidence is not strong to that idea. Nevertheless, man’s lack of faith does not thwart God’s redemptive work. And that’s good news. For faith does not cause God to bless us. Faith discovers the blessings of God and makes them our own.

As I re-read these words of Job, I wonder whether these are words of faith – albeit a desperate faith. He is at the end of his self. He has only God to appeal to – even though God has been silent for these many days. It’s as if he is surrendering. But we know the surrender is not complete. He and God will have a heart-to-heart talk and Job will discover just how desperate he really is. But he will also discover how good, gracious, merciful, and faithful God is. It comes at a price – not that of Job’s suffering, but at the price of the suffering and death of God’s Son, the Redeemer of the world, and our Savior.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Job 8-10; Psalm 16.

Psalm 16:5-11

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
    you hold my lot.
⁶ The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

⁷ I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.
⁸ I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
¹⁰ For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.

¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Job – at this point in the story – would have a difficult time speaking the words of Psalm 16. That is not only because of his suffering, but also because Job lived long before the psalms of David were written. He could not yet say, “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.” Those words would ring hollow in his ears.

Job is in dire straits. By God’s permission, he has lost his property, his children, and now even his health. The limits God has set for Satan still leave ample room for affliction. His wife urges him to curse God and die. His friends are convinced that he must have committed some great sin to deserve such calamity.

Psalm 16 stands in stark contrast to Job’s lament. David praises God for the blessings he is experiencing and acknowledges God’s goodness, faithfulness, and love at that moment in his life.

Most biblical scholars believe this psalm was written early in David’s life – when he was vulnerable and dependent, not yet secure in power, and consciously choosing trust in the Lord over alternative forms of protection.

David says, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup… The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” (vv. 5–6). This is striking because David has no land, no throne, and no inheritance – except God’s promise. Yet he praises God in faith.

David will one day face great trouble. He will fall into grave sin. The lines will not always fall for him in pleasant places. In that way, he is like Job. And like Job, David will at times rail against God. But God remains the center of their lives. Neither of them defines his “portion” apart from the Lord.

Job could not yet say the words of Psalm 16. David could say them – but only for a season. Ultimately, those words belong fully to one man alone: Jesus Christ. Only he could say without qualification that the lines fell for him according to the Father’s will. Only he could trust the Lord as his portion all the way through suffering, death, and the grave. And because he was not abandoned to the tomb, we now learn to speak words of trust – sometimes through tears – knowing that our lines, however painful they may seem now, are held in the hands of a faithful God.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Job 5-7; Psalm 15.

Job 5:8-16

“As for me, I would seek God,
    and to God would I commit my cause,
⁹ who does great things and unsearchable,
    marvelous things without number:
¹⁰ he gives rain on the earth
    and sends waters on the fields;
¹¹ he sets on high those who are lowly,
    and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
¹² He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
    so that their hands achieve no success.
¹³ He catches the wise in their own craftiness,
    and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
¹⁴ They meet with darkness in the daytime
    and grope at noonday as in the night.
¹⁵ But he saves the needy from the sword of their mouth
    and from the hand of the mighty.
¹⁶ So the poor have hope,
    and injustice shuts her mouth.

Job’s friends finally speak – after sitting in silence with him for 7 days. Job laments even being born, and Eliphaz answers Job. His message is simple, at least partly true, but will not help. As the dialogue continues between Job and his friends, it becomes more of an argument than a discussion. Job’s friends conclude that Job must have done something wrong, and that’s why Job is suffering so. Job maintains his innocence even though he is suffering. They are both wrong, although Job’s contention that he has done nothing wrong is closer to truth than his friends accusatory comments.

Eliphaz’ comments here are true. As he says, God gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields; he sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. In other words, God is good. He does good things. He thwarts the designs of the wicked. He hears our prayers and answers them.

There is a time to contend for the goodness of God. And Eliphaz believes this is the right moment. His and his friends comments rise out of a conviction that God governs the world by a moral principle of retribution: the righteous prosper, the wicked suffer. They presume that because Job is suffering he must have done something wrong.

We know from Job 1-2 that Job is righteous. His suffering is not punitive. God himself has declared Job blameless. Job’s friends speak many true things about God, but they speak them at the wrong time, in the wrong way, and to the wrong purpose. Their theology is correct in principle but cruel in application. They defend God by abandoning Job — and in doing so, they misrepresent them both.

The friends operate by law without gospel. They speak truth without grace. They offer explanation instead of promise. And we need all of these things: Law and Gospel; truth and grace; explanation and promise.

Those are hallmarks of the true Christian faith, and are perfectly found and embodies by our Lord Jesus, the Word made flesh full of grace and truth. Next time you have the opportunity to speak to someone who is hurting, don’t just say the true thing. Say the graciously-true things about God’s love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness. Those are true words rightly spoken.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Job 3-4; Psalm 14.

Job 3:1-2, 20-26

After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. ² And Job said:

²⁰ “Why is light given to him who is in misery,
    and life to the bitter in soul,
²¹ who long for death, but it comes not,
    and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
²² who rejoice exceedingly
    and are glad when they find the grave?
²³ Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
    whom God has hedged in?
²⁴ For my sighing comes instead of my bread,
    and my groanings are poured out like water.
²⁵ For the thing that I fear comes upon me,
    and what I dread befalls me.
²⁶ I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
    I have no rest, but trouble comes.”

Job is asking a question that my mother asked for the last 3 years of her life. She was not alone. Nor would she be alone today. As people age and find themselves isolated from family and see the deaths of friend after friend, they wonder, “Why doesn’t the Lord just take me? There is no purpose to my life. I have no reason to go on living.”

Their struggle is not apparently the same as Job’s. He had suffered great loss, and even more: he has been struck with terrible physical torment. He is in agony. He is experiencing great physical suffering. And with that physical suffering come great emotional and spiritual pains.

No wonder he is so despondent. No wonder he wishes he could just die. His wife has already said, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” He has only the comfort of his friends – who for seven day have just sat with him saying nothing. While I have often said that the best things Job’s friends said, they said during the first seven days, I do wonder whether their silence actually comforted Job.

When people are suffering, moralizing, trying to tell them that it isn’t that bad, or dismissing their pain is right out. But we can be with them in their suffering and there may come a time when we can speak a word of comfort to them.

Scripture consistently assures us that God sees the suffering of his people, hears their cries, and remembers their prayers — even when his answers come later than we hope or in ways we do not yet understand.

After we’ve listened to them, sought to understand their plight, we might offer a Bible verse such as Psalm 34:17, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” These and other Bible verses may speak to the suffering soul. And we can be sure that they need God’s truth more than easy answer we might offer.

Here’s a list of Bible verses for those who are suffering:

1. Psalm 34:18

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

God’s nearness is not abstract — he draws close precisely where hearts are breaking.

2. Exodus 3:7

“Then the Lord said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people… I have heard their cry… I know their sufferings.’”

3. Isaiah 43:2

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… When you walk through fire you shall not be burned.”

4. Psalm 56:8

“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?”

5. Matthew 11:28

Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

6. Romans 8:18

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

7. Revelation 21:4

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more…”

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Job 1-2; Psalm 13.

Job 1:1-12

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. ² There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. ³ He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. ⁴ His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷ The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ⁸ And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” ⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? ¹⁰ Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

I’ve quoted Martin Luther many times in regard to this section of Job, “The devil is always God’s devil.” Some people don’t like to think of such an apparent close relationship between God and the devil. And according to ChatGTP, Luther didn’t say those exact words. But it appears that in his Table Talks, Luther did say, “For, where God built a church, there the devil would also build a chapel… In such sort is the devil always God’s ape.” I like that, “God’s ape!”

Jesus said, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I have come that they may have life to the full.” (John 10:10) We see how Satan seeks to do just that right here in the opening words of Job. It’s good to remember that Satan is real and dangerous, but he is not autonomous. Satan operates only within limits God allows – see verse 12. God ultimately uses even the devil’s work to serve his purposes.

But that “ultimately” is an important and far-reaching word. In the case of Job it took some time for the ultimately to become clear. God had set a boundary for Satan’s influence in Job’s life. Although Satan’s influence in Job’s life was brutal, it lasted only for a time. And in the end we (who have already read the book) know that he will be fully restored – and more.

It’s hard to imagine God actually inciting Satan against Job. But that’s exactly what he did. Perhaps Job needed the lesson; and we’ll see how that is dealt with later in the book. He will learn his lesson (so too will his friends).

For us today, we need to remember the lesson of Job and James: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) As we face temptation from the world, our flesh, or the devil, we can rely on God’s word, the Holy Spirit, and God’s protection to help us resist. And when we fall, we can thank God that when we repent he will receive us graciously, forgive our sins, and point us back toward the cross and the abundant life Jesus came to bring.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Job 1-2; Psalm 13.

Job 1:1-12

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. ² There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. ³ He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. ⁴ His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷ The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ⁸ And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” ⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? ¹⁰ Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

I’ve quoted Martin Luther many times in regard to this section of Job, “The devil is always God’s devil.” Some people don’t like to think of such an apparent close relationship between God and the devil. And according to ChatGTP, Luther didn’t say those exact words. But it appears that in his Table Talks, Luther did say, “For, where God built a church, there the devil would also build a chapel… In such sort is the devil always God’s ape.” I like that, “God’s ape!”

Jesus said, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I have come that they may have life to the full.” (John 10:10) We see how Satan seeks to do just that right here in the opening words of Job. It’s good to remember that Satan is real and dangerous, but he is not autonomous. Satan operates only within limits God allows – see verse 12. God ultimately uses even the devil’s work to serve his purposes.

But that “ultimately” is an important and far-reaching word. In the case of Job it took some time for the ultimately to become clear. God had set a boundary for Satan’s influence in Job’s life. Although Satan’s influence in Job’s life was brutal, it lasted only for a time. And in the end we (who have already read the book) know that he will be fully restored – and more.

It’s hard to imagine God actually inciting Satan against Job. But that’s exactly what he did. Perhaps Job needed the lesson; and we’ll see how that is dealt with later in the book. He will learn his lesson (so too will his friends).

For us today, we need to remember the lesson of Job and James: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) As we face temptation from the world, our flesh, or the devil, we can rely on God’s word, the Holy Spirit, and God’s protection to help us resist. And when we fall, we can thank God that when we repent he will receive us graciously, forgive our sins, and point us back toward the cross and the abundant life Jesus came to bring.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Genesis 10-11; Psalm 12.

Genesis 11:1-9

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. ² And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. ³ And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” ⁵ And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. ⁶ And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” ⁸ So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. ⁹ Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Throughout the Bible: Babylon is a symbol of human pride, self-exaltation, rebellion against God, and oppressive worldly power. And Babylon is the location of the Tower of Babel.

The act of building a tower isn’t evil in itself. I’m thinking of the the KFVS TV tower in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Built in 1960 it was the tallest manmade structure in the world. It gave us Cape folks something to brag about. And it allowed the TV station to be viewed in six states. That lasted two years when a taller tower was built in Blanchard, North Dakota. Such fame is fleeting to be sure.

But there is a greater danger than losing the claim to have the tallest manmade structure in the world. The Tower of Babel was built to “reach the heavens.” The purpose was not to broadcast a TV signal. It was to make a name for themselves and to reach God – but not the true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – or Noah for that matter. The famous Etemenanki ziggurat in Babylon, for example, was dedicated to Marduk, Babylon’s chief god.

Genesis 11 is not criticizing architecture; it is critiquing false worship and human pride. And you don’t have to build a tower to celebrate either one. Pride can be far more subtle than a self-important strut, and false worship more nuanced than bowing before a carved image. It can take the form of quiet self-reliance, moral comparison, or the assumption that we stand before God on better footing than others.

At its core, the great pride of Babel is the belief that we can reach God on our own terms. Any confidence that rests in something other than God coming to us in Jesus Christ is a form of self-worship. And thinking we are somehow better before God than others is a temptation as old as Babel itself – and just as destructive.

Let us, instead, build towers of praise to God – giving thanks for his grace in coming to us. And let us humble ourselves before a very different tower: the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. He humbled himself for our sake and has the name above every name. Let his name be praised.