I used to believe the traditional interpretation of “a tower that reaches to the heavens;” that is, the people were taking advantage of their unity to compete with the Lord. They planned to build a structure that would literally reach the habitation of God. Their intention was to co-exist with Him. To avoid that possibility, the Lord was forced to confuse their language to protect His realm from human invasion. 

“…so that we may make a name for ourselves…” (Genesis 11.4). 

Did Cain know where his brother was? Maybe not. To allow himself such knowledge would have meant taking responsibility for his brother’s condition. The answer to the question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4.9) depends entirely upon my choice of realities. If I  invent my own reality, as did Cain, then I may honestly reply, “I don’t know.” If I make it my business not to know where my brother is, how then can I be required to become his “keeper?” 

The LORD God knows all our best hiding spots. He created them. Adam and Eve could not hide from God. Neither can we. His question is purely rhetorical and posed for our benefit.

“Where are you?” (Genesis 3.9). 

This podcast is an overview of week 1 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Genesis 1 – 19; Matthew 1 – 5. 

In the Garden of Eden there were two noteworthy trees: “the tree of life… and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2.9). Of the first tree and its fruit, Adam and Eve were free to partake. “But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” they were commanded, “you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die” (Genesis 2.17). However, from that tree, the first man and woman did eat and were expelled from Eden. They robbed themselves of their own innocence with “the knowledge of good and evil,” and were forever banned from “the tree of life.”

In the “new Jerusalem” there will be no need for a church building. “The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb [Jesus] are its temple,” (Revelation 21.2, 22f).

There’ll be no playing church there.

Apparently Satan gets what he deserves in the end... chained up, “dumped... into the Abyss,” (Revelation 20.1-3) and locked up for a very, very long time. 

Until then I assume the devil will continue his dirty work, freely “roaming about on the earth” (Job 1.7) looking for folks to hurt and deceive. I must refuse to be his victim; that is, another casualty in the war of the flesh (Mark 14.38) or one of his pre-Armageddon body counts.

Christ's return to earth will be nothing like His first appearance. The first Christmas was gentle and quiet. Jesus will come again, this time with “a sharp sword” treading “the wine press of the fierce wrath of God.” The first Christmas occurred in an obscure location and witnessed by almost no one. 

No one will miss the second Advent. Alluding to the great apocalyptic writers, Daniel and Zechariah, John described the return of Christ as a dramatic event seen all around the world:

“Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him,” (Revelation 1.7 from Daniel 7.13; Zechariah 12.10-14).

What is your personal Babylon? Have you “drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality”? Of course you have...

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

“For all have sinned” and all “have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” Our “sins have piled up as high as heaven” and also stinks to high heaven. Like the tower of Babel, our misdeeds are a city of filth with “a tower whose top will reach into heaven” (Genesis 11.4). If it were not for the gracious intervention of a loving God who could have left us to our own devices, we might have succeeded. Thankfully, our mountainous pile of sins was destroyed before it reached the heavenn’s entrance, before it toppled us from the high places in our imaginations, flinging us permanently into the “dwelling place of demons.”

This podcast is an overview of week 52 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: Zephaniah 1 – 3; Haggai 1 – 2; Zechariah 1 – 14; Malachi 1 – 4; Revelation 18 – 22.