The Lord came down

Genesis 11:5

And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

In Genesis 11, we see all the peoples of the earth moving together as a unit from place to place, journeying and traversing together the great lands of the East. They worked together to accomplish whatever they imagined in their hearts to do. In this passage, we see that they got it in their minds and heart to build a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven. This likely did not mean that they were attempting to reach God, but rather they intended to reach the upward parts of the atmosphere. They intended to build into the clouds of the sky. And why did they desire this? They desired to make themselves a name. They were afraid that sooner or later they would be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth, so they banded together, as a company or corporation would, and decided to give themselves a name. They intended to be an indestructible force, a cohesive army that would be unstoppable, and could effect any feat that came into their minds.

But the Lord knew their pride—that they wanted to make themselves a name. And this is the general desire of most of mankind. That they will make themselves a name! That they will have fame and honor! That they will be recognized! Respected! Successful! But these were only prideful motives. The Lord God knew that this cohesiveness would only be used for evil, for the thoughts of man’s heart are only evil continually. Without the transforming power of God in a person’s life, there is very little desire for anything good. Everything is prideful, selfish, sinful. Therefore, the Lord had to stop this work, and went down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. The Lord immediately knew that this effort was not one of goodness or nobility, and must be confounded. He then confounded their language, that they could not understand one another’s speech. He prevented them from accomplishing what they had imagined to do. He intervened! He came down! And we must thank the Lord for His interventions and His interpositions. Sometimes, He leaves mankind to themselves and allows them to fulfill certain purposes, but many times He does intervene. He stops some things that will only bring about evil. He sometimes stops things that are done for the wrong motives. Many times, He will protect us from ourselves! He will keep us from a novel idea that is actually ignoble! He comes down!

This morning, beloved, may I encourage you? Will you thank Him for the times in which He came down? Will you thank Him for the times He intervened and did not allow you to take a pathway of destruction and chaos. But instead, He stepped in to prevent the destruction. I will pose to you this day, that there are many unseen and unknown works of God, wherein He has stepped in and saved us from ourselves. For eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard. His ways are unsearchable, yea, and past finding out! Maybe the very thing that was your greatest trial, that confounded you, that confused your understanding and dumbfounded your reasoning, was the very interposition of Almighty God! How can we know? Is it not beyond us? Dear friends, let us thank the Lord that He does not just view from a distance; but time and again, He has entered the situation and has saved us, or redirected us, or corrected our path. Thank you, Lord, that you still come down!

“Father, we confess freely that we do not know or understand how you work in the lives of the children of men. But we know that you work. You have been doing so throughout the entire Bible, beginning with Adam and Eve, all the way through the prophets, and the apostles, and most of all, through the sending of your precious Son to be the Redeemer and Savior of this sin-cursed world. And we thank you, Father, that you have not left us alone, as orphans, begging in the street, trying to find our way. But you have, on many occasions, stepped in, helped, guided, and corrected for our good and for your glory. Come down now and guide us. Protect us this day from ourselves, and any sinful tendencies, and lead us into your perfect will—that we may not accomplish what is in our heart to do, but that we may accomplish what is in your heart to do. Help us this day! We ask these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.”