United, We Stand; Divided, We Fall.
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.
As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly."
. . . Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the people were building.
The LORD said, "If as one people, speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. Genesis 11:1-8
As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly."
. . . Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the people were building.
The LORD said, "If as one people, speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. Genesis 11:1-8
This is, perhaps, one of the most powerful stories of unity in the Bible. Unity is an ideal that is talked about a lot but which, unfortunately, does not seem to be practiced as much in reality. The statement God the Father made in the narrative above is profoundly powerful! Take some time to meditate over the words:"If as one people, speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them."
God was underscoring the incredible power of unity. He was making it clear that a united group of people with one purpose is simply unstoppable! Nothing is impossible where there is unity! The only way God could stop them from further "evil" united exploits was to create disunity in their ranks by sowing confusion in their language to prevent them from understanding each other.
In His prayers for us in John 17, Jesus prayed repeatedly for unity:
"Holy Father, protect them by the power of your Name . . . so that they may be one as we are one." (v11);
"that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you." (v21).
"I have given them the glory you gave me, that they may be one as we are one . . ." (v22).
"I in them and You in Me -- so that they may be brought to complete unity." (v23).
Question: Why did Jesus pray so extensively about unity within His body of followers?
We see the answer in Matthew 12:25, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." In other words, "United we stand; Divided we fall." Unity makes all things possible but disunity ensures nothing but ruin.
So where do you stand on the issue of unity? Do you have unity in your home? In your marriage? In your family? With your children? In your Church? At your place of employment? In your business? In the relationships around you? United, we stand; Divided we fall.
God was underscoring the incredible power of unity. He was making it clear that a united group of people with one purpose is simply unstoppable! Nothing is impossible where there is unity! The only way God could stop them from further "evil" united exploits was to create disunity in their ranks by sowing confusion in their language to prevent them from understanding each other.
In His prayers for us in John 17, Jesus prayed repeatedly for unity:
"Holy Father, protect them by the power of your Name . . . so that they may be one as we are one." (v11);
"that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you." (v21).
"I have given them the glory you gave me, that they may be one as we are one . . ." (v22).
"I in them and You in Me -- so that they may be brought to complete unity." (v23).
Question: Why did Jesus pray so extensively about unity within His body of followers?
We see the answer in Matthew 12:25, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." In other words, "United we stand; Divided we fall." Unity makes all things possible but disunity ensures nothing but ruin.
So where do you stand on the issue of unity? Do you have unity in your home? In your marriage? In your family? With your children? In your Church? At your place of employment? In your business? In the relationships around you? United, we stand; Divided we fall.
Prayer: Father, please help me to be an instrument of unity and not disunity. Amen.