The community on the plains of Shinar that organized to build their own way to “the heavens” was a society organized around the rejection of God’s plan and purpose for their lives. Organizing is one of the key features of God’s people. The New Testament frequently speaks of the need for God’s people to be so well organized that they function like a body; each piece plays a significant part in the overall function of the organization or organism. The failure at Shinar was not about the organization; it was about the purpose of the organization. Its purpose was to defy God’s intended purpose of going forth and filling the whole earth. “Let’s make a name for ourselves,” they said. But God’s call on Abraham was that He would be the one to make Abram great. He would make from one man, Abram, a great nation! That nation consists of those who trust God – and according to Paul, it includes us through our faith in Christ. We, too, are heirs of Abraham.
The difference between Cain and Abel is starkly illustrated in Genesis 4:1. It says, “Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.” Cain, a ‘worker,’ and his descendants were focused on their worldly pursuits, producing implements and inventions and using advances in technology. In 4:17, Cain’s son Enoch was said to have built a city. The point isn’t that they shouldn’t have exercised their dominion over the physical world, God wanted them to do that, but again it’s a matter of motive. In the line of Cain, the focus is on finding significance and meaning in their work rather than in a loving, trusting relationship with their creator. We’ll find our own significance in the world in which we live! Yet, God created all mankind with a yearning for more than meets the eye. No one will find ultimate significance in the things of this world.
Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, spent much of his life searching for meaning and significance in the things of the world. He wanted to investigate and study every area in which things are done under heaven (Ecclesiastes 1:13). The words “to seek” and “to search” indicate the seriousness of his efforts. He wanted to master and understand life. In short he wanted to experience everything that could be experienced. His conclusion was that there is no meaning and purpose “under the sun.” Jesus’ frequent call to all mankind is the call to come to Him and find true life, real meaning, ultimate satisfaction, and eternal life. In Him is the only “fullness.” Apart from Christ, the philosopher Jean Paul Sartre is right. He says “Life is an empty bubble on the sea of nothingness.”
Matthew chapter 6 holds a special place in my heart, particularly verse 25. It resonates with our daily struggles, reminding us, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” This verse speaks to the very concerns that often occupy our minds, just as they did for the children of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness. What will I eat? What will I drink? And what will I wear? Because of their focus on what they didn’t have, such as food, water, clothes, etc., The Israelites were the most unhappy, complaining people one might ever want to lead. Ask Moses! Ian MacLaren wrote, “What does your anxiety do? It does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but it does empty today of its strength. It does not make you escape the evil; it makes you unfit to cope with it when it comes. God gives us the power to bear all the sorrow of His making, but He does not guarantee to give us strength to bear the burdens of our own making such as worry induces.”
One of the more important things we learn about God as revealed to us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, is that He is a God of great Compassion. That is often affirmed in the Scriptures. The Bible teaches us that when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them.… Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude.…” When the Lord saw her, He compassionately said to her, “Do not weep.…” So, Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.” More examples could be given. In Matthew 8:3, we see where Jesus is approached by a leper. Lepers are outcasts of the community and unfit to enter into the temple at Jerusalem. They were forced to cover their mouths and shout, “unclean, unclean.” When this outcast leper approaches Jesus, he begs for healing. Matthew 8:3 says, “Jesus stretched forth his hand and touched him…” Luke says, “…moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him.”
Jesus always drew crowds wherever he went. He always healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, helped the lame to walk, and gave water to the thirsty as well as feeding the hungry. Furthermore, no one taught the way Jesus taught. The People always marveled at that. All the Gospels affirm and record many of Jesus’ miracles of healing. John tells us that all the books in the world could not hold all the things that Jesus did for the people. After Matthew records many miracles in the first part of Chapter Eight, he takes time to explain that they were done not just to show compassion for people. He wanted the world to see that he cared for, and always showed compassion for the less fortunate of humanity. Also, there was a more pointed reason for them all. Matthew 8:17 tells us, “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” The message of Jesus’ miracle was that He was the one prophesied in the Old Testament.
I have an old friend who believes that every truth taught in the New Testament has a perfect illustration in the Old Testament. I haven’t validated that yet, but I see it often enough to agree with it. 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, “Don’t be deceived; bad company corrupts good morals.” Then, in the book of Chronicles, in the Old Testament, we read the story about Jehoram, the son of the good king Jehoshaphat, who married Athaliah, the daughter of the bad king Ahab and the daughter of the most wicked queen, Jezebel. When we read the passage in Chronicles that tells us about Jehoram, we learn that he killed all his brothers and others of the princes of Israel to ensure that he would have no competition for the throne (2 Chr. 21:4). Josephus expands on this indicating he committed the murders at the prompting of Athaliah. It was through her influence the worship of Baal pervaded the court of Jerusalem, leading to the condemnation of both her husband, Jehoram, and their son, Ahaziah.
I know the New Year, 2026, is still months away, but I’ve already begun to consider making resolutions. I always do. I don’t always write them down on paper or put them in my daily journal, but there’s always some resolve to do better in some area. I did some research on the top ten resolutions made by individuals in America. Many of the sites listed resolutions common to us: lose weight, get fit, spend less – save more, and get organized. I was surprised that nearly every list I saw included quit smoking in the top ten. I thought that smoking was primarily a thing of the past. I guess that’s pretty egocentric. Since it’s in the past for me, it should be for everyone. Well, my search revealed exactly what I thought it would reveal. Most of us want the same things in our lives. But there were some surprises also.