God allows man to make choices and exercise free will but God is ultimately in control.
Yesterday we read about the flood, where God wiped out humanity because of their great evil. Noah and his family were spared and the world began to repopulate. in Genesis 9:1, God told Noah, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”
As the population multiplied, however, the people began to congregate together and did not follow God's instructions to spread out and fill the earth. They also began to unify in their plans to glorify themselves and be self sufficient. “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.”” (v4)
The people spoke one language which unified them but not to glorify God. They did not trust that God would bless them if they dispersed as he had commanded. Instead, they wanted to remain together finding their comfort and security from each other. Not only were they disobedient but they were full of pride and arrogance, wanting to build something with their own hands that would bring glory to man and disregard God.
God intervened in a drastic way to promote the disbursement of the people. “Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.” (v7-8). God allows man to exercise free will but He does not leave the impact of man's evil intentions to go unchecked.
Men became separated by location, language and culture. God, however, ultimately wants man to be unified in Christ. None of these barriers have stopped the spread of Christianity throughout the world.
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9–10)
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9–10)
Reflect on your own life. What accomplishments are you working on and what are the motives of your heart? Are you trying to build your own tower of self glory or are you trying to honor God? Are you willing to leave what you find comfort and security in if God wants you to?
Man will always have great aspirations for self glory. We may be discouraged to see evil at work around us but God's purposes will ultimately prevail. This should comfort us and encourage us in our prayers.