Does God Ever Use Confusion For His Purposes?

Genesis 11:1And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

3And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and bitumen had they for mortar.

4And they said, Come, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

 

The people had a plan that contradicted Gods plan. God had told Noah to go replenish the earth. Their idea was to stay together and build themselves a city, so they would not be scattered.

They were so of one mind that it got Gods attention.   They were excited, they were doing a 'good thing.'  It seemed so perfect, why would God oppose such an endeavor as this good work they were doing to unite them all in one accord fulfilling a purpose?  

 

5And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

 

This is a powerful picture of how unity among people gets Gods attention.

 

6And the LORD said, Behold, the people are one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

 

God himself said about them, there is nothing they cant do, they are one.

The only problem with this is that they were doing what they wanted and not what God had commanded, replenish the earth.

God had to step in and confuse their language so that His will would be done.  Sometimes when our UNITY is uniting us to do something that is against God's will he has to step in and confuse some things, and scatter some people.  Wait, people will speak that confusion is not of God, disorder is not of God, breaking unity is not of God...I think that they forgot to tell those things to GOD in this instance!  It just goes to show you that when we think we have God and the Bible all figured out God surprises us and moves in a way that we cannot even comprehend.  Can you imagine the people all saying, "But why?"   "What's Going ON?"  Others likely blamed it on the devil...When will we ever learn that when we don't do things God's way that God gets down in the middle of it and shakes until it is broken, scattered, and torn apart so that only that which cannot be shaken remains. 

7Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

8So the LORD scattered them abroad from there upon the face of all the earth: and they left off building the city.

9Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confuse the language of all the earth: and from there did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

 

Compare this story with Acts the second chapter. In the upper room were 120 people who were in one mind and in obedience to Jesus' command to tarry for the promise of the Father.

This time when God moved it was to empower them to do even more than they could on their own.  They were in unity doing GOD'S WiLL!  And God blessed it and brought to them great power and miracles and they experienced HIS glory!  

 

How many times have we done things according to man's way in our church, our home, our community, and God got down in the middle of it and confused it and scattered it and we blamed the whole thing on the devil.  When will we learn that when we do things GOD'S WAY the devil can't stop it, defeat it, or break it...

 

The trend of the world is once again to join together under the banner of unity, for all religions, all beliefs, all opinions to be equally valid and accepted, and this leads to confusion and darkness.  Does God ever use confusion for his purposes?  He did so at the Tower of Babel, like it or not, God is still God. 

 

Scripture teaches that Jesus is the only way, the only path, the only  banner under which God will allow the power of unity to accomplish its end.