A Biblical Perspective on Race (part 2)

Genesis 11:5-9

I love to learn about new cultures, especially their foods. There are so many things that are different and still so many things that are the same. No matter where we are on this planet, our basic needs are the same. Another thing I find fascinating about different cultures is language. On the surface they appear very different, but when you actually dig in, there are amazing similarities. It is almost as though they all derived from one common language. Of course, I say that tongue in cheek because that is exactly what happened.

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But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Genesis 11:5–9

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Race and language tend to go hand in hand. As people have relocated from one location to another, races and languages have blended, but there still tends to be unique dialects and colloquialisms. Anthropology teaches that these were slow adaptations of common languages, but the Bible tells us something completely different occurred. There was a rapid change in language due to man's rebellion against God at Babel.

God told Noah and his descendants to reproduce and spread out (fill) the earth. They reproduced, but rebelled against God when it came to spreading out. They decided that they could resist God and protect themselves from future destruction if they banded together. To help accomplish this, they decided to build a tower. God, to end their concerted rebellion, confused their languages. When this happened, people segregated based upon common language and moved into their own regions. With this movement, they also developed their own common cultures and races based upon common genetic information shared by the groups.

While languages, cultures, and even complexions became common to each group, it is important to remember a couple of things. First, the confusion of the languages was not the solution to this problem; it was a consequence. Division and confusion are always results of rebellion against God's plan. Arguments, fights, wars, strikes, and even ignoring someone because we are mad is a result of sin. Paul told the church at Corinth, "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints" (I Corinthians 14:33).

Second, just like there will be unity in Heaven between every nation and tribe, there will also be a unity among languages. Speaking of the saved that will come out of the tribulation period, John wrote, "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands" (Revelation 7:9). The solution to man's rebellion was not division. It is unity in the redemption we find in Jesus. What man messed up on earth was redeemed by Jesus and will be restored in eternity.

The fact is, we constantly look for ways to segregate in this world. We do so based on "race", language, religion, and many other factors. This is a continuation of the consequences of Babel. What God wants to do is redeem His creation and bring unity as we live obedient lives in and like Jesus. As Christians, this should be our heart because it is the heart of Christ. We should also understand that we can only walk in true unity when we walk together in Christ. The moment a brother or sister strays, division WILL follow.

Father, in Your wisdom You confused the language of mankind so that we could not work together as easily to rebel against You. I pray that we would work as diligently as we can to walk in unity with people who we perceive as different because we are walking in the truth of Your word. Change our hearts and help us to endeavor to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3).