Yesterday was Pentecost. Because of its importance, I want to add one more post. We’ve already looked at how it most likely took place at the temple and how Luke tied it into the giving of the Torah. But, both of these are Jewish connections. Is there any special significance for those of us Gentiles (non-Jews)?
Reversing Babel
In Genesis 11, we read how people try to build a tower to the heavens:
- The people rebel against God. Each person seeks his own way to the heavens as they desire to make a name for themselves.
- God comes down in order to end their selfish plans by confusing their languages.
- The people divide up, each going his own way into the world, resulting in the nations of the world being disinherited.
Acts 2 shows a reversal of this:
- The people are obedient to God. Each person worships during one of God’s prescribed festivals at the place he said he would place his name.
- God sends the Holy Spirit to use various languages from around the world so the people could clearly understand his plans of salvation.
- The people unite together. through the empowering of the Spirit, the gospel goes out to the world, resulting in the Gentiles being re-inherited.
The new kingdom
God had started working with the whole world. But after the rebellions at Eden, the time of the flood, and Babel, God began a new plan to work with one chosen people, starting with Abraham. Deuteronomy 32:8-9 tells how God divided the nations of the world and chose Israel for himself. He wanted them to become his kingdom of priests to put him on display to the world (Exodus 19:6).
The prophets had predicted that when God came to dwell in his new temple, he would reunify all the tribes of Israel under the Messianic king (Isaiah 11, Ezekiel 37). Then the good news of his reign would go out to all the nations.
After sending his son Jesus, God expands his plan to adopt as sons of Abraham all who place their trust in Jesus. The rest of the book of Acts shows the spreading of the Jesus movement to many Gentiles.
Jesus’ disciples and his early followers were Jewish. Now, most Jesus-followers are Gentile. At Pentecost, we can thank God, not only for giving us his Torah and Spirit, but also for adopting us Gentiles into God’s family.