2. Babel’s Significance to Pentecost Missions:
Babel’s account begins with “the whole world had one language and a common speech” and ends with “the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:1,9)
However, this confusion of languages and scattering was not an abrupt action just to stop Babel’s building project. It was the strategic plan of diffusing nations to appoint specific times and geographic boundaries for them.
Paul’s missionary outlook recognized this strategic purpose:
‘From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands… so that they would seek him!
Acts 17: 26.
The church’s mission is to Disciple Nations so that they will have the opportunity to ‘find Him.’
3. The Call to Disciple Nations:
Therefore, it was after Babel’s confusion that God called Abraham, revealing His plan to restore mankind back to Himself through a covenant promise in Genesis 22:18:
“In your seed, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed”
This was fulfilled through Christ’s birth through Abraham’s seed. Although He initially ministered to Jews, His Mission was to gather all nations.
Jesus reversed Babel’s scattering!
In plotting to kill Jesus, the High Priest Caiaphas unwittingly prophesied that Jesus should die:
“’not only for the nation but also for the purpose of gathering together into one body the children of God who have been scattered abroad.
John 11:52.
Isiah also prophesied,
“I will also make You a light to the nations That My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” ‘ Isaiah 49:6
Therefore, Pentecost was the counter-dispersion of Babel to dispense Christ’s witnesses to ‘Disciple all Nations:
‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ‘ Acts 1:8
4. Disciple Nations or Individuals?
The Great Commission was to “Disciple all Nations”—not just’ individuals.’
God’s plan for reaching every individual with the Salvation message was through ‘discipling’ each ‘Nation.’
However, due to modern-day individualism, the Church views God’s purposes through an individualistic lens, which has digressed to ‘disciple individuals’ instead of nations! Majority of these ‘individual disciples’ have no concept of the Great Commission as one survey revealed that 87% of the Church have not heard about it!
‘The Ethne.’
In reference to making ‘disciples of all Nations,’ Jesus chose the Greek is ‘ethne’ which points to the ethnicities, the languages, and the extended families which constitute the peoples of the earth.
They are not ‘countries’ or nation states which the United Nations classifies. In Missions we call them the ‘People Groups’ which are around 17,000!
You who read this also belong to one such ‘ethne’ who were discipled by some missionary – which gave you opportunity to hear the Gospel!
Yet there are 5,000 Ethne who are not discipled whom we call the ‘Unreached People Groups,’ which to over 2.5 billion people! Do you realize now why Jesus wants us to ‘Disciple Nations?’