Episode SummaryIn this fourth installment of the Kingdom of God series, hosts Trevor, Taylor, and Tyler explore the Tower of Babel narrative and its connection to Abraham's calling. Engaging with Peter Leithart's book "Between Babel and Beast," they examine how Abraham was called out from one empire to establish God's Kingdom, representing a pivotal contrast between human empire-building projects and God's alternative Kingdom vision.Main ThemesThe Tower of Babel as EmpireThe theological significance of humanity's first attempt at empire-buildingHow the Babel project represented human autonomy and rebellion against God's command to fill the earthThe tower as a symbol of consolidated human power in opposition to God's KingdomLanguage confusion as God's judgment on human pride and self-exaltationEmpire vs. KingdomThe fundamental tension between human empires and God's Kingdom purposesHow empires throughout biblical history follow the Babel patternThe contrast between top-down coercive power and God's servant-leadership modelEmpire as an idolatrous alternative to God's rule and reignAbraham's Counter-Cultural CallingAbraham's call to leave Ur of the Chaldeans as a departure from empireHow God's covenant with Abraham establishes an alternative to Babel's ambitionsAbraham as the beginning of God's redemptive counter-empireThe significance of Abraham being called to be a blessing to all nationsScripture Deep DiveGenesis 11:1-9 - The Tower of Babel narrative and God's judgmentGenesis 12:1-3 - God's call to Abraham to leave his homelandGenesis 10:8-12 - Nimrod's kingdom and the first biblical mention of BabelIsaiah 14:12-15 - Prophetic connections to Babel's tower-building ambitionsActs 2:1-11 - Pentecost as a redemptive reversal of Babel's language confusionTheological ImplicationsThe persistent human tendency toward empire-building throughout historyGod's consistent opposition to human attempts at absolute powerThe Kingdom of God as an upside-down alternative to imperial systemsHow God works through remnants and outsiders rather than through centers of powerThe theological importance of diversity and dispersion versus homogeneity and centralizationPractical ApplicationsRecognizing and resisting empire-thinking in contemporary Christian cultureFollowing Abraham's example of faith and counter-cultural livingBuilding Kingdom communities that contrast with worldly power structuresEmbracing God's call to be a blessing to others rather than elevating ourselvesCultivating a healthy skepticism toward centralized human powerRecommended Resources"Between Babel and Beast" by Peter Leithart"Kingdom Through Covenant" by Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum"A House for My Name" by Peter Leithart"Kingdom Prologue" by Meredith G. KlineConnect With UsInstagram: @godandothersmallstuffSend us your questions and thoughts via DM!Check out our other podcasts: The Classical Mind, Pilgrim Faith, The Classical Thinkery#ChristianTheology #BibleStudy #KingdomOfGod #TowerOfBabel #Abraham #Empire #BiblicalTheology

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