Then it happened… The bicycle began bouncing like a toad in a washing machine! There was a blinding flash of light and a loud noise like a turtle singing! Suddenly the forest, the Garden of Eden, and Mama Moose disappeared and….
Suddenly the bicycle/time machine was going full speed down a rough road headed straight for a…… mailbox! The Professor said, “Ooops!” The bicycle/time machine smashed into the mailbox at full speed! Letters and packages went flying everywhere! The wooden post that the mailbox had been on exploded into a thousand pieces! The Professor went flying off the bicycle/time machine and landed on the mailbox, he smashed it flat! The Professor said, “Ooops!” Shane picked up the flat mailbox and said, “Look, the address on the mailbox says ‘#1 Tower Street’! I wonder what city we are in?” Shelly answered him, “I don’t know what city we are in, but it sure is a strange city, all the buildings are so small and primitive except for the building by the mailbox. This building is huge and very tall. No wonder they call it #1 Tower Street.”
Just then there was a roar of many voices, and a bunch of people came running out of the big building! Shane said, “Why can’t we understand what they are saying? They must all be foreigners!” Shelly said, “I think we are the foreigners here, but I think they are really upset about their mailbox! Let’s get out of here!” The Professor said, “Ooops!” All the people said, “Ooops”. Shane said, “The Professor knows a word in their language! ‘Ooops’ must be the same in all languages!”
The Professor, Shane and Shelly tried to run away from the crowd of people, but they weren’t fast enough! The people surrounded them and tied them up with ropes! The Professor said, “Ooops!” All the people answered, “Ooops!” The people lifted the Professor, Shane and Shelly and took them into the big building. Then they began going up the stairs! There were stairs and yet more stairs! The Professor said, “I think they are staring at us!” Finally, they reached the top of the building! There was no roof yet! Shane said, “This building must not be finished yet! I wonder why they are building it so high?” Shelly answered him, “I think I know where we are at! It is another Bible story! The story is about…” Before Shelly could tell Shane about the Bible story that they were in, the people shoved the Professor, Shane and Shelly onto a platform at the very edge of the building! Of course, the Professor was clumsy and he tripped and fell! He fell against the people that were holding him. Those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them, and those people fell backwards onto the people behind them! Soon all the people and the Professor were laying on the floor, only Shane and Shelly were still standing! The Professor said, “Ooops!” All the people said, “Ooops!” Shane and Shelly tried to untie the ropes so that they could escape, but before they got the first knot untied, all the people jumped to their feet, and now they were mad!
As the Professor was being picked up and pushed onto the platform at the edge of the building Shelly whispered to Shane, “This is the Bible story about the Tower of Babel, I read about it in the Bible in Genesis chapter 11. These people are very proud and think that they can build a tower up to heaven and then everyone will see how great they are!” Shane asked, “Why are they trying to kill us, all we did was ruin a mailbox?” Shelly said, “I think they are mad at us because they are so proud of that address ‘#1 Tower Street’, these people really have a problem with pride, and it makes them look so foolish!”
The people finally got the Professor up on the platform with Shane and Shelly and then all the people began to push the Professor, Shane and Shelly closer and closer to the edge of the platform! It looked like they would fall off the top of that tower to certain death!
Then it happened! One of the people tried to say something, but his words came out in a different language, then the person next to him tried to say something, and her words came out in yet a different language! It spread through the whole crowd! In a minute everyone was yelling and screaming in all different kinds of languages. They were terrified! They did not know what was happening! Shelly knew what was happening, she yelled to the others, “God has confused their language just as it says in the Bible! God does not like to see people become proud like this!” Shane said, “Come on! Let’s get out of here while they are confused and scared!” They jumped down off the platform and of course the Professor stubbed his toe and fell flat on his face! The Professor said, “Ooops! All the people answered back, “Ooops”, then they continued yelling and screaming in all their different languages!
The Professor, Shane and Shelly had to turn and twist and dodge around all those people. It took a long time to get anywhere. Some of the people tried to grab them, but they were able to shake them off and keep going step by step toward the stairway that would take them down! Just as they got to the stairway, the Professor ran into a man who grabbed him and held him tight! The Professor said, “Ooops!” All the people said one last time, “Ooops!” Shelly ran up and tickled the man who was holding the Professor, the man began laughing and dropped the Professor. Shane led the way down the stairs with the Professor and Shelly right behind him. They escaped out the door of the tower and ran to the bicycle/time machine. Some of the people came out of the tower and were chasing after them! Shelly turned the handle on the side of the bicycle/time machine, they all got on and began pedaling desperately! Just as one of the people was reaching out to grab Shelly off the bicycle/time machine, the Professor shifted it into high gear!
Then it happened… The bicycle began bouncing like a toad in a washing machine! There was a blinding flash of light and a loud noise like a turtle singing! Suddenly the Tower of Babel, and all the people disappeared and….
Application:
- Read the story of the Tower of Babel found in Genesis chapter 11 verse 1-9
- This Bible story is about people who were very proud. Pride makes a person think they are better than someone else, or so good that they don’t need God.
- Pride is a sin! Anything that breaks one of God’s commandments is called a sin. All people (except Jesus) have had to deal with sin in their lives. In the Bible, Romans chapter 3 verse 23 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
- Take some time and think about things in your life that can become a pride-problem. Make a list of some of those things. Some examples of things that can cause pride in our life are:
- Your good looks
- Your talents
- Your family’s money
- The things you own
- Belonging to the ‘right group’ of friends
- Your popularity
- In the Bible the book of James chapter 4 verse 6 says, ‘And He (God) gives grace generously. As the Scriptures (Bible) say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”’.
- God hates pride! He is against proud people, but if a person prays to God and admits that they have a problem with pride, asks for forgiveness, and asks for help, then God will help that person start to overcome pride in their life. It is a process, it takes time!
- God will do what it takes to remove this pride from our lives
- It is so important to remember: God is against the pride in your life, but God loves you!