What Do You Hear?

Acts 2:5-13 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs – we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
 
ON that day in Jerusalem God began to remove his curse on Babel. Genesis 11:9 That is why it was called Babel – because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth. The people’s unity had caused them to disobey God’s command to populate the earth. They ridiculed his command and pursued their own desires. In response, God knew their evil would become worse if he allowed them to continue in one language.
   But through Jesus’ New Covenant of salvation through faith, God has reversed the curse to now bless the nations into the unity of eternal life. A diverse group of Jews and even some Gentiles had come together in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. God began to form these nations into one body of believers as each heard the apostles speaking in his own language. Enthusiastically many responded, “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
   But not all received God’s truth. “They have had too much wine.” was the hard hearts’ ridicule of God’s Word that day.
   This is a snapshot of our world, isn’t it? We are a diverse group of people, speaking many tongues. God has sent the Spirit to bless his chosen people among all nations to hear the unifying Covenant of Faith in Jesus Christ. People have worked and are working to translate Bibles and Bible lessons into the tongues of unreached people groups. The Spirit is moving among the nations and tribes to help them hear the wonders of God in their own tongues.
   Then the people asked a very important question: “What does this mean?” Those wondering and asking are ready to hear the meaning of God’s glorious work among them. Good questions mean your ears are open to hear God’s good answer.   
   There will always be those who ridicule God’s work. The apostles did not focus on those. They began to speak to those who wanted to know, “What does this mean?”