On the day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day that followed the Feast of Firstfruits, the followers of Christ were all together in one place, and the house was filled with the sound like the blowing of a violent wind. Tongues of fire came to rest on each of Jesus’s disciples, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They spoke in tongues that the pilgrims in Jerusalem could understand, as they spoke in all their languages the wondrous works of God. In this glorious event the Spirit formed the Church, and inaugurated God’s gracious kingdom offer to the world.

At Babel, the Lord confused the languages of the people. They had united to declare their independence from God. In order to avert the rebellion, he divided their languages. At Pentecost, we see a stunning reversal of this. At the birth of the Church, the Spirit gives the sign of the undoing of Babel. People of many nations and languages could hear and understand the message of the Gospel.

Thank you, Father, that your Kingdom encompasses all nations and all languages.

First, we must crave God’s presence. When Moses wanted to escape and spend time with God, he would steal away to the Tent of Meeting. There he could shut out all that was going on around him and concentrate on God. Where is your Tent of Meeting? Do you have a special somewhere to commune with the Lover of your soul? If not, I can’t emphasize it enough: you must find a place to get alone with God, a place where you can hide away and find Him when your soul longs for His company.

~ Vernon Whaley, Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God’s Call. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2009. p. 82.

Let God Arise! Seasonal Focus
The Spirit Is Here, Acts 2.1-21

Book Reading
Whaley, Called to Worship