Idols: Lesson 3
Overview
The Idol of Technology
Human ingenuity is a gift, but it can quickly become a god. The story of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9 shows how easily advanced craft and pride intertwine. The descendants of Noah settled on the fertile plain of Shinar and, instead of obeying God's command to fill the earth, they organized to stay put. They had developed a new building method—kiln-fired brick instead of stone, bitumen instead of mud—and they used that breakthrough to build a city and tower "with its top in the heavens" so they could "make a name" for themselves. Their technology was real; their problem was that they trusted it to secure their identity and to defy God's word. The same call to disperse and steward the earth had already been given in Genesis 1:28 and reaffirmed in Genesis 9:7. Pride convinced them they knew better than God.
Babel follows the same pattern that runs through Genesis 2–11: sin, judgment, and grace. Adam and Eve's disobedience, Cain's violence, the corruption that brought the flood, and Babel's pride each end not only in judgment but in the Lord's mercy. After scattering the peoples and confusing their speech, God calls Abram in Genesis 12:1-3, promising to make his name great and to bless all the families of the earth through him—a promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Where humanity grasped at heaven, the Son of God came down. The One who calmed storms, healed the sick, and raised the dead humbled Himself to bear our sins, including the sin of pride.
Scripture is not against technology. In Exodus 31:1-5, God fills Bezalel with His Spirit, ability, intelligence, and skill in every kind of craft to build the furnishings of the tabernacle. Skill, artistry, and knowledge are gifts from the Lord. The danger comes when we shape what we have made into something we ultimately rely on. Deuteronomy 4:15-20 warns that idols do not just exist—they are fashioned by human minds and hands. Whenever our greatest hope is pinned on what we can engineer rather than on the God who gave us the capacity to engineer, an idol has taken shape.
A few honest questions help reveal where our trust actually rests: When a loved one is seriously ill, where do we turn first for relief? Do we believe the world's deepest problems will finally be solved by something we create? Is our confidence in technology, or in the Lord of technology? Wherever the answers expose misplaced trust, the gospel meets us with grace. The cross of Christ covers every sin, including the quiet pride that mingles with our reliance on human progress. Receive that forgiveness, and then enjoy technology rightly—as a blessing from God, never in the place that belongs to Him alone.
Transcript
Good morning and welcome to our third session in this study on idols, let us pray together. 1s
Gracious Heavenly Father, how precious is your Word. 9s
We thank you Father for this opportunity to open up the pages of Scripture. 13s
And as we study this important topic today, we do so in the confidence that you will use 18s
your Word for your good purposes in Jesus' name. 25s
Amen. 31s
Just to review what we studied last week, we talked about the idol of success. 32s
We are called to love the Lord Jesus Christ more than success. 40s
In other words, we are called then to be willing to experience failure in the eyes of the 47s
world. 54s
Call to experience that rather than deny the Lord Jesus Christ. 55s
We talked about our Lord's command to take up the cross and follow Him. 62s
And that cross includes self-denial. 67s
We looked at aspects of that forsaking of whatever might prevent us from following the Lord 71s
in Jesus Christ, honor before people, friends and relatives, earthly possessions, our own 77s
life, as we prioritize following Christ of taking up the cross, which means self-denial. 86s
We talked about how the cross also means sufferings that come to one simply because they bear 98s
the name of a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. 104s
And we also talked about how the cross is also those experiences that the Lord allows 108s
into our lives as He shapes us and molds us to be more and more like Jesus Christ. 116s
The Scripture calls that the discipline of the Lord and the Lord disciplines those whom 124s
He loves. 129s
We talked about what the definition then according to God is for success. 131s
And that is taking up the cross and being faithful to Him. 140s
Well, today I want to examine with you another potential idol. 147s
And that is the idol of technology. 152s
In 2011, IBM had a supercomputer that was called Watson. 158s
And they had a little fun with regard to Watson. 165s
Watson became a contestant on the quiz show, Jeopardy. 170s
So they brought along, Jeopardy did, they brought along to the contestants that had done 174s
just phenomenally to go up against Watson. 180s
Watson would answer with a speed that was consistent with the degree of certainty that 185s
he had with regard to the answer. 191s
And Watson was doing phenomenally well against two human competitors. 194s
But it wasn't without some foibles along the way. 201s
In one final Jeopardy question, it had to do with this. 206s
The question was this. 211s
What U.S. City is there the largest and second largest airport that are named after World 214s
War II heroes, a hero and a World War II battle. 224s
So in what U.S. City does one find the largest and the second largest airports that are named 228s
after a World War II hero in a World War II battle. 237s
Well, the answer is Chicago, Chicago. 244s
But Watson had a different answer. 248s
Watson said Toronto, Toronto, and somehow got confused with the baseball team that Toronto 252s
of Blue Jays and being in the American League. 258s
So there were some chuckles along the way as Watson went up against his two human opponents. 263s
I share that example at the beginning of this class for this reason. 272s
Advanced technology, language, recognition, and an embarrassing level of pride. 275s
Does that sound at all familiar to a biblical story? 292s
Turn, if you would, in Holy Scripture to the very first book, the book of Genesis. 300s
And specifically, the 11th chapter of Genesis, Genesis, chapter 11. 306s
I'll examine with you the first nine verses. 313s
There we read. 319s
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 321s
And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plane in the land of Shinar and settled there. 325s
And they said to one another, come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly. 334s
And they had brick-christone and bitumen for mortal, mourn. 341s
Then they said, come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens. 347s
And let us make a name for ourselves. 354s
Otherwise, we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 358s
The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which mortals had built. 365s
And the Lord said, look, they are one people and they have all one language. 372s
And this is only the beginning of what they will do. 380s
Nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 384s
Come, let us go down and confuse their language there so they will not understand one another's 390s
speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth 398s
and they left off building the city. 406s
Therefore, it was called Babylon. 410s
Because there, the Lord confused the language of all the earth and from there, 413s
the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. 419s
After Noah and his family had departed from the ark, 427s
the eventual clans of Noah, they dispersed in various directions. 433s
The chimites, they went southeast to the land of Mesopotamia. 439s
And they found a very, very fertile area in the land of Shiner. 447s
The lush land seemed wonderful. 455s
And so they wanted to settle down permanently. 457s
Why did the chimites desire to build the tower of Bevel? 463s
Look back again at chapter 11, verse 4. 471s
Then they said, come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens. 478s
And let us make a name for ourselves. Otherwise, 485s
we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 491s
They were ignoring a previous command of God. 501s
Turn back, please, to Genesis 1 chapter, verse 28. 508s
The Scripture says, God bless them. 516s
And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, 520s
and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing 526s
that moves upon the earth. 534s
What was told? 538s
That they should have dominion and that they should fill the earth and subdue it. 540s
That same call was given to Noah after the flood. 549s
Let's go to Genesis 9, verse 7. 555s
Genesis 9, verse 7. 560s
And you be fruitful and multiply, abound on the earth and multiply in it. 563s
You see, God's command was for them to be scattered. 574s
God's command was for the people to fill the earth. 581s
So the building of the tower was ignoring of the command of God. 586s
What God had said to Adam and Eve, he reiterated to Noah and his family. 593s
Populate over the expanse of the earth. 600s
Pride causes us to think that we know better. 610s
Then God. 616s
Humility, humility brings us down. 621s
Think of Jesus with me. 627s
Jesus was so powerful, so intelligent, so advanced he could walk on water. 629s
He's God in the flesh. 634s
He could heal the sick. 636s
He could multiply material things. 637s
He could calm the storms. 640s
He could raise the dead. 641s
And yet Jesus, the second member of the Trinity, 644s
leaves the tower of heaven in order to save us from our sins, 648s
including the sin of pride. 653s
Just a little aside here. 661s
It's really interesting in Genesis 2 through 11. 664s
There are four major narratives in those chapters. 668s
You've got the narrative of Adam and Eve. 673s
You've got Cain and Abel. 677s
You've got Noah and the flood. 679s
And then you've got the tower of Babel. 681s
In each of the narratives, you have the same structure. 685s
Same structure. 696s
Think with me, please. 698s
Story of Adam and Eve. 701s
What's the sin? 702s
It's disobedience. 704s
Remember God said, you can eat of any tree in the garden, save one, 706s
the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 709s
God said, the day you eat of that, 711s
the day you determine for yourself what's right and wrong, 713s
that's the death sentence for you. 716s
So the disobedience was eating from the forbidden fruit. 718s
What was the judgment? 723s
The judgment was exactly what God said, 725s
was going to be the judgment. 728s
Death in all of the dimensions of death. 730s
God comes looking for Adam and Eve and remains in fellowship with them. 738s
We go on to the next narrative. 750s
Cain and Abel. 752s
What's the sin? 754s
Cain kills his brother. 755s
Abel. 757s
What's the judgment? 758s
Let's go to Genesis, the fourth chapter, 760s
verse 12. 763s
Genesis chapter 4, verse 12. 765s
When you till the ground, 771s
it will no longer yield to you its strength. 773s
You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. 776s
That was God's judgment upon Cain for killing his brother. 780s
Verse 14 of chapter 4. 789s
Today you have driven me away from the soil and I shall be hidden from your face. 795s
I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth and anyone who meets me may kill me. 799s
These are the words of Cain. 804s
Then the Lord said to him, 808s
not so. 809s
Whoever kills Cain will suffer a seven-fold vengeance and the Lord put a mark on Cain 811s
so that no one who came upon him would kill him. 819s
Sin, judgment, great. 823s
How about no one in the flood? 829s
Let's go to Genesis chapter 6, verse 5. 831s
The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth and that every inclination 836s
of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. 842s
So there is revealed the sin. 849s
What's the judgment? 852s
Verse 7 of chapter 6. 854s
So the Lord said, I will be lot out from the earth, the human beings I have created. 858s
People together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I'm sorry that I've made them. 863s
Chapter 6, verse 8. 874s
But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord and then down to verse 17. 877s
From my part I'm going to bring a flood of waters on the earth to destroy from under heaven 886s
all flesh in which is the breath of life. 892s
Everything that is on the earth shall die, but I will establish my covenant with you and you 895s
shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 902s
Sin, judgment. 911s
Tower of Babel. 917s
What's the sin? 919s
That they'll make a name for themselves. 922s
So they'll take heaven by storm. 924s
What's the judgment? 929s
Let's go back to Genesis chapter 11, verse 9. 932s
Therefore it was called Babel because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth 938s
and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. 945s
Genesis chapter 12, verse 1. 957s
Now the Lord said to Abram, go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land 962s
that I will show you. 968s
I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great so that you 971s
will be a blessing. 978s
I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you, I will curse and in you all the families 980s
of the earth shall be blessed. 987s
And of course we follow this line of people and out of this line of people comes the Messiah, 992s
the Lord Jesus Christ. 998s
Sin, judgment. 1002s
An interesting dimension of the story of the Tower of Babel 1008s
is technology, technology. 1015s
In fact, pride was linked to technology. 1019s
Look again at chapter 11, verse 3. 1028s
And they said to one another, come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly. 1035s
And they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar. 1042s
The chimites, they were using brick instead of stone or sun-dried clay and tar for the mortar 1052s
instead of mud. 1064s
This would have been easier, it would have been faster, it would have produced a higher 1069s
quality building. 1073s
This was a building, a tower that was meant to last. 1076s
And that technology was linked to pride. 1082s
Look with me please, at verse 4, again, the first part. 1090s
Then they said, come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens. 1097s
And let us make a name for ourselves. 1108s
Technology linked with pride. 1118s
Turn with me please to the book of Deuteronomy, the fourth chapter. 1126s
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. 1131s
Deuteronomy chapter 4, we'll pick up in verse 15. 1138s
We read these words. 1148s
Since you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horib out of the fire, take care and watch 1151s
yourselves closely so that you do not act corruptly by making an idol for yourselves in the form 1159s
of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth. 1168s
The likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air. 1179s
The likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water 1184s
under the earth. And when you look up to the heavens and see the sun, the moon, and the stars, 1192s
all the host of heaven, do not be let astray and bow down to them and serve them. 1200s
Things that the Lord, your God, has allotted to all the peoples everywhere under heaven. 1208s
But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron smelter, out of Egypt, 1216s
to become a people of his very own possession as you are now. 1223s
False gods, they don't just exist. They don't just exist. 1234s
Idols are made. They're made in the minds of humans. They're made out of hands. 1241s
They pinned their hopes on technology, what they had made with their minds and their hands. 1251s
Pride and technology and their hope for what they want to do accomplish, 1266s
their hope of what they wanted to accomplish was linked to their trust in technology. 1273s
Take a look at Exodus, the 31st chapter, Genesis and then Exodus. Exodus chapter 31, 1290s
and we'll pick up in verse 1, Exodus chapter 31, verse 1. 1300s
The Lord spoke to Moses. See, I have called by name Bezilell, son of Yuri, son of her, 1310s
of the tribe of Judah, and I filled him with divine spirit, with ability, intelligence, 1319s
and knowledge in every kind of craft to devise artistic designs to work in gold, silver, 1327s
and bronze in cutting stones for setting and in carving wood in every kind of craft. 1337s
Bezilell was chosen as the person that God had chosen to build the furnishing of the temple, 1346s
all the furnishings. He's filled with the spirit of God. He was artistic. He was wise. He was 1355s
educated. He was highly skilled. He's top notch in doing what he did. 1360s
God is by no means against technology, by no means. 1369s
The point, however, is that God does not want us to primarily rely on human advancement for our 1375s
greatest hope. In other words, God does not want us to turn technology into an idol. 1387s
So, let me ask you these questions for your self-reflection. 1411s
If a loved one felt terribly sick, what would give you the greatest relief? 1419s
Where would you first to go to the temple? 1427s
Turn. Where this question? 1430s
Do you feel like the solution to most of the major problems in the world is something we create? 1436s
Or how about this? Is your trust in technology or the Lord of technology? 1447s
Thanks be to God. That God uses his word to reveal to us our idols. 1463s
Perhaps some we didn't even know that we had. 1472s
And thanks be to God that God comes with the gracious word of forgiveness through the cross 1477s
of Jesus Christ. That when the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross to bear the sin of the world, 1484s
that included all of the sin of the world. Every aspect, every sin passed present and future, 1491s
including the sin of perhaps sometimes taking technology, 1500s
mixing it with our pride and trusting in technology. 1512s
What God is against is technology. 1522s
What God is against is technology supplanting him in the position that he should hold. 1528s
First place. Technology can be a blessing of God. 1540s
Thanks be to God for the Lord, for he is the Lord of technology. 1550s
We'll continue next week. I'd like to discuss with you the idol that can sometimes come about, 1560s
the idol of the family. We'll continue next week. 1568s