Babel 3 - Sunday June 26, 2011
While technology is not wrong, how we use it and our relationship with it matters. Technology is powerful. Technological power and convenience have changed the way our world works. Technology has given us the ability to do more than we ever thought possible. With all that potential for good, sometimes a shift toward the negative happens.
[Ahab] did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him (1 Kings 16:33 NIV).
"Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth" (1 Kings 21:2 NIV).
“The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers" (1 Kings 21:3 NIV).
Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him. In those letters she wrote: "Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death" (1 Kings 21:7-10 NIV).
As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead." When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21:15-16 NIV).
We all have the control and the ability to accomplish almost anything—good or bad. The power technology gives us is here to stay. There is possibly even more at risk than ever before. How are you using technology in your relationship with others? Are you making the world a better place? Are you enhancing relationships or destroying them? Are you harming others or helping them?
Bottom Line: The way we treat technology can help or hurt our relationship with others.