Words Have Meaning
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. — Genesis 11:1
Language is a creation of God. Think back to the city of Babel. At the time, the world had one language, consisting of words with a distinct meaning. When the people started a building project to make a name for themselves, God was not pleased with their prideful attitude and wanted them to fill the earth. So God disrupted the situation and caused different groups to have their own language, thereby dispersing mankind across the globe.
Deconstruction is an issue in our current culture. This is when a group tries to change the definition of words or when the meaning of words is minimized. Take the word “marriage” as an example. A marriage is defined as one man and one woman in a lifelong covenant relationship. Therefore using the words “gay marriage” to describe a same-sex relationship is inconsistent with the very definition of the word marriage. By way of analogy, calling a rose a tulip doesn’t make it so. In our current cultural climate, this problem of deconstructing language is in play for other words, including male, female, gender, racism, and human, just to name a few.
We already live in a bizarre and upside-down world. Once upon a time, jabberwocky may have been understood as illogical and unsustainable. But in a world where language has no real meaning, then everything, including reality itself, is up for interpretation and left to the whims of individuals.
Reflecting on the history of art, we see the same kind of movement. The Mona Lisa and other artwork from the same era portrayed reality. A real world was assumed, communicated, and delivered in the style. As time marched on, artists reflected a different view by offering one’s interpretation of reality. In the postmodern time period, art doesn’t even attempt to look like reality. Rather, viewers are treated to endless self-interpretative experiences, as if it is impossible for anyone to be objective.
Without God, life has no meaning, language has no meaning, art has no meaning. Yet the Christian worldview is real, unchanging, understandable, and beautiful. God’s Word is reliable and not up for random interpretations. The Apostle John tells us that God took on flesh, made Himself known to us, and has given us His Word, revealing Himself to us.
Let’s not go back to the tower of Babel. Let’s fill the earth with the glory of God and His Word.
Dear Father in Heaven,
I want to know You and Your Word. I want to meditate on it day and night. I want to have Your Word hidden in my heart so that I might not sin against You. Transform me into Your likeness.
In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Walking by faith and enjoying the homeschooling adventure of a lifetime!
Davis Carman
Davis is the president of Apologia Educational Ministries, the #1 publisher of Creation-based science and Bible curriculum. He is the author of five illustrated children’s books designed to help parents instill a biblical worldview in the hearts and minds of their preschoolers. He believes that if there was ever a time to homeschool, it is now! You can hear more of what he has to say at the Let’s Talk Homeschool Podcast.
© 2022 Davis Carman