Now in this message we need to see the experience of the called ones. But before we come to this, we need to consider the background and origin of God's calling.
When God appeared to Abraham, he was in the darkest background. His background was exceedingly strong. The first aspect of this background was that man had forsaken God. Man's forsaking of God was signified by his building a city. We saw this in the case of Cain in chapter four. Man built a city because he had lost God as his protection. Since man no longer had God as his safeguard, he built a city to protect himself. So the building of the city was the sign that man had forsaken God. Man seemed to be saying, "Let God go. I will build a city to protect myself." The building of the city was the declaration that man had forsaken God.
Not only did man forsake God, but he built a tower to exalt himself. The tower was a sign of man's self-exaltation. When man forsakes God, automatically he exalts himself. Whenever man builds a city he will also build a tower to make a name for himself.
Furthermore, at Babel man also denied God's right over His creation. Both man and the earth were God's creation. Nevertheless, man would not recognize God's right but instead established the nations. The establishing of nations signified that man had denied God's right and authority. As we have seen, after the flood God gave man the authority to rule others, but Satan caused man to abuse this God-given authority to form nations that man may have his own dominion, denying God's right and authority over man.
Finally, Joshua 24:2 shows us that at Babel man turned from God to idols, to other gods. Behind all the idols are demons. Whenever a man worships an idol, he worships demons. Apparently he is worshipping idols; actually he is worshipping demons.
As the background of God's calling we have the city, the tower, the nations, and the demons. Man had forsaken God, had exalted himself, had denied God's right and authority, and had turned from God to serve idols. Do you believe that the situation is any better today? I do not believe it. It is as bad today as it was then. The situation is exactly the same.