Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 6
The story about Alexander the Great planning to make Babylon his capital but dying is used to illustrate, “It doesn’t pay to be trying to do the opposite of what God has prophesied”; what view of human ambition and divine constraint is being taught here, and how does it challenge modern assumptions that “smart planning” can override God’s purposes?
Another way to ask: In the story about Alexander planning to rebuild Babylon but dying, what is being taught about human ambition versus God’s plans? How does that push back on the idea that good planning can beat what God has decided?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The speaker teaches that even the greatest human ambition can be stopped if it runs against what God has declared, because God’s purposes set the real boundaries of history. It challenges the modern belief that power, strategy, or leadership can guarantee outcomes.
- Alexander “wanted to make Babylon the capital of his Asian empire… build it back up… grander than ever.”
- The speaker interprets this as direct conflict: “He was working against God’s prophecy.”
- He emphasizes Alexander’s unmatched power: “the mightiest man on earth at that time,” yet “as soon as he starts… he dies.”
- He draws the lesson explicitly: “It doesn’t pay to be trying to do the opposite of what God has prophesied.”
- He adds a counterfactual to show significance: “If he had succeeded, it would probably still be here today.”