As the world becomes more and more urbanised, the great cities of the world are increasingly the primary field where the triumph of God’s kingdom is being played out. But what does God think about cities? It turns out the Bible actually has a lot to say about cities. In fact, the Bible often portrays the history of the world as a war between two cities.
Cities in Genesis and Exodus
Cities have a dubious beginning in the Bible. The first city in the Bible is built by the murderer Cain (Gen. 4:17). Cities quickly establish themselves as centres of the arts and technology (Gen. 4:21-22). Unfortunately, they are also places of violence (Gen. 4:23-24).
In Genesis 11:1-9, we see people coming together to build a city to make a name for themselves. Babel, later known as Babylon, becomes synonymous with godlessness and self-aggrandisement.
We see a similar pattern in Genesis 13. Abraham chooses the pasture but his nephew Lot chooses a city, Sodom. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah become synonymous with evil and wickedness. Abraham pleads on behalf of these cities in Genesis 18. It is the first time anyone prays for a city in the Bible. But God chooses to destroy them.
Cities have a dubious beginning in the Bible.
In the book of Exodus, the Israelites are enslaved to build cities for the Egyptians (Exod. 1:11). So once again cities are associated with godlessness. Overall, the impression that Genesis and Exodus give us is that the world is filled with evil after the Fall, and human wickedness is concentrated particularly in cities.
Cities in Israel
A more positive view of cities emerges as God leads his people into the promised land. In Numbers 35, God commands the Israelites to establish ‘cities of refuge.’ In these places, people can find safety and justice.
More importantly, Jerusalem is called the City of God, where God himself dwells (Ps. 48:1, 68:16). God chooses to be a city dweller!
Thus we have a number of ‘city Psalms,’ which sing the praises of Zion (Ps 31, 48, 87, and 122).
Cities in the Prophets
The Old Testament prophets present a ‘tale of two cities.’ They present a contrast between Jerusalem and Babylon, the City of God and the City of Man. God exhorts his people to be faithful to him, or else they will be destroyed by evil Babylon.
At the same time, in the prophets, we also witness a new approach to cities.
Jesus experienced the brokenness of the city.
God expresses his compassion for the cities of the world. He tells Jonah to go on a new kind of mission—to preach to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. Jonah is terrified that the Ninehvites might repent and that God will relent from pouring our his wrath on them. This is exactly what happens (Jonah 4:2).
Later in Jeremiah, God exhorts the Jewish exiles to seek the ‘shalom’ of Babylon and to pray for the city, because in its prosperity his people will also find their prosperity (Jer. 29:7).
The Old Testament ends in an ambiguous way.
God’s people return to Jerusalem from exile. The city’s walls and the temple have been rebuilt. But it is unclear if God’s presence remains there, as it was earlier. A question lingers at the end of the Old Testament: Will God dwell in a city with his people again?
Jesus and Cities
After 400 years of silence, the Lord Jesus Christ is born. He stayed mostly in cities. In fact his whole life was oriented toward a city (Lk. 9:51).
At the same time, Jesus experienced the brokenness of the city—its hypocrisy, injustice, poverty, and oppression. One of the few times we see Jesus weeping in the Gospels, it is for the city of Jerusalem (Lk. 19:41).
The story of the early church in Acts is almost completely urban.
The message of Jesus is that God is returning to dwell in his city once again. But before this can be, Jesus must be rejected and forsaken in the city. Finally, he will be crucified outside the city (Heb. 13:12).
The rest of the New Testament makes it clear why it had to be this way. Jesus was rejected and killed by the City of Man, so we could become citizens of the City of God. He bears God’s judgement on the City of Man, so we can receive the fullness of the City of God.
Cities in Acts
The story of the early church in Acts is almost completely urban. The church starts in Jerusalem until persecution against Christians forces a shift in focus to another city, Antioch.
From Antioch begins the worldwide missionary movement, which again, is basically an urban effort.
Paul’s practice was to go to the major city of a region to preach the gospel and to plant a church. For example, Acts 19:9-10 tells of Paul being able to reach all of Asia by staying in the city of Ephesus.
Every New Testament epistle was written to an urban church.
In Romans 15:19, he claims that he has reached the whole Eastern Mediterranean region. How can he make a claim like that? It is because he had preached the gospel and planted churches in all the major urban centres in the area.
Apparently, in Paul’s mind, to reach the major cities of a region was to reach the region itself. Paul’s great desire was to get to Rome, the biggest and most powerful city in the world at that time. Tradition tells us that he was finally martyred there a few years later.
Cities in the Epistles
Every New Testament epistle was written to an urban church. The message of the epistles is that we are aliens in our earthly cities. We are waiting for our eternal city (Phil. 3:20). The church is meant to be an alternate city within the city (1 Pet. 2:11). Believers should seek to love the city, and so draw people towards Jesus (Rom. 13:3; 1 Tim. 2:1-4; 1 Pet 2:12).
Cities in Revelation
Revelation details the ultimate triumph of the City of God over the City of Man. Babylon will finally be thrown down (Rev. 18-19).
At the same time, the new heavens and new earth is portrayed as a city (Rev. 21:1-2). God will indeed dwell in a city with his people again! Heaven is portrayed as Eden restored, but now cultivated and expanded into a beautiful garden-city (Rev. 22:1-2).
Approaching the City Today
From this brief overview, we can see that cities are clearly a part of God’s plan for the world. In this age, we can expect cities to be good and bad, capable of providing extreme examples of one and the other.
Cities are inherently ‘religious.’ They are eager to bring glory to someone, whether God or to ourselves. God wants the church to be a ‘city within the city,’ He wants us to shine the light of Christ through our words and deeds. We should neither despise the city, nor use it for our own benefit. Rather, God wants us to love and care for the city, just as he does.
