The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Kings 19:15,
"Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth."
This was the confession of King Hezekiah of Judah when he sought the Lord's deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib, King of Assyria. Sennacherib had sent a message of threat to Hezekiah, telling him that "the god you depend on" would not be able to defend Judah against Assyria's aggression.
Where Sennacherib pointed to the failure of the "gods" of other nations he had overtaken, Hezekiah recognized that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was the God of all nations of the earth, including Assyria, as well as her victims.
As God is the Creator of the heavens and earth, it was he that established all nations of the earth and sits as the Lord Almighty over them all. Paul points to God as the One who had instituted nation-states among all mankind, "From one man [Adam] he ["the God who made the world and everything in it"] made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands." Paul observes, "[God] is the Lord of heaven and earth". Acts 17:24-26.
"Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth."
This was the confession of King Hezekiah of Judah when he sought the Lord's deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib, King of Assyria. Sennacherib had sent a message of threat to Hezekiah, telling him that "the god you depend on" would not be able to defend Judah against Assyria's aggression.
Where Sennacherib pointed to the failure of the "gods" of other nations he had overtaken, Hezekiah recognized that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was the God of all nations of the earth, including Assyria, as well as her victims.
As God is the Creator of the heavens and earth, it was he that established all nations of the earth and sits as the Lord Almighty over them all. Paul points to God as the One who had instituted nation-states among all mankind, "From one man [Adam] he ["the God who made the world and everything in it"] made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands." Paul observes, "[God] is the Lord of heaven and earth". Acts 17:24-26.
Both King Hezekiah and the apostle Paul teach us that the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the Creator God who established all the nations of the earth. He is God of all peoples. He is the God of Muslim countries, he is the God of communist countries, he is God of all the nations that make up NATO and the European Union. He is the Lord God of all mankind. He is the God of atheists, he is the God of homosexuals, of murderers and rapists as well as the "pillars of the community." He is the God of liberals, conservatives, libertarians and progressives, of Democrats and Republicans.
Somewhere along the line many folks have arrived at the notion that whomever you accept as your god is your god. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many folks assume that God is only the god of Christians and Jews. God is the God of all mankind, every human being who has ever lived, every nation that has ever existed.
Consequently, King Hezekiah could take his fears to his own God as well as his plea for deliverance from Sennacherib, because Sennacherib's God was one in the same.
The implications of this are far-reaching. As we face the challenges of the day, knowing God is God of every last human being and every last nation on earth should influence our thinking and help us understand what God is doing on planet earth as he rolls out his agenda of redemption among all mankind.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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