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 Psalm 99:1-2,
"The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations."
A nation exists as a group of people that inhabit a certain geography within a distinct timeframe. We learn from the apostle Paul that God is the creator of all nations, "From one man he [God] 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. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:26. From this passage we see that God's purpose in creating all the various nations is to draw all people to himself, "so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him."
God uses the interactions of nations to create an environment that prompts people to seek him. I often correlate this passage with another from Paul, "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." Romans 8:20-22. Here we see that the difficulties found within the coexistence of the differing nations is a tool the Lord uses to draw mankind to him - a coexistence of frustration, and at times desperation.
"The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations."
A nation exists as a group of people that inhabit a certain geography within a distinct timeframe. We learn from the apostle Paul that God is the creator of all nations, "From one man he [God] 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. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:26. From this passage we see that God's purpose in creating all the various nations is to draw all people to himself, "so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him."
God uses the interactions of nations to create an environment that prompts people to seek him. I often correlate this passage with another from Paul, "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." Romans 8:20-22. Here we see that the difficulties found within the coexistence of the differing nations is a tool the Lord uses to draw mankind to him - a coexistence of frustration, and at times desperation.
That message seen on those "Coexist" bumper stickers we have all seen will never come to fruition. That, and John Lennon's song "Imagine" are antithetical to the purposes and workings of God - never going to happen.
As we learn about God's purposes for all the nations, we see that God has created all the nations for those purposes.
In the end, we also see from Psalm 99 that all nations will exalt him in recognition of who he is and what he has done.
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 reply 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 reply and let me know.
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