God’s Love for His Created Order – Part Two
Our Father Knows Best – Gifts and Disciplines
In Part One I focused on laying the groundwork for our understanding that God has intended from the beginning to include all of His children – all those created in His Image and Likeness – in His Eternal Plan. The Edenic Covenant, made with creation before sin entered, provides our template (I will come back to that in a moment).
It was also my intent to reframe how we think about the narrowing of the focus of the Old Testament story from all of Mankind to the descendants of Abraham. Paul draws that point out within his treatise to the Gentile believers in Rome as he provides them with the information and insights that he understood: God needed a repository for His oracles for the benefit of all peoples; and the linage from which our Savior would be born.
What I hope to demonstrate in this post is the actualization of the demonstration of God’s love to the other nations – “the other sheep, which are not of this fold; [He] must bring them also, and they will hear [His] voice; and they will become one flock: One Shepherd.” (John 10:16)
God tells us, in His Word, of two specific ways that He demonstrates His love to His children (and, again, by “His children” I am referring to all the sons and daughters of Adam and his wife, Eve – all of Mankind). Neither of which will come as a surprise to those of you who are parents.
In both Matthew’s and Luke’s account of the Good News of Jesus we read a recounting of Jesus’ teaching on how we should ask our Father in heaven for the things we need – and by “how” He meant what our attitude, our mind-set, should be when we go to God. (I will draw from Luke’s.)
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Luke 11:9-13
The key point: when there are things that are needed that our Father in Heaven can provide, we should go to Him with an attitude of confidence that He will give us those things we need. He is Good and Kind and Loving!
The second evidence of Love that God gives is found in Proverbs 3:11 which is also quoted in the section of Hebrews 12:4-11 on the topic.
My son do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His reproof, for whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father does the son in whom he delights. Prov.3:11
The passage in Hebrews goes so far as to note that if we have not experienced the disciplines of our Father then we are “illegitimate” (the word is saying that we have no father) and not sons. The goal of our Father’s discipline is always and only for our good. It is how we share in His holiness. And though it may seem like a bad thing while we are experiencing it, if we can understand it, we will recognize that it produces the fruit of serene justice/righteousness.
Though it is not always the case that the consequent proves the grounds, I believe that can be seriously considered in this one. Where we are told that God’s love requires His admonishing, correcting and discipling us; I believe we can accept that His admonishment, correction and discipline are proof of His love.
Going back to the Edenic Covenant: This was a unilateral covenant that included words and promises that only were accounted to God to perform. These applied to all that He created and all the blessings that He spoke over His creation. The sign or proofs of the covenant were the luminaries in the heavens that were to be for “signs and for seasons and for days and for years”. The price of this covenant, though a bit hard to discern, is likely the sinless blood of the Lamb Slain before the foundations of the created order were established.
Unlike the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants that Jesus refers to as being fulfilled – not abolished – there is reason to see the Edenic Covenant as the “within the confines of time” predecessor of the New Covenant that Jesus declared was established (Luke 22:20) on the day of His crucifixion (remembering that the day went from sunset to sunset). If so then it is still in existence and will be maintained until the time of the end, when the New Heaven and Earth are revealed AND that it is still covering all the of those that He made in His Image and Likeness.
Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD
will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills;
and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.”
For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war. Isa.2:2-4
The remainder of this post will be spent reviewing the nations that are specifically called out by His spokesmen with clear examples of His reproof, admonition and correction. As well as examples of the good gifts that a father gives. In fact, we will see examples where He addresses individuals, leaders of nations, not solely the peoples of nations.
To be sure, what I am not saying is that the interactions with God that these nations experience are exclusive of judgment; since that was not the case with the covenant people from which the Anointed One would come, we should expect it to be the same for the rest of those He loves. I also want to be clear that this is not an exhaustive exposition of the subject – that could indeed only be accomplished in a massive missive.
By the nature of this discovery, we will spend the majority of our time in the Old Testament. And as a testimony to the point of consistency in God’s dealings, I believe we should begin with Job. (As amazing as this book is, it is not the intent here to go deep into it – we will instead be looking at the catalyst for God’s interactions with Job.) The main take-away is that this level of interaction regarding Job is an example of God’s direct and definitive dealing with a man not of the line of Abraham – and quite possibly not of the line of Shem.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”
Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered (actually the phrase is “set your mind, will and/or heart upon”) My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So, Satan departed from the presence of the Lord. Job 1:6-12
A few thoughts regarding this interaction.
The sons of God, according to Job 38:7, are celestial beings – though I expect that you too have heard other explanations. The predicate “present themselves before” is a bit unusual. If directly translated it would suggest being “against (as in opposite of) or above” (which is basically where Isaiah suggests the seraphim are). In the sense of “against”; “before” works.
There are clearly stated standards that were measurable and actionable long before the “Law” was given; standards that Job appears to have succeeded (if not exceeded) in attaining.
Most remarkable to me: Satan – the adversary – is allowed in their midst. He has just been roving and walking over the land that he now was legally entitled to manage. Though his presence in the council was likely customary before he rebelled, it seems wrong for him to have retained access after it. And yet here he is; a central part of a discussion about a man and his relationship with the Lord. What good was intended – for all that He does is Good – by allowing this creature to exist at all? And not only to exist, but to barter with the LORD; to use the same tactic as he had used on the woman – doubt and deny – on Job?
Though a bit of an aside – since I brought it up, I cannot leave the point unanswered. And so I will endeavor to do so = or at least to express my understanding of the answer.
Only and completely our destiny as an eternal creation made to share that eternity with God, our Creator.
I believe (and have addressed in great detail in my soon to be published book “Redemption”) that for God to allow the serpent access – even existence – was so that Adam would be faced with a change to the status quo, that would initiate a conflict; a conflict that would require Adam to choose. God knew what Adam’s choice would be and He knew the price that it would cost Him; but God desired to share eternity with His family – and this was the means of doing so. Allowing Satan to enter the garden, like allowing him into the counsel of the sons of God, was not just for the greater good of Mankind in some abstract, futuristic way – it was for the greater good, within time, for Adam and later, for Job.
(As a bit of a sidebar – there are a number of nations or tribes that are allowed by God to trouble (or console) Job including the Sabeans, Chaldeans, Temani, Shuchi, Naamathi some of whose origins are unclear in large part because they are defined by the name of their “staff” or “maṭṭeh” which, as we have seen, can refer to a number of men (in other words, there was more than one “Teman”). Though this makes it difficult to know exactly when this story occurred, it does not impact the implications.
I also want to address up front some of the strong language that the Lord uses in His rebukes and corrections of the nations that we will be looking at by noting that there is (almost) nothing that He says to and of them that He does not also say to Israel and Judah. In fact, in a side by side comparison (and as one would expect) His wrath and punishment of the covenant people may actually prove to be harsher.
I say, “as one would expect” because, as we hear from Jesus, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” (See Luke 12:48b) Add to that what Paul, who is speaking primarily to the Gentile believers in Rome, preparing them for the return of their Jewish brothers since the banishment was lifted, in our chapter 2 of that letter:
For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. Rom.2:12-16
That the Lord was working on the nations before He had called Abram out of Ur was evident by His intervention with Nimrod the son of Cush the son of Ham. Which, by the way, I will use as a further filter for the examples I provide; only focusing on those nations who would not qualify as Hebrews (descendants of Eber) or even the Semites (those descended from Shem). The need for that additional filter was evidenced by the massive number of words spoken to the various nations, many of which could trace their roots back to Noah through Shem.
As we saw in the previous post, the sons of Noah’s sons (and on occasion, a generation or two more) can be found in Genesis 10; it is from that passage that I will provide examples of God’s dealings with the nations – examples of both His giving of gifts and of His disciplines – because as a good Father, He would do both. Though it is not my intent to be exhaustive (there are hundreds of examples) I hope to provide enough of both breadth and depth to demonstrate from His Word, the premise upon which I founded this series. (There can also be found genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1-8, which brings the lines of the sons of Jacob to the captivity (for Judah) or at least into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel.)
One last editorial comment: I did not want to be too didactic in the presentation of the passages, however, grouping them as I have helped facilitate my research; and, I trust, your appreciation.
CANAAN
Gifts
This may seem generous on my part – to attribute the possession of a section of land large enough for your tribes to become a nation – but in doing so it should be kept in mind that that is the very metric that was (and in some sense, still is) used when it comes to the covenant between God and Abram. That said, we see in Genesis 13, after Abram finally fulfills the covenant condition of separating from Lot, that he settled in the land of Cannan.
God also demonstrates His gift of patience and maybe more subtly, that He was involved enough to give the Canaanites standards. In chapter 15 of Genesis the Lord lays out to Abraham the timing of His plan and the implications of it on the current inhabitants. In verse 13 He discloses to Abram that his heirs (so starting with Isaac) will be sojourners for 400 years, that he will live to a good old age in the land he is in and then in the fourth generation after his heirs leave the land of the Canaanites, they will return. And then we learn this:
“…for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” Gen.15:16
The chapter then ends with a list of the current Canaanite (meaning descendants of Cannan, son of Ham) who live in the land that God promises to Abraham when they return in 400 years. That this is a “gift” is only nuanced if we think that somehow our unchanging God treats others differently than how He declared He would treat Abraham and his seed. That the Amorite were being held accountable means that the standard of God had been made known to them. That they would be given time, to also not complete their iniquity, speaks of God’s ongoing work with them, His willingness to demonstrate the consequences of defying His laws (those apparent via the Edenic Covenant and creation). That He will draw an end to their destructive behaviors is also proof of His love for them.
(BTW: The 400 years aligns with the arrival of the sons of Jacob to Kadesh Barnea, in the wilderness of Paran and the sending in of the spies (see Numb.13). That they refused to go in extended the time of God’s intended removal of the Amorite, which may, in part, explain why they had such a hard time removing them from the land.)
Disciplines
In Isaiah 23 we are told an oracle or utterance concerning Tyre a city that is often aligned with Sidon – the city named after Canaan’s first born son. Together they became symbolic of the northern reaches of the land of Canaan. The entire chapter rehearses the gifts that have been given them and their decision to worship idols, rather than the God of creation. Verse 8 asks the question, “Who has planned this against Tyre…?” Verses 9-18 tell of the Lord’s correction, beginning with, “The LORD of hosts has planned it…”.
The rest of the chapter describes the punishment, the discipline, the correction of the LORD in His attempt to remediate the nation of Canaan; saying at one point that “The LORD has given command concerning Canaan to demolish its strongholds”.
We are told that He is trying to break her pride, using both the Chaldeans and Assyria. After which, for seventy years Canaan/Sidon will be forgotten and then the LORD will remember her, but she will go back to her idols, until her “harlot’s wages” become a means of provision for the righteous (symbolic language that is indicating that the unwillingness to recognize Him as God will ultimately bring humiliation without reward).
CUSH (Ethiopia)
Gifts
This verse may be copied under other descendants’ list of gifts as well. It is speaking of the promise to the nations to be a part of His everlasting kingdom.
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt about His waist. And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Then in that day the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious. Then it will happen on that day that the Lord will again recover the second time with His hand the remnant of His people, who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He will lift up a standard for the nations and assemble the banished ones of Israel and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Isa.11:1-12
This messianic declaration is often referenced in modern days, as a portrayal of the symbolism of a new paradigm of peace and security. If that is how it is seen, the story ends before we get to the part where the nations are invited to share in the glorious future; and therefore miss the future that is in fact a restoration of what creation was before sin entered – when all ate from the “seed yielding plants and the seed yielding fruit from the trees”. Cush/Ethiopia has this gift available – Isaiah declares that they will partake of it!
Disciplines
This word of instruction given to Isaiah to share, would also be seen when we get to Mizraim/Egypt. It is a very specific warning, actually demonstrated by Isaiah to the two nations, with the intent of giving them a window of opportunity to repent of putting their trust in their own strength – as well as warning any other nations who had put their hope in them. Isaiah then admonishes them with these words (paraphrased): Behold, if the strength of nations is their hope, then the LORD will discipline them for their pride by delivering their hope over to Assyria; so, how shall they escape?” The question should be seen as rhetorical – their only true hope (as is true for us), is the LORD God Almighty!
MIZRAIM (Egypt)
Gifts
As I noted, Mizraim/Egypt was another of the nations called to be a part of the new world the Messiah will bring as described in Isaiah 11:1-12.
In Isaiah 19, Egypt is promised a blessing with another of the adversaries of Jacob: Assyria – the descendants of Shem’s second born son, Ashshur. This gift is also in the context of “that day”, which when seen in a word from the Lord, almost always sees final fulfillment under the Messiah, either His first or second coming. Here the language is quite favorable.
In that day...the Lord of Hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My possession.” Isa.19:24-25
Disciplines
Within the promise from the Lord of restoration of Israel/Jacob, the Lord speaks of Mizriam/Egypt being one of the nations that comes to recognize, through the corrections and discipline they have experienced, that “surely God can only be found in His people and that He alone is God” (see Isaiah 45:14-16).
The entirety of our chapter 46 of the book of Jeremiah contains a detailed account of God’s intervention in Mizraim/Egypt and its ruler, Pharoah. And though He is warning them of the coming defeat by Babylon, the language is very similar to how He warned Judah and her kings – including the promise of restoration (see especially 46:26).
There are similar promises found in Ezekiel 29, where the first 12 verses speak of judgment. But in verses 13-16 the word of the Lord is a declaration of restoration with the explanation that His punishment was so that they will know that “I am the Lord GOD”.
PUT
Gifts
In Isaiah 66, Put is included in a widespread call to experience and enjoy the benefits of knowing the Lord.
“For I know their works and their thoughts; it is coming, to gather all nations and languages. And they shall see My glory. I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal, Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. Then they will bring all the brothers from all the nations…” Isaiah 66:18-20
Disciplines
Ezekiel includes Put among those who went to Egypt’s aid when the Lord was disciplining that nation, causing Put to also “fall with them by the sword”. (see Ezek.30:5) And they are a part of those who will be included in the correction of Egypt that we saw in Jeremiah 46 (see verses 8-10)
JAVAN (Greece)
Gifts
Javan/Greece is seen in Daniel’s visions of both the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, represented in the belly and thighs of bronze, and in the ram and the goat, represented in the shaggy goat with the one horn that becomes four horns (describing Alexander, his early death and the division of his kingdom into four).
Chapter 10 of Daniel begins with him seeing a vision of a Man that compares to Who John saw in Revelation chapter 1 and Who we know to be Jesus. Daniel is touched by a hand and comforted and then is given a very detailed description of the annals of the Kingdoms of Greece (which continues through all of chapter 11 and the first four verses of chapter 12). That God was so deeply involved in this nation that He would share details (that have been verified as accurate – so much so that many Hebrew scholars believe them to have been written after the fall of Greece and ascension of Rome) could and should be seen as His gift!
Disciplines
Included in what is given to Daniel above as instructions from the Messenger of the LORD, are corrections and disciplines as well as the gift of His overseeing.
MADAI (Medes/Medians)
Gifts
The nation of the Medes, in collaboration with the Persians are represented in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as the silver chest and arms and are also seen as the Ram in the vision found in Daniel 8. The very fact that God was sharing the existence and impact of these kingdom nations is evidence of His care for their people. He does not present Himself one way to one nation, tribe or language and contradict Himself to another. His awareness equates to His involvement, which is always reflective of His love!
That truth is reinforced by the entirety of the book of Esther, which takes place within that combined kingdom.
Disciplines
There are no specific passages describing His corrections over Madai other than those inferred by the visions of Daniel.
GOMER / MAGOG / TUBAL / MESHECH
The remainder of the sons of Japheth (with the exception of Tiras, who is only mentioned in the genealogies of Genesis 10 and 1Chronicles 1) are seen only in the general calling of the nations for either discipline and correction or their ultimate inclusion in the Lord’s kingdom that are noted above.
It is my hope that I have done justice to the idea of God’s love for all nations by means of the examples I have provided. I do understand that underlying these examples is a doctrine or premise that assumes that God is Loving and Faithful and Just; my strong conviction is that these passages support my bias – and do so with enough strength to convince (or confirm) the same conclusion for you.