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He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

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Prior to Joshua’s time (3,600 years ago), through Moses, God warned that Israel would disobey him and be driven from their homeland and scattered among the nations.5 It took 900 years to happen, but it did! In 721 BC, northern Israel was taken captive by Assyria. In 586 BC, southern Israel was taken to Babylon. Seventy years later, a small remnant of 40,000 returned to rebuild Israel. But in AD 70, Jerusalem was again destroyed, this time by the Romans, and those who survived were scattered among the nations—where many, if not most, Jews still are today.

In spite of Israel’s repeated pattern of experiencing God’s protection and blessings, and abandoning him, God has never canceled his covenant with them. For example, a thousand years after Moses God promised Israel, saying, "I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land."6 God also promised that Israel would once again "blossom as the rose,"7 and that he would "gather the scattered Israelites from the ends of the earth."8 Through Amos, God added, "I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and live in them."9

Every one of these promises God made to Israel has been fulfilled in minutest detail. What is amazing, however, is not only Israel's return to the Promised Land after being scattered throughout the world for 2,000 years and more, and being restored as a nation on May 14, 1948, but also how Israel has survived against overwhelming odds. Ever since that May Day in 1948—including the six-day war in 1967—the surrounding Arab nations, outnumbering the Israelites by the millions, have been resolute on destroying this tiny nation, as they still are! Israel’s survival, without question, is evidence that this nation is truly in God's hands, without which she would never have survived, nor ever could. It is also evidence that God always keeps his Word and his promises.

Blessed is that nation
whose God is the Lord

But what about the rest of the world? Are we, too, in God’s hands?

In reference to Israel, God’s Word says, “Blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord … No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear [reverence] him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”10

This promise of God would also apply to every nation whose God is the Lord. But how many nations today can this be said about? There are countless thousands of individuals—even millions—whose God is the Lord and they will certainly be saved in the long run. But for all whose God is not the Lord—be they nations or individuals, will in the final day stand before God, the judge of all the earth, and give an account of their life to him. Thus the ultimate destiny of the entire world, and that of every individual who has ever lived, is in God’s hands.

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All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.