God and Nations

In Paul’s Sermon on Mars Hill in Athens, he makes a significant statement about God and nations.  Acts 17:26-27a—“From one man He created all the nations throughout the whole earth.  He decided beforehand their appointed times and He determined their boundaries.  His purpose was for the nations to seek after Him…”

Four Observations

1.  God created all the nations, not men.  “From one man,” Adam, every person who has ever been on planet earth, who is now on planet earth, or will be on planet earth, came to be.  And, God separated human beings and created nations when He created languages (Genesis 11:1-9).  It was God’s purpose from the beginning to multiply the human race and fill the whole earth with them (Genesis 1:28).  Since God created all nations, all nations belong to Him.

2.  God determines the beginning of all nations and the end.  Many leaders throughout history have thought they were in control, but the Lord God has proven over and over again that He is in control.  He raised them up and He can put them down any time He chooses.

3.  God determines the boundaries of every nation’s land.  When a nation tries to forcibly take the land of another nation, they are fighting against God and they will eventually be judged.

4.  God’s purpose for every nation is to “seek after Him.”  When a nation abandons God and His righteous standards, God will abandon them, unless they repent and return to God.

Our nation, who has been blessed by God in many ways, is in deep trouble.  Unless there is a great revival in the Church of Jesus Christ that impacts our nation, we will fall by the wayside just like other nations in the past.