Israel - Microcosm of the Nations

The apostle Paul exclaimed in his concluding remarks about God's incredible work of salvation,  "Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!" (Rm. 11:33) I am chewing on a thought - God's dealings with Israel are a picture of God's dealings with the nations.

We often wonder in amazement how God's chosen people could have rejected their Messiah. We not only marvel that God's own people did not receive their Messiah, but also are puzzled with the multitudinous times Israel disobeyed and rejected their God in the centuries prior to Messiah's arrival.

As I contemplate Israel's treatment of their God, the true and living God, I am struck with the thought that Israel is but a microcosm of how the nations have treated God. Prior to Israel's existence God made himself known to the nations. As the descendents of Adam and Eve populated the earth and organized into nations they progressively turned from and rejected their God. This resulted in God's judgment upon humanity because of their unbelievable depravity and violence. (Gn. 6 - 9)

Eight people emerged from the Ark and began to populate the earth once again. Not too many decades after the Ark had settled upon the mountains of Ararat God had to judge the human population for rebellion at the Tower of Babel. The people dispersed and the birth of the modern nations ensued. 

The nations had knowledge of God but, again, progressively repressed and suppressed the knowledge of God in order to make their own gods. (Rm 1:18 - 32) Due to the stubbornness, and increasingly hard hearts of the nations God raised up another nation through whom to make Himself known to the nations, yet again. Prior to Israel's existence the nations had totally rejected their God, the true and living God. (To be continued in my next post)