Good News for all nations

One of the great themes of the Bible is that through one nation God will bless many nations. Israel didn’t fulfil its mission to be a light to the nations as well as it might. But this doesn’t thwart God’s purposes.

Our God is not some local deity, the favoured God of a particular nation or culture. Many times the people of Israel saw him as their pet deity, as people who were favoured by him come what may. The various judgements God visited on them challenge such complacency. In blessing Israel and choosing Israel as his special instrument, God has not turned his back on other peoples.

Our text tells us that the Israelites who were exiled at this time would be restored. But God’s blessing will reach out to other nations as well. God is not just the God of Israel. Our message today is not just for our own nation or culture. God is not a creature of our Western mindset. He is not a captive to democracy, capitalism, socialism or any other ‘ism’.

The reason why Christians are involved in what we call ‘missions’ is because God is a missionary God. He wants all people in all nations to respond to his offer of mercy. Our missionaries may have erred grievously at times in confusing Christianity with a particular culture, but at heart they were on the right track. The good news is too good to be confined to one people group, one nation. Our God is a God of all nations.

Blessings
David Reay