HOW DID GOD DEAL WITH FOREIGN (non-Israelite) NATIONS IN THE O.T.?

Posted on by BETH

Here are a few references to show the Lord has always been interested in all souls, even though the Jews were his “chosen” people.

Jeremiah gives a picture of God’s work through his prophets.

“The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. 9 The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him” (Jer. 28:8-9).

The prophet’s primary work was to rebuke Israel for evil and try to get them to return to him.

Israel was not the only nation who had one of God’s prophets.

God looks through all the earth for those who seek him.

“The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God” (Psa. 14:2).

God sent Jeremiah personally to many nations to prophesy.

“For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. 16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.  17 Then took I the cup at the LORD’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me: 18 To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; 20 And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, 21 Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, 21 And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea,  22 Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners, 24 And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert, 25  And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes, 26 And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them (Jer. 25:15-26).

Jonah prophesied to Nineveh at God’s command.

God prophesied to many nations in the scriptures themselves.

Babylon

“The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see” (Isa. 13:1).

Moab

“The burden of Moab Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence;” (Isa. 15:1).

Damascus

“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isa. 17:1).

Egypt

“The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it” (Isa. 19:1).

Elam and Media

“The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. 2. A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease” (Isa. 21:1-2).

Dumah is probably connected with Syria

“The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?” (Isa. 21:11).

Arabia

“The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim” (Isa. 21:13).

Tyre

“The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them” (Isa. 23:1).

Nineveh

“The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite” (Nah. 1:1).

Ammonites

“Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?” (Jer. 49:1).

Moab

“Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD” (Jer. 48:43).

Egypt

“The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles; Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah” (Jer. 46:1-2).

Philistines

“The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza” (Jer. 47:1).

Moab

“Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed” (Jer. 48:1).

Babylon

“The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet…” (Jer. 50:1).

The whole book of Obadiah is a prophecy of Edom, not Israel

“The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle” (Obadiah 1).

–Beth Johnson

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THE VEIL IS TAKEN AWAY

Posted on by BETH

But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away (2 Cor 3:14-16).

The veil Moses wore over his face stopped the people from seeing him. “And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him” (Exod. 34:33-35).

The passage in 2 Corinthians which alludes to this reference tells how the Israelites could not see (understand) the Old Testament law because a veil was on their heart (singular). Keep in mind that the veil was not on the scriptures, but on their heart. The heart is the capacity to understand. When they tried to understand the scriptures, the veil stopped them from seeing (understanding) the scriptures. “But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart” (2 Cor. 3:14-15).

God put the veil on their heart because they didn’t turn to Him. Anyone who seeks will find. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone” (Mat. 7:7-9)?

God searches for those who understand and seek Him. “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God (Psa. 14:2). The Lord will remove the veil from anyone who seeks Him, but he also sends a strong delusion on those who do not love His truth so that they will believe a lie. “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thes. 2:10-12).

When men do not love the truth about God, He gives them up to do evil. Their minds are blinded to what they really are. “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Rom. 1:25-28).

Questions for further study:

1. Why was there a veil on the face of Moses (Exod. 34)?

2. What did the veil represent (2 cor. 3:14-16)?

3. Why did they not understand the reading of the Old Law?

4. Why did God put the veil upon their hearts?

5. What was the effect of having a veil upon their hearts (2 Cor. 3:14-15)?

6. Why are men today blind to (cannot understand) the truth of God (2 Thes. 2:10-12)?

7. What kind of people is God searching for (Psa. 14:2)?

8. When God gives up on people, what does he give them up to (Rom. 1:25-28)?

9. Why does he give up on certain people (Rom. 1:18-23)?

10. What will happen if we truly seek God (Mat. 7:7-9)?