Worship Together On Earth As It Is In HeavenSample

God Created The Nations

The first two chapters of the book of Genesis record the events of creation.  The crowning glory of God's creative work?  People, beginning with Adam.  Have you ever thought that all the people that have ever lived can claim Adam as a many-times great-grandfather?  Through him, we are all related.

From Adam “... God created every human nation ...” on earth (Acts 17:26).  In Scripture, that word “nation” stems from the Greek, “ethnos,” meaning something like a people with a unifying ethnic identity, rather than referring to a people who live in a politically or geographically determined group.  Each nation or ethnos is unified by a common language or culture. 

God created the diversity of nations Himself. It was His desire for people to fill the earth, but Genesis 11 reveals that our ancient ancestors had other ideas. So, God intervened at the tower of Babel by turning the people's one language into many. New languages resulted in new people groups and new nations. These groups separated from one another and did finally, fill the earth.

God's heart for each of these nations is evident in His blessing of Abraham. God not only promised to make a great nation of Abraham, but also promised him that “all the families of the earth will be blessed because of you” (Genesis 12:2-3). He chose to bless the nation of Israel (Abraham's descendants) and all other nations on response to the Abrahamic promise. Not one nation over another. 

God's greatest blessing, the plan of salvation, is for all nations. Jesus admonished His followers to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 29:19). He does not wish that any of them perish without a chance to come to repentance. He loves them all, no matter their skin color, language, or cultural traditions. 

Does realizing that God created the nations affect your perspectives on culture, ethnicities, and diversity? Do you have a heart for the nations as God does?