A Nation is Born

We’ve seen isolation fail. Annihilation, the flood, didn’t fix the sin problem either. Mankind tenaciously held on to their problems then just as strongly as we do now. So here we come back again years later and we witness the birth of God’s chosen people. The nation of Israel, birthed through the hardships of betrayal and slavery, tempered by their wandering in the wilderness, strengthened by the taking of God’s promise, were called to take the promised land and make it their own. Through this time of separation, though bloody in it’s battles, God called His people to be set apart, and holy unto Him. By giving them His clear instructions at Mt Sinai and destroying the outside influences that existed, they were set up with the best possible chance to live a life that pursued holiness over all other alternatives.

It wasn’t long before the plan began to unravel. Oaths were sworn, some under false pretenses to protect some of the very people that were given to destruction. This isn’t our go to section of the Bible when we want to talk about God’s love, but clearly, His love for His people is displayed throughout. God wanted them to avoid any outside influences that would pull them away from Him.

God demonstrated that He was serious about sin by having Israel wipe out entire cities and nations in the name of Jehovah. Volumes could be written arguing over these actions, but for what we are dealing with here, suffice it to say that the people that were wiped out were already on God’s short list to begin with, they weren’t all that innocent. But His people failed to eliminate all the people of the land and because of that, continued to face trouble.

Some allowed themselves to be strongly influenced by these foreign beliefs and because of that strayed away from God. We see this nation wanting what the other nations have. God raises up people to guide them as judges, to settle disputes and free them from foreign rule, which they frequently fell under. These judges range from the God fearing, though rather doubtful Gideon, down to the rebellious, yet very effective Samson.

Then the nation cries out for a human king. No longer is it good enough for God to be their heavenly King. They desire what the other nations have, a physical king, though imperfect by nature, to rule over them. Some good came of it, but these kings still had their fallen nature to contend with. Saul was impatient and soon found God was no longer with him. King David was called a man after God’s own heart. But, his sins were many. The bloodshed that he brought in honor of God was too great for God to allow him to build the temple. Solomon, the wise, was blessed by God greater than any king ever. Under him, the nation of Israel thrived. Even so, his alliances lead him to be swayed away from his loyalty to God.

The nation split after Solomon’s rule.  Years later they were all taken into captivity. Many trying years followed for His chosen ones. Some held strong, others strayed away. We see examples of faithfulness of those who stood up for God when everyone else around them gave in. God used this time of trial and hardship to announce the coming of the Messiah. The Savior would come to set His people free. This was the hope that they held to. The same hope that we have seen evident in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. All of this was meant to point us to Christ. No other plan could save mankind from their sinful state. All others had failed, but that was the point. No other way would work. God just had to prove that fact to us for us to accept it.

This post is the 3rd of a 3 part series. Click here to read the first post.