God Is
In Charge of the World Order
Jim
Davis
We are hearing a lot about the "New World
Order" since the terrorist's attacks on the World Trade Center. We are
realizing that our worst nightmares have a possibility of becoming a reality
before our very eyes. Our present crisis cast a foreboding shadow upon
the future of our world. We must admit it is a little scary to think we
may have to live out the remainder of our lives with the monsters of our
dreams.
It is encouraging to see us as a nation turned
from our petty differences to think about the more serious issues of life.
It is rather encouraging to witness a nation that has been pampered with
instant gratification turn to patience, as we wait for our leaders to make
an intelligent deliberate response to the problems we face in this New
World Order.
Those visiting New York can't believe how
nice the people have become. They are speaking courteously to visitors.
There is a new and better spirit reaching across our country. Of course,
most of us are wondering how long it will last. It is encouraging to hear
some from the news media expressing the view that our new resolve will
stand the test of time. We can only wonder if we will desire to return
to a McDonald’s world with a yearning for instant gratification.
However, in times like these it is comforting
to know who is in charge of the "New World Order." Remember if this is
the beginning of a "New World Order," it is not the first "New World Order."
God Capable of Reordering Our World
In the opening chapters of the Bible
we see the beginning of three new world orders. In the first nineteen
chapters of the book of Genesis God demonstrates his power to reorder our
world. In the first couple of chapters of Genesis God reveals himself as
the creator of the world. As the revelation of God progresses throughout
scripture God reveals himself as the one in charge of the destiny of our
world. The God of the Bible reveals himself as the one who is in charge
of ordering and reordering the world according to his purposes.
The first began when God destroyed the
world through a flood. Every imagination of the hearts and minds of
humanity was only evil continually.
Genesis 6:5-10
"The LORD saw how great man's
wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts
of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had
made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD
said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men
and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the
air--for I am grieved that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the
eyes of the LORD.
"This is the account of Noah.
"Noah was a righteous man, blameless
among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Noah had three sons:
Shem, Ham and Japheth." (NIV)
Changing the world order of things has always
had a tendency to drive humanity back to God. I can't begin imagine the
devastation Noah saw as he departed the ark of God's safety. It is little
wonder that the first thing he did was to build an altar and worshipped
God.
The second major event after the flood
came the tower of Babel. It was there that God confused the language
of humanity to motivate a new beginning.
Genesis 11:5-9
"But the LORD came down to
see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, "If
as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then
nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down
and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."
"So the LORD scattered them
from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That
is why it was called Babel--because there the LORD confused the language
of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of
the whole earth." (NIV)
The third major event was the destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 18:16-21
When the men got up to leave,
they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see
them on their way. Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what
I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation,
and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen
him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to
keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD
will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
Then the LORD said, "The outcry
against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I
will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that
has reached me. If not, I will know." (NIV)
The initial chapters of the Bible reveal God's
ability to order and reorder our world to seek the highest good of his
creation despite Satan's schemes. Throughout biblical history when God
redirected the world order it seems to always be for the purpose of thwarting
evil.
Despite this new world order that many
believe is taking place, as Christians we can rest assured that God is
very much in control. Our God knows the end from the beginning.
Isaiah challenged the idol-gods Israel had made for herself. It was a challenge
of their knowledge and control over Israel's future. Isaiah challenged
the idols of the heathen to do that, which was not within their power.
Isaiah 41:22-24
"Bring in [your idols] to tell
us what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that
we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the
things to come, tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you
are gods. Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed
and filled with fear. But you are less than nothing and your works are
utterly worthless; he who chooses you is detestable. (NIV)
Israel’s God was unique in that he knew
the end from the beginning. Isaiah challenged the dumb idols of
the heathen to do what clearly was not within their power to do. However,
the ability of Jehovah to accurately predict the future is held forth as
a clear vindication of his power.
Isaiah 46:9-11
Remember the former things,
those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there
is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient
times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will
do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off
land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring
about; what I have planned, that will I do. (NIV)
Biblical prophecy was designed to reveal
the one who is in charge. Prophecy served to motivate and encourage
Israel to trust the one in charge of Israel’s destiny. Prophecy was designed
to teach Israel patience and to comfort Israel in difficult times.
Our comfort comes from knowing God is in charge.
Everything "written in the past was written to teach us, so that
through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have
hope." (Romans 15:4 NIV) The decisions made by men and women do
not hamper God’s ability to rule in the circumstances created by those
decisions. He has the power to rule in such a way to seek the greatest
good of everyone involved.
What Is God Doing In Times Like These?
In times such as these, we naturally
want to ask ourselves what God is doing? This is especially true
when troubles strike close to home. The book of Job is the oldest book
in the Bible. It was written before Moses wrote the Genesis' account. Job
reveals how God reorders our personal lives when Satan attacks our personal
world. Satan attacked Job and his family through natural calamities, economic
losses, death of his family and finally through attacking Job personally
through disease. Job questioned God’s order of things when Satan attacked
him personally. The book of Job makes it clear that God knew Satan’s intentions.
Job and his friends were trying to rationalize
God's role in the scheme of Job's difficulties. Job’s friends were sure
Job’s troubles were due to Job’s sin. As Job wrestles with his demise throughout
the book of Job, God doesn’t give Job a reason why his life has been reordered.
The book ends with God asking Job a series of questions.
Job 38:1-11
Then the LORD answered Job
out of the storm. He said: "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words
without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and
you shall answer me. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone- while the morning stars sang together and
all the angels shouted for joy? "Who shut up the sea behind doors when
it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped
it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and
bars in place, when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther; here
is where your proud waves halt'? (NIV)
Job 40:1-14
The LORD said to Job: "Will
the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses
God answer him!" Then Job answered the LORD: "I am unworthy-how can I reply
to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer-
twice, but I will say no more."
Then the LORD spoke to Job out
of the storm: "Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you
shall answer me. "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me
to justify yourself? Do you have an arm like God's, and can your voice
thunder like his? Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe
yourself in honor and majesty. Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at
every proud man and bring him low, look at every proud man and humble him,
crush the wicked where they stand. Bury them all in the dust together;
shroud their faces in the grave. Then I myself will admit to you that your
own right hand can save you. (NIV)
Job 42:1-6
Then Job replied to the LORD:
"I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. [You
asked,] 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely
I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to
know.
["You said,] 'Listen now, and
I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' My ears had
heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes." (NIV)
Job 42:12-17
The LORD blessed the latter
part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep,
six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And
he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named
Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all
the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their
father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
After this, Job lived a hundred
and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.
And so he died, old and full of years. (NIV)
The same questions should be asked of
those who seem to think they know what God is doing in the crisis we face
today. In the final analysis Job’s security
didn’t come from knowing what God was doing in the midst of his trials.
His security came from knowing that God knew what he was doing.
God is a master at ordering and reordering
our personal lives. It is comforting to know that as God moves
our galaxy and solar system through space that he does so in a way that
it does not collide with other galaxies. His providence keeps it on a path
of safety. Likewise as you see God's hand controlling the world order of
things throughout biblical history, it is comforting to note that God is
mindful of his children. He protected Job's life and worked in Job's circumstances
to give Job a deeper wisdom than he could have ever imagined.
Job 42:1-6
Then Job replied to the LORD:
"I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. [You
asked,] 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely
I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to
know.
["You said,] 'Listen now, and
I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' My ears had
heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes." (NIV)
The Key to Survival
The key to surviving the New World Order is
calling upon the name of the Lord. After Cain murdered Abel the world grew
wicked. The world was drifting away from God. Then Adam and Eve had another
son, Seth. Seth also had a son named Enosh. It was then that men and women
began calling upon the name of the Lord.
Genesis 4:25-26
"Adam lay with his wife again,
and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted
me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." Seth also had
a son, and he named him Enosh.
At that time men began to call
on the name of the LORD." (NIV)
When you follow the genealogy of Seth you
discover that every righteous person mentioned in the Bible is traced to
Seth. For Seth was the righteous seed of Adam. It is important to note
that he was the righteous seed of Adam by choice, not by birth. Seth led
his family to live righteous lives. When the world was filled with evil,
Seth decided to call upon the name of the Lord.
It was Noah’s choice to follow in his forefather
Seth’s steps that saved humanity from complete destruction. God saved the
world from total destruction because Noah found favor in the eyes of God.
He followed in the steps of his forefather Seth. Then it was Abraham’s
decision to follow in Seth’s steps that made possible the coming of Christ.
If you are a follower of Christ, you are also a spiritual descendant of
Seth who was the son of Adam, who was a son of God. It was Seth's choice
to call on the name of the Lord that protected God's creation from destruction
as God ordered and reordered the world.
The Bible is written to reveal the importance
of our individual and personal choices in the scheme of the world order
of things. Today it is our personal choice to follow in the footsteps
of Seth that has the possibility of saving the world. The righteous seed
of Seth have always preserved the world as God orders and reorders the
world.
The Bible emphasizes the importance
of our personal decision to call upon the name of the Lord. We
can recognize the importance of this personal decision when we observe
key biblical characters changing the course of history because of their
personal decision to call upon the name of the Lord. Just look at Seth,
Noah and Abraham all of whom changed the course of history through their
personal decision to call upon the name of the Lord.
Calling upon the name of the Lord for
the purpose of seeking his direction for our lives is the greatest contribution
each of us can make in times when God is reordering the world order of
things. Biblical history reveals God's potential for the individual
when one decides to call upon the name of the Lord. We may think that it
is what we do collectively that matters most of all. But it is what we
do individually that makes the greatest difference in our lives and in
the world.
The preservation power of those who
call upon the name of the Lord is mind-boggling.
Genesis 18:20-33
Then the LORD said, "The outcry
against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that
I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that
has reached me. If not, I will know."
The men turned away and went
toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. Then Abraham
approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really
sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous
people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing--to kill the righteous
with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it
from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
The LORD said, "If I find fifty
righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for
their sake."
Then Abraham spoke up again:
"Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing
but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less
than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?"
"If I find forty-five there,"
he said, "I will not destroy it."
Once again he spoke to him,
"What if only forty are found there?"
He said, "For the sake of forty,
I will not do it."
Then he said, "May the Lord
not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?"
He answered, "I will not do
it if I find thirty there."
Abraham said, "Now that I have
been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found
there?"
He said, "For the sake of twenty,
I will not destroy it."
Then he said, "May the Lord
not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be
found there?"
He answered, "For the sake of
ten, I will not destroy it."
When the LORD had finished speaking
with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home. (NIV)
Lot and his wife and two daughters were the
only righteous ones. It would have taken only six more righteous souls
to preserve the cities on the plains of Sodom and Gomorrah. God's ability
to preserve our world is largely dependent upon our decision to call upon
the name of the Lord. The destiny of Sodom and Gomorrah would have been
much different if there were only six more righteous souls.
I can't explain what God is doing in this
world. I can't tell you why he is doing it or allowing it to happen. I
can tell you that he is in definitely in charge. I can tell you the effect
he wants it to have on your personal life. I can tell you the affect your
decision will have upon our country and the world at large.
The tragedy in our world today can be
used to our advantage. We can allow ourselves to see our personal
need to allow God to enter our personal lives. We can choose to see our
need to call upon the name of the Lord.
The first nineteen chapters of Genesis reveal
the importance of calling upon the name of the Lord. God promised Abraham
that he would bless all the families of the earth through his decision
to call upon the Lord. That same promise extends to every person who chooses
to follow Abraham. In a very real sense it is a perpetual promise made
to each of us.
Deuteronomy 26:16-19
The LORD your God commands
you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with
all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that
the LORD is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will
keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey him. And the
LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession
as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared
that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations
he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as
he promised. (NIV)
Conclusion:
When we call upon the Lord for deliverance
it must be a calling that springs from a heart of repentance. Radiating
an attitude of repentance is essential.
Romans 10:11-13
As the Scripture says, "Anyone
who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference
between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses
all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will
be saved." (NIV)
We hear the cry of those calling upon the
name the Lord as the last days began on Pentecost, as Christ ascended to
the throne of king David (Ephesians 1:18-22).
Acts 2:17-21
"'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on
my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs
on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be
turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great
and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved.'" (NIV)
Acts 2:36-39
"Therefore let all Israel be
assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord
and Christ."
When the people heard this,
they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers,
what shall we do?"
Peter replied, "Repent and be
baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness
of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The
promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all
whom the Lord our God will call." (NIV)
It is knowing that God has the whole world
in his hand that gives us the freedom and courage to call upon his name.
If God is seeking to call the world to himself, it is abundantly clear
that he will hear us when we call upon him.
