God’s Plan And Purpose

Feature 1 – January 2014 — Grace & Truth Magazine

THE GREAT COMMISSION
God’s Plan And Purpose

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:19-20 NASB

We sometimes think that God’s plan for the evangelization of the world began when He uttered these words recorded in Matthew 28 to His disciples. However, a careful student of the Word will realize that God always had a plan to reconcile people from around the world to Himself. God spoke about His plan to Abraham already in Genesis 12:3: “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Creation To Abraham
We remember the beautiful paradise called Eden that God created for man. But this was soon corrupted when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. They were cast out of that special place and were separated from their Creator-God, losing the close, intimate fellowship they had enjoyed with Him. Because of their behavior, the earth was cursed and suffering soon followed. Their firstborn son, Cain, murdered their second son, Abel. The condition of man degenerated rapidly, and the extreme evil that followed led to a worldwide flood that destroyed everything. Only one righteous man was found – Noah – who was saved along with his family in the ark he had built at God’s command.

It was soon obvious that sin in the heart of man had not changed. The next major rebellion took place at Babel where strong leaders decided to build a tower to make a name for themselves, opposing God’s command to spread out over the earth. God halted their labors by confusing their language and forced them to separate across the earth according to their many diverse languages.

God’s plan was to reach the people of the whole world through one new nation, Israel, which was to be dedicated to God and a light to the other nations. This was to happen through one faithful man whom He chose: Abraham. This patriarch was called to follow God, which necessitated leaving his father, relatives, country and pagan gods. He would make a new beginning, establishing a genealogical line of God-loving descendants, through whom He would eventually manifest Himself as the Perfect Man and Savior of the world. Throughout that process Israel was to be a blessing to all nations. “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:2-3). This promise was later confirmed, “The LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?’” (Gen. 18:17-18).

God’s purpose was that all men everywhere would come to know Him and be reconciled to Him. Then “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Ps. 46:10).

Abraham was tested further and proved his faithfulness to God when he showed his readiness to sacrifice even his son Isaac. God saw his faith and confirmed the unconditional covenant with him. “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore ... In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Gen. 22:16-18).

The LORD confirmed this covenant to Isaac, “I will be with you and bless you ... and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 26:3-4). God also confirmed these promises to Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes that formed the nation of Israel, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac ... Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 28:13-14).

Old Testament Israel
Through Israel the power and wonder of God became known, and the enemies of Israel feared Him. Among the many references in the Old Testament we see that through plagues and miracles, when Moses sought to persuade Pharaoh to let the people of God go, the idol gods of Egypt were proven to be nothing. God brought Israel out of Egypt with a strong hand, parting the waters of the Red Sea and destroying the armies of Pharaoh. Through these miracles God wanted to manifest Himself to the nations. “And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD” (Ex. 14:4). Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, was one who was quick to recognize the power and might of the one true God. “So Jethro said, ‘Blessed be the LORD who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods’” (Ex. 18:10-11).

Forty years later Rahab and all in Jericho trembled as they remembered that there was a God in Israel. This brought about the “conversion” of Rahab and her family. “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (Josh. 2:9-11).

When David went out to slay Goliath he did so to make God known to the Philistines. “This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Sam. 17:46).

Naaman the leper came to know that God was the real and only God whom he found through the testimony of His prophet in Israel. “When [Naaman] returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, ‘Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel’” (2 Ki. 5:15).

There are a few other Old Testament verses I want to share with you that show that some in Israel were aware of God’s purpose. The prophet Isaiah said, “‘You are My witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘And My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me’” (Isa. 43:10). David declared, “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and they shall glorify Your name. For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God” (Ps. 86:9-10). Malachi, the last book written before the Savior was born, prophesied that God planned for all nations to know and glorify God. “‘For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Mal. 1:11).

Unfortunately, over the centuries, Israel failed miserably in being a light to bring the nations to God, even though there were many “bright spots” when they did understand and proclaim God’s glory. By the time the disciples were following the Lord Jesus, they thought that He had come just to save the people of Israel. They couldn’t imagine that the Lord Jesus was interested in saving Gentiles.

In The New Testament
It must have been a great surprise for the Lord’s disciples when He commanded them to “make disciples of all nations,” for even after Pentecost (Acts 2) thousands of Jews were hearing the message of salvation and becoming a part of the Church. But it wasn’t until Cornelius, a Roman centurion, sent for Peter that the disciples began to understand God’s desire for global evangelization (Acts 10). The Lord showed Peter through a strange dream repeated three times that what He had created was not “unclean.” In the dream a sheet came down from the sky filled with all sorts of animals, birds and crawling creatures. When told to kill and eat Peter was shocked and declared to the Lord that he had never eaten anything not according to the dietary laws of Israel. The Lord used this dream to show Peter that the purpose of making Himself known to the nations was not something new. Rather, it was His plan all along – His people’s being witnesses throughout the world. Peter went to the home of Cornelius and preached the gospel to those there. They all became born again Christians and were baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Church of the Living God.

In Antioch a short time later Paul and Barnabas worked with believers of different nationalities who likewise had come to salvation through the message of the gospel. After a council in Jerusalem with the apostles and elders it became clear that the gospel was for all people (Acts 15).

With this some of the teaching of the Lord Jesus became better understood:

• “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16).

• “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” (Jn. 12:32).

• “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold [Israel]; I must bring them [Gentiles] also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd” (Jn. 10:16).

Paralleling the great commission in Matthew 28:19-20, Luke reminded his readers that just before the Ascension the Lord Jesus laid on His followers the ministry of global evangelization. The Lord said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

What About You?
Witnessing is something in which every follower of the Lord Jesus is commanded to participate. The Lord tells His followers that they are “the light of the world” (Mt. 5:14). No matter where we live or the country we call home, there are people all around us who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We have a duty to be a witness to them – neighbors, business associates, friends and relatives. Don’t be afraid to speak a word for Jesus; as the lost are heading for an eternity in the lake of fire!

Some have the challenge of being called as missionaries to foreign lands. When God calls them they need to prepare their hearts and minds for the mission ahead. They must learn the language, study the culture, be willing to accept people as they are, and then make the move to the God-appointed place. They must be ready for hardships, toil and tears, while understanding that this is the work that the Lord has given to His people so that He will be exalted and that people from every nation, tribe and tongue will be among those who worship at the throne of the One who was slain. Then they will all be able to sing that new song together: “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).

God’s purpose is that all the people from all the nations will know Him and exalt Him. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth” (Ps. 46:10).

What is your part in His plan and purpose?