God Shows His Supremacy Among The Gentile
Memory Scripture, Jonah 4:11 (New International Version)
11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
The Philistine lords soon realized they were messing with the Owner of the universe when they saw the god they were so proud of, falling prostrate and broken in parts before the Ark of YAHWEH. God owns what He makes, And He rules what He owns. The maker of something is the owner, and has the power, not only to rule, but to do whatsoever He chooses/pleases with same. God is the Creator, and by implication, the Owner of ALL. He reigns unquestionably over All. That is why He is God, and God alone .
Among the Philistines, God favours them to vanquish His people and fulfils His supremacy among them. When God’s people misbehaved, He made their enemies become champions who made minced-meat of them. But God cannot but still treat them like the enemies they have always been. He punished them in return. God permitted the Philistines (enemies who didn’t know Him) to inflict a second defeat on His people (cf. Isa. 10:6-7; Rom. 9:16). They killed 30,000 Israelites, including Eli’s sons — Hophni and Phineas (cf. 2:34), and captured the coveted Ark that was devoid of God.
Having been permitted by God to defeat Israel (4:10-11), the Philistines proudly placed the Ark inside the house of Dagon, their god, to show Dagon as superior to Yahweh, who, unknown to them, had caused them to defeat Israel according to His righteousness. Their plan of taking the Ark as their spoil of war backfired, however. The next morning, Dagon was found lying prostrate before the Ark with its hands and head cut off (v.4). Who can battle with the Lord?
God desires men to acknowledge that Him as Supreme. Only then can they enjoy His divine favour. He is the Lord of all and must be recognised as such. He won’t share His glory with anyone, anywhere (Isa. 42:8).
Among the Syrians, God sends Elijah to give them King and to strengthens Elisha to confirm it. Uninvited, the Sovereign God interfered in the leadership of enemy nation. This He does to prove Himself as the unquestionable and unstoppable Administrator of the universe. The Lord’s instructions to Elijah were actually a mission to eventually bring about 3 appointments — 2 kings, and a prophet to succeed Elijah, Elisha. God is the determinant of governments and governance.
Years prior to Hazael’s reign, God had instructed Elijah to anoint Hazael as king over Syria. Why? Isreal had sinned against God and Hazael was to be used by Him to execute punishment upon them. God owns all and unquestionably does whatsoever He wills with all. Also, you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. God scheduled Jehu as instrument of vengeance on the house of Ahab (cf. 2 Kgs. 9:1-10). And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. In Elisha God gave Elijah a companion and successor. The work of God goes on because it is God’s work, and He oversees it. He will ensure the work continues, even after the demise of any personnel. God’s work always outlives God’s ministers!
CONCLUSION
God to us as the Supreme God who lovingly operates beyond all boundaries and barriers, and who is willing to save all who trust in Him. May God help us to fully appropriate all the lessons gleaned from here, in Jesus’sName, Amen.
