Establishing the Law covenant. Before establishing the Law covenant with Israel, Jehovah performed miracles, providing water and food for the millions now in the desert region of Sinai and giving victory over attackers. (Ex 15:22-25; 16:11-15; 17:5-16) At the place previously appointed, Mount Sinai, Jehovah gave an awe-inspiring demonstration of his control over the created earthly forces. (Ex 19:16-19; compare Heb 12:18-21.) The nation had every reason to recognize the divine Source of the covenant and accept its terms with deep respect. (De 4:32-36, 39) Jehovah’s remarkable use of Moses also gave real basis for people to accept with conviction the Pentateuch, the initial part of the Sacred Scriptures written by Moses’ hand, as divinely inspired. (Compare De 34:10-12; Jos 1:7, 8.) When the authority of the Aaronic priesthood was questioned, Jehovah gave further visible confirmation.—Nu chaps 16, 17. Conquest of Canaan. The conquest of seven nations of Canaan, “more populous and mighty” than Israel (De 7:1, 2), gave added testimony to Jehovah’s Godship. (Jos 23:3, 8-11) His fame paved the way (Ex 9:16; Jer 32:20, 21), and ‘dread and the fear’ of Israel as his people weakened their opposers. (De 11:25; Ex 15:14-17) Those opposing were all the more reprehensible therefore, for they had evidence that these were the people of the true God; to fight them was to fight against God. Some Canaanites wisely recognized Jehovah’s superiority over their idol gods, as had others earlier, and sought his favor.—Jos 2:1, 9-13. Sun and moon stand still. In acting on behalf of the besieged Gibeonites, Canaanites who put faith in him, Jehovah extended Israel’s onslaught against the besieging forces by causing the sun and moon to hold their positions in relation to the viewpoint of those at the battle scene, postponing sunset for almost a day’s time. (Jos 10:1-14) While this could mean a stopping of earth’s rotation, it could have been accomplished by other means, such as a refraction of solar and lunar light rays to produce the same effect. Whatever the method employed, it demonstrated again that “everything that Jehovah delighted to do he has done in the heavens and in the earth, in the seas and all the watery deeps.” (Ps 135:6) As the apostle Paul later wrote: “Every house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all things is God.” (Heb 3:4) Jehovah does as he pleases with his own building, utilizing it as it suits him, even as does the man who builds a house.—Compare 2Ki 20:8-11. During the next four centuries, throughout the period of the Judges, Jehovah continued to support the Israelites when they were loyal to Him and to withdraw his support when they turned to other gods.—Jg 6:11-22, 36-40; 4:14-16; 5:31; 14:3, 4, 6, 19; 15:14; 16:15-21, 23-30. Under the Israelite monarchy. During the 510 years of the Israelite monarchy, Jehovah’s mighty “arm” and protecting “hand” frequently kept powerful aggressors at bay, confused and disrupted their forces, and sent them fleeing back to their home territories. These nations worshiped not only “nature gods” but gods (and goddesses) of war. In some cases the head of the country was himself viewed as a god. Since they insisted on warring against his people, Jehovah showed himself again as “a manly person of war,” a ‘glorious King, mighty in battle.’ (Ex 15:3; Ps 24:7-10; Isa 59:17-19) In effect, he met them on all types of terrain, employed war strategy that outwitted their boastful generals, and overcame warriors of many nations as well as their special war equipment. (2Sa 5:22-25; 10:18; 1Ki 20:23-30; 2Ch 14:9-12) He could cause their secret battle plans to be known to his people as accurately as if electronic listening devices were planted in their palaces. (2Ki 6:8-12) At times he strengthened his people to do the fighting; at other times he gained victories without their striking a blow. (2Ki 7:6, 7; 2Ch 20:15, 17, 22, 24, 29) In all of this, Jehovah shamed the war gods of the nations, exposed them as failures, frauds.—Isa 41:21-24; Jer 10:10-15; 43:10-13. In exile and restoration. Though Jehovah allowed the nation to go into exile, the northern kingdom being conquered by Assyria and the kingdom of Judah desolated by Babylon, he kept alive the Davidic line in fulfillment of his covenant with David for an everlasting kingdom. (Ps 89:3, 4, 35-37) During the period of exile, he also kept alive the faith of his people, using Daniel and others in marvelous ways, performing miraculous acts that caused even world rulers humbly to acknowledge his power. (Da 3:19-29; 4:34-37; 6:16-23) By the fall of mighty Babylon, Jehovah again demonstrated his unique Godship, exposed the unreality of the pagan gods, and put them to shame. His people were witnesses of this. (Isa 41:21-29; 43:10-15; 46:1, 2, 5-7) He maneuvered the kings of Persia in behalf of Israel, effecting the release of his people and their return to their homeland, enabling them to rebuild the temple and later the city of Jerusalem. (Ezr 1:1-4; 7:6, 27, 28; Ne 1:11; 2:1-8) Ezra rightly felt ashamed to ask the Persian king for military protection of his company, though they carried cargo with a total value evidently in excess of $43,000,000. Jehovah guarded them during their journey to Jerusalem in answer to their prayer.—Ezr 8:21-27. In the interim between the closing of the Hebrew Scripture part of the Bible and the birth of God’s Son on earth, God’s power must have been active in order to guarantee the preservation of the nation of Israel, its capital city Jerusalem, the neighboring town of Bethlehem, the temple with its priesthood, and other features of the Jewish system. For all of these would have to be there for the fulfillment of prophecy in Christ Jesus and his activity. History relates attempts at replacing the Jewish system of things completely by process of Hellenization, that is, by converting it to the Grecian way of worship. But this ultimately failed.—See GREECE, GREEKS (Effect of Hellenization on the Jews). “Christ the Power of God.” From Jesus’ miraculous birth forward, God’s power was displayed toward and through him as never before. Like the psalmist, he became “just like a miracle to many people.” (Ps 71:7) Jesus and his disciples, like Isaiah and his children, were “as signs and as miracles in Israel from Jehovah of armies,” portending the future and revealing God’s purpose. (Isa 8:18; Heb 2:13; compare Lu 2:10-14.) In Jesus, God’s powerful workings during thousands of years now found fulfillment, came to fruition. Rightly the apostle could speak of Jesus as “the power of God and the wisdom of God.”—1Co 1:24. Jesus proved to be the long-awaited Messiah, Jehovah’s Anointed One, foretold to manifest the ‘spirit of mightiness.’ (Isa 11:1-5) As such, it could be expected that he would have powerful testimony to support that fact. (Mic 5:2-5; compare Joh 7:31.) Already by means of Jesus’ birth from a virgin Jewess, God had begun testifying on his Son’s behalf. (Lu 1:35-37) This birth was not simply a spectacular display of divine power but served very definite purposes. It provided a perfect human, a ‘second Adam,’ one who could sanctify his Father’s name, erase the reproach the first human son had brought on that name, and thereby give the lie to Satan’s challenge; moreover, the perfect Jesus would provide a legal basis for ransoming obedient mankind from the grip of Kings Sin and Death. (1Co 15:45-47; Heb 2:14, 15; Ro 5:18-21; see RANSOM.) And this perfect descendant of David would be the heir to an everlasting Kingdom.—Lu 1:31-33. Jesus’ anointing by God’s spirit was accompanied by divine power. (Ac 10:38) Moses was “powerful in his words and deeds.” As ‘the prophet greater than Moses,’ Jesus had credentials that were proportionately greater. (De 34:10-12; Ac 7:22; Lu 24:19; Joh 6:14) Rightly he ‘taught with authority.’ (Mt 7:28, 29) Thus, even as God gave cause for faith in Moses, Joshua, and others, he now gave sound basis for faith in his Son. (Mt 11:2-6; Joh 6:29) Jesus took no credit for himself, constantly acknowledging God as the Source of his powerful works. (Joh 5:19, 26; 7:28, 29; 9:3, 4; 14:10) Honest persons recognized “the majestic power of God” manifested through him.—Lu 9:43; 19:37; Joh 3:2; 9:28-33; compare Lu 1:68; 7:16.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 06:35:26 +0000
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