Introduction. Throughout all eternity, God has lived His life in heaven. Every decision and action He makes is based on righteousness, justice and love (Ps. 89:14; 1Jn. 4:8). All of His actions and thoughts in regard to others are based on His love which seeks to act in their best interests. There is no selfishness in Him and in all His plans or goals He is always seeking what is best for others. This is also how the Word, the Spirit, the angels and archangels are all living, and in every interaction we have had with them, this is how they have treated us. There is no injustice or unfairness in God.
When God created our parents, Adam and Eve, He created them and all future generations in His image and likeness. He planned for all mankind to live here on earth with the same type of loving and righteous life on earth as He and all others do in heaven. Alas, it only lasted a very short time. The purpose for the command regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was to give them the opportunity to prove their own righteousness, unselfishness and love. Yet Eve acted out of selfishness when she ate that fruit. She knew God had told her not to do it and had warned her of the danger, but her own selfish desires took precedence over God’s needs and she acted in a way that harmed Him and all of us. Adam followed right after her
When God created our parents, Adam and Eve, He created them and all future generations in His image and likeness. He planned for all mankind to live here on earth with the same type of loving and righteous life on earth as He and all others do in heaven. Alas, it only lasted a very short time. The purpose for the command regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was to give them the opportunity to prove their own righteousness, unselfishness and love. Yet Eve acted out of selfishness when she ate that fruit. She knew God had told her not to do it and had warned her of the danger, but her own selfish desires took precedence over God’s needs and she acted in a way that harmed Him and all of us. Adam followed right after her
Her first two sons were Cain and Abel. While Abel clearly wanted to worship God in righteousness and love as it is done in heaven, Cain did not care what God wanted in worship and was only acting for his own interests. God could not accept such worship since it was not sincere and not out of love for God. When God asked Cain to repent and do it better the second time, Cain grew angry. In great selfishness he took Abel’s life from him and then “went out from the presence of the Lord” to live the gift of life God had given him according to his own selfish desires. God summed up how this worked out in Genesis 6. The world darkened and became progressively worse under this cloud of evil and selfishness:
This was a pivotal moment in the history of the world. God’s grief and sorrow led to regret. With God’s omniscient foresight, it is difficult to understand this as God knew it was coming, but to witness so many selfish people mistreating and abusing each other in such evil ways was a terrible contrast to the life God and those who were with Him were living in heaven.
Yet God had made a promise to Adam and Eve and He intended to keep it. So God manifested His true feelings toward such conduct in the flood. “So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’” The flood is a giant indictment of this type of lifestyle: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Peter revealed that all who think God has not openly manifested His displeasure at the way they are living are “wilfully forgetting” the flood (Rom. 1:18; 2Pet. 3:3-13). Peter then went on to reveal that God’s displeasure is still waiting for a day to be revealed. On that day it will not be water, but fire dissolving the heavens, the earth and all its works.
While the vast majority of Adam and Eve’s descendants followed this path, there were a few who considered themselves as “strangers and exiles.” These were men and women who longed to live the life God was living in heaven and repudiate the selfish and evil exploitation of others that they saw in the rest of men. God listed Abel, Enoch and Noah as individuals who felt this way prior to the flood. It is important to remember that both Abel and Enoch were prophets (Lk. 11:50; Jude 14) and God used them to proclaim His will. After the flood, God also spoke of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob and said concerning all, both before and after the flood: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Heb. 11:13-14).
It is an amazing thing that God’s children cannot feel at home here, but because of the direction of the vast majority of the children of Adam and Eve have chosen that is exactly how it is. Paul revealed the sad reality in the first three chapters of Romans. He charted the history of the world after the flood along with the rise of the nations. These people “knew God,” but “refused to glorify Him as God” or even “give thanks” to Him for all His gifts. Following Cain in “leaving the presence of the Lord,” they “refused to retain God in their knowledge” and “exchanged the truth of God for a lie” of their own devising. They soon returned to a selfish and unrighteous lifestyle similar to those prior to the flood (Rom. 1:24-32).
This continued until God called Abraham and gave him the promise that all future “strangers and exiles” would become his offspring. Yet after God gave the law on Sinai, it became evident that it was not these fleshly children of Abraham that God was speaking about. They were also so selfish and self-centered that God said of them: “I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” (Heb. 3:11). Of that entire generation, only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter that rest. The others all fell in the wilderness one by one. After the death of Joshua, “another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” (Judg. 2:10) and once again even in the midst of Israel those who truly wanted to serve the Lord were “strangers and exiles.” This continued throughout the history of Israel. In the days of Isaiah, God said: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved.” (Rom. 9:27). Also, as Stephen said just before they killed him, “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers” (Acts 7:52-53).
Yet through the countless generations that have come and gone, men and women from all over the globe continue to come out of the midst of the selfish and cruel and live as “strangers and exiles.” They leave those who are unloving and unmerciful and seek to serve God and become His loving and just people. As all these people are added up through the centuries in the midst of the billions and billions who have lived and died, God summed it up: “Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude — innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.”
God chose Abraham not only as the father of the Jewish nation, but far more importantly the father of all the “strangers and exiles” who love the Lord and are seeking Him, not only his physical descendants from the law, but also including the Gentiles. “For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith,” “not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” (Rom. 4:13-17). “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham,” “that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:7-14).
Conclusion. As God told the angel before He destroyed Jerusalem “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” (Ezek. 9:4). True “strangers and exiles” are deeply troubled, sighing, crying and mourning over the evil actions of the selfish wicked. For this reason, Lot was a true “stranger and exile” and God delivered him out of Sodom for the same reason as that given in Ezekiel above: “delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds).” (2Pet. 2:7-8). Thus the true “strangers and exiles” are revealed. But for the wicked it is different: “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Rom. 1:32). Are we among the true children of Abraham, manifesting the love, righteousness and justice of God to all we meet?
- “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence,” “for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” (Gen. 6:5-11).
This was a pivotal moment in the history of the world. God’s grief and sorrow led to regret. With God’s omniscient foresight, it is difficult to understand this as God knew it was coming, but to witness so many selfish people mistreating and abusing each other in such evil ways was a terrible contrast to the life God and those who were with Him were living in heaven.
Yet God had made a promise to Adam and Eve and He intended to keep it. So God manifested His true feelings toward such conduct in the flood. “So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’” The flood is a giant indictment of this type of lifestyle: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Peter revealed that all who think God has not openly manifested His displeasure at the way they are living are “wilfully forgetting” the flood (Rom. 1:18; 2Pet. 3:3-13). Peter then went on to reveal that God’s displeasure is still waiting for a day to be revealed. On that day it will not be water, but fire dissolving the heavens, the earth and all its works.
While the vast majority of Adam and Eve’s descendants followed this path, there were a few who considered themselves as “strangers and exiles.” These were men and women who longed to live the life God was living in heaven and repudiate the selfish and evil exploitation of others that they saw in the rest of men. God listed Abel, Enoch and Noah as individuals who felt this way prior to the flood. It is important to remember that both Abel and Enoch were prophets (Lk. 11:50; Jude 14) and God used them to proclaim His will. After the flood, God also spoke of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob and said concerning all, both before and after the flood: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Heb. 11:13-14).
It is an amazing thing that God’s children cannot feel at home here, but because of the direction of the vast majority of the children of Adam and Eve have chosen that is exactly how it is. Paul revealed the sad reality in the first three chapters of Romans. He charted the history of the world after the flood along with the rise of the nations. These people “knew God,” but “refused to glorify Him as God” or even “give thanks” to Him for all His gifts. Following Cain in “leaving the presence of the Lord,” they “refused to retain God in their knowledge” and “exchanged the truth of God for a lie” of their own devising. They soon returned to a selfish and unrighteous lifestyle similar to those prior to the flood (Rom. 1:24-32).
This continued until God called Abraham and gave him the promise that all future “strangers and exiles” would become his offspring. Yet after God gave the law on Sinai, it became evident that it was not these fleshly children of Abraham that God was speaking about. They were also so selfish and self-centered that God said of them: “I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” (Heb. 3:11). Of that entire generation, only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter that rest. The others all fell in the wilderness one by one. After the death of Joshua, “another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” (Judg. 2:10) and once again even in the midst of Israel those who truly wanted to serve the Lord were “strangers and exiles.” This continued throughout the history of Israel. In the days of Isaiah, God said: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved.” (Rom. 9:27). Also, as Stephen said just before they killed him, “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers” (Acts 7:52-53).
Yet through the countless generations that have come and gone, men and women from all over the globe continue to come out of the midst of the selfish and cruel and live as “strangers and exiles.” They leave those who are unloving and unmerciful and seek to serve God and become His loving and just people. As all these people are added up through the centuries in the midst of the billions and billions who have lived and died, God summed it up: “Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude — innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.”
God chose Abraham not only as the father of the Jewish nation, but far more importantly the father of all the “strangers and exiles” who love the Lord and are seeking Him, not only his physical descendants from the law, but also including the Gentiles. “For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith,” “not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” (Rom. 4:13-17). “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham,” “that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:7-14).
Conclusion. As God told the angel before He destroyed Jerusalem “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” (Ezek. 9:4). True “strangers and exiles” are deeply troubled, sighing, crying and mourning over the evil actions of the selfish wicked. For this reason, Lot was a true “stranger and exile” and God delivered him out of Sodom for the same reason as that given in Ezekiel above: “delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds).” (2Pet. 2:7-8). Thus the true “strangers and exiles” are revealed. But for the wicked it is different: “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Rom. 1:32). Are we among the true children of Abraham, manifesting the love, righteousness and justice of God to all we meet?