The Original Great Commission
The following question was asked by a visiting bishop to one of the churches under his authority.
‘How many people have turned to Christ through the ministry of members of your church during this last year?’
The reply shocked him,
‘We are not into evangelism here, we worship instead.”
The bishop told them about Amy Carmichael, a missionary to India and author, who wrote a powerful allegory in her book “Things as They Are” (1905). She sees a great multitude of people walking blindly towards the edge of a cliff. These people represent those who are spiritually lost, unaware of their perilous condition and heading towards eternal separation from God. As they walk, they fall off the cliff into destruction. Alongside this tragic scene, she sees a group of people who are aware of the danger but are doing little to stop it: Some are sitting idly by, weaving daisy chains and seemingly unconcerned. Others are singing cheerful songs, detached from the urgency of the situation. A few attempt to warn the blind travellers but do so half-heartedly or sporadically, as though distracted or lacking conviction.
It is a disturbing misunderstanding that God originally chose a people for himself just to promote them over all other peoples. The Bible does not tolerate such a introspective view. God’s people were never intended to be ‘navel-watchers,’ to have a smug self satisfaction that they were the people of God. God chose the descendants of Abraham to be his representatives throughout the peoples of world. In the Bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New, being chosen always includes being chosen for a purpose. All people who share the active faith of Abraham are descendants of Abraham, whatever their nationality. Paul wrote,
“Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.” Galatians 3:7
Many nations have a symbol that portrays a national characteristic. The United States have an eagle and the British have a lion. The Jewish symbol was a vine. This reminded them that they were chosen to bear fruit for God. They were not, as often happened, to look after themselves.
“Israel was a spreading vine; he brought forth fruit for himself.” Hosea 10:1
“I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?” Jeremiah 2:21
All people are God’s People
Chapters 1 to 11 of Genesis describe how God created all the people of the world to worship him. Adam was created to take control of the earth as God’s representative. Yet he and his descendants turned their backs on God, their ambitions were essentially selfish. Yet, even in these early chapters of Genesis, there is a clue that God intends to draw people back to himself by the proclamation of God’s message. Genesis 4:26 reads,
“Seth also had a son, and he called him Enosh. At that time began to call upon the name of the Lord."
Martin Luther, the great 16th century church reformer, suggests in his commentary on Genesis that “at that time sermons began to be delivered, and preaching began.”
It is probable that Seth’s descendants continued to live in the light of this message as Enoch, one of his descendants, ‘walked with God’ (Genesis 5:24). However people generally rejected God subsequently and they decided to build the city of Babel so ‘that we might make a name for ourselves.’
Abraham
Genesis, chapter 12 begins with the call of Abram to ‘go . . . to the land I will show you.’ He was commissioned by the one true God to undertake a universal task. Note that this commission was not a request but an order.
“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. . . and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3
Significantly God says it would be he himself who would make Abram’s name great. This is in contrast to mankind at Babel who tried to do this for themselves, independently of God. The reason for God making Abraham famous was that ‘all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.’ This selection was not one of privilege but one of purpose. The next phrase is striking,
“So Abram went, as the Lord had told him.” Genesis 12:4
Abraham was not secretive about his calling. Wherever he went he built public altars for the worship of this one true God. When living amongst the Canaanite people at Shechem.
“. . . he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” Genesis 12:7
When he moved on,
“There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.” Genesis 12:8
This was no private faith but a public statement that the true God who created all people is a holy God and that he accepts a sacrificial substitute to pay the price for our rebellion against God. These animal sacrifices looked forwards to the time when God would send his own Son to die as the one effective sacrifice on behalf of all who would turn back to him.
The Lord repeated this commission to Abraham’s son, Isaac, who was required to be as faithful as his father to the Lord’s commandments.
“I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my decrees and my instructions.” Genesis 26:4-5
Clearly the Lord’s commission was an active one. That this was a permanent commission for all God’s people is made abundantly clear when the Lord yet again repeated it to Isaac’s son, Jacob.
“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac . . . All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.” Genesis 28:13-14
Moses
Moses was commissioned to go back to Egypt to free God’s people and to stress to the Egyptians that the Lord is God of all peoples and are responsible to him,
“I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.” Exodus 12:12
The Lord then spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai and again stressed that his people were to represent him before all people on the earth.
“Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Exodus 19:5-6
This verse is picked up in the New Testament as the basis for saying that all God’s people are chosen to act as his priests in the world and this meant telling others the good news of God’s salvation.
“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood . . . But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:5,9
David
King David was very clear that the message about God’s love and protection needed to be shared with all people, including foreign nations. David had an ambition to build a prestigious temple or house for God but, through the prophet Nathan, God stopped him saying that instead it was he who would build a house or dynasty for David. This ‘house’ would include his own Chosen king or Messiah as one of his descendants. David then understands that this is a message for all people. Literally translated the verse reads,
“And this (the message God has just given about the future of David’s dynasty) is the charter for humanity, O LORD God.” 2 Samuel 7:19
David understood that one of his descendants would somehow be the Son of God, the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:14) and that he would be the means of blessing all people on earth. This descendant of David would live forever and rule an eternal kingdom. All people could be part of this kingdom if they become subjects of the King.
“Your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before me; your throne shall be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:16
At the end of his life David remains convinced that this everlasting covenant still stood in spite of his impending death. This verse literally reads,
“Has not (God) made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not cause to sprout (or ‘branch out’) my salvation?” 2 Samuel 23:5
Later prophets used this verb to describe the coming Messiah, ‘The Branch’.
“In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious . . .” Isaiah 4:2
“’The days are coming’, declares the LORD, ‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely . . . This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Saviour.” Jeremiah 23:5
God’s message has always been essentially the same. God’s own Son would enter the world as a descendant or Branch of King David at a time in history and he would then rule an eternal kingdom. The message of the Old Testament is that God’s Son would be for all people, he would be ‘a charter for all of humanity.’
The Psalms
The Psalms repeatedly mention that God’s blessings, that stem from God revealing his Word to us, are meant to be passed on to all people. For example,
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us – so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.” Psalm 67:1-2
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.” Psalm 89:15
“The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.” Psalm 98:2
“Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.” Psalm 117:1
Psalm 96 is a great missionary Psalm that reminds people that the Lord is God of all peoples. All God’s people are meant to talk about the salvation God gives to his people day after day.
“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord all the earth. . . . proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. . . . Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns.’ Psalm 96:1-3, 10
It is abundantly clear that God’s blessings are meant for all people who are willing to listen to him and respond.
Psalms 93 to 100 are jubilant psalms concerning the enthronement of God’s King. They climax with Psalm 100 in which all nations are invited to join in the worship of their King.
“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God.” Psalm 100:1-3
Major Prophets
Large sections of the three major prophets are addressed to foreign nations. These prophets had no doubt that the Lord was concerned about outsiders and wished for them to return to His kingdom. These sections are found in Isaiah 13-23, Jeremiah 46-51 and Ezekiel 25-32.
The missionary purpose of God’s people is nowhere better demonstrated than in the Servant Songs in Isaiah. The famous third Song describes how the Lord’s Messiah would save his people from the consequences of their sin, by dying to bear the sins of others.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:5-6
The previous verses describe who it is that God’s Servant came to save,
“So he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him.” Isaiah 52:15
Some have argued that ‘the servant king’ could also represent the people of Israel. If the king is concerned for the lost, then all his people should be too. God’s people are all called to be a light to the world on behalf of their God.
The first servant song states that God’s Messiah will bring both God’s justice and light to the nations.
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.” Isaiah 42:1
“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; . . . I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and to be a light for the Gentiles.” Isaiah 42:6
The second servant song also emphasises that God is concerned that his salvation reaches to the ends of the earth.
“Hear this, you distant nations: before I was born, the LORD called me . . . Is it too small a thing to be my servant to restore the Tribes of Israel . . . I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 49:1-6
Jonah
This book again demonstrates that God considers his people had a responsibility to be his representatives before Gentile people.
“The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” Jonah 1:1
Ninevah was the ancient capital of the Assyrian empire in the 7th century BC. Jonah, like many of God’s chosen people, attempted to run away from this commission but the Lord was insistent and halted him in his tracks. Then the order came again,
“Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah 3:1
No lesson could be clearer, the Lord is very concerned whenever he sees evil in his world and will not be silent or inactive forever concerning this.
Summary
The Israelites were to be given a land where the attractiveness of their lifestyle, ethics and teaching were to be the foundation for the message of salvation to go out to all peoples of the world. That this mission was understood is apparent from the many Gentiles named in the Old Testament who became followers of the one true God. These include Mechizedek (King of Canaanite Salem), Jethro (Moses’ Midianite father-in-law), Rahab, Ruth, Balaam and Naaman.
The message God’s people were to declare is beautifully summarised by the prophet Isaiah,
“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22
In the New Testament Paul picks up on the idea that Abraham’s descendants were to share God’s blessing with the nations.
“Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham, ‘All nations will be blessed through you.” Galatians 3:8
It is apparent that many Jews did understand that their mission was not only to train up their own people in God’s ways but also to go out to the world. Jesus noted that the religious leaders of his day understood this need to share their faith but unfortunately their message was not the faith of the Bible! Their emphasis was on keeping to the rules and rituals to please God and not a personal devotion to God and his Messiah.
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” Matthew 23:15
Jesus taught his apostles that this mission to spread God’s gospel was now theirs, but they must be careful to pass on the correct understanding of the Bible’s message that Jesus, the Son of God, had given them.
Christopher Wright concludes,
“The mission of God is to bless all nations on earth. . . Israel in the old Testament was not chosen over against the rest of the nations but for the sake of the rest of the nations.”
BVP
