This is God’s Universe

GOLDEN TEXT: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” —Psalm 24:1

ISAIAH 40:21-26

THE supremacy of the great Creator throughout all the universe is a fact upon which we would all do well to meditate. It means that nothing can happen anywhere in the universe contrary to the will of the Creator. With the restricted ability to reason which our small minds impose upon us, it is not easy to understand why God allows certain things to happen. When we find ourselves in this position we need to exercise a strong faith in the Creator, his wisdom, justice, love and power, and believe that there is a good and sufficient reason for the things which we cannot understand.

It is God that “sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers.” (vs. 22) This language carries the thought of God’s dominance over the affairs of the earth, and emphasizes how insignificant we are by comparison with him. The expression, “circle of the earth,” suggests the truth that the earth is indeed round, not flat, as some thought it to be at the time Isaiah wrote these words. It indicates the revealing power of the Holy Spirit operating upon the mind of the prophet.—II Pet. 1:21

God has no equal, as emphasized in the query of verse 25. He is the Almighty One. Nothing can interfere with the accomplishment of his purposes. This should be a great assurance to those who put their trust in him. This same Prophet Isaiah wrote, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”—Isa. 55:8-11

Not only do we have this assurance that God’s purposes in the earth shall not fail, but in his Word he has revealed what his plan is for his human creatures. Our Golden Text declares that “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” In Psalm 115:16 we read, “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.” Both these statements are true.

God gave man dominion over the earth, and the privilege of living forever in this paradise home. This was conditional upon obedience to the divine will. God in his wisdom did not create man blindly to obey him. He allowed man to exercise his own free will. He could obey divine law, or he could disobey. If he obeyed, he would be rewarded; if he disobeyed, he would be punished. Adam chose to disobey, so he was driven out of Eden into the unfinished earth to die.

Since that time sin and death have reigned in the earth. God could have prevented this, but his plan is for his human creatures to gain a knowledge of sin and its results through experience. That is why it appears to many that God is not interested in the affairs of men, and is doing nothing about human suffering. But God does care! He is now allowing man the freedom of the earth in running his own affairs, that he might learn the terrible results of sin, and also realize that he cannot continue to rule himself apart from God.

Meanwhile the loving Creator has been preparing for man’s recovery from the condemnation of sin and death. He sent his Son into the world to be the Redeemer and Savior of mankind. (John 3:16) Throughout the present age he has been selecting from the world a little company of people who are willing to follow in Jesus’ footsteps of sacrifice, suffering, and of death. These will be exalted to a heavenly plane of life to live and reign with Christ during the thousand years of his messianic kingdom.—Rev. 20:4,6

During the time of God’s preparation for the recovery of the world of mankind from sin and death, God has allowed evil to flourish and increase, except where it may have interfered with the outworking of his plans and purposes. Now we are near the end of that age. The kingdom age is dawning. Man is being permitted to destroy his own institutions, but the kingdom of Christ will take control. Then the great work of restitution, spoken by the mouth of all God’s holy prophets, will begin.

QUESTIONS

Why is it important to know that God is in control of his universe?

How do we know that God’s plan will not fail?

In what sense has God given the earth to his human creatures?

Explain briefly God’s plan of redemption and restoration through Christ.

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