08/08/2023 - THE CIRCUIT OF NATIONS

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The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.    Mathew 4.15

In His infinite wisdom, the Lord placed the northern part of Palestine, where four tribes of Israel were located – Issachar, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali – as the Galilee of the Gentiles, which means circuit. This name was given to a small territory of 20 cities that Solomon, king of Israel, gave to Hiram, king of Tyre, as a reward for the cedar and beech wood and gold that the latter gave him (1 Kings 9:11). In those days, when you received a gift, you gave another one in return

However, Hiram was not pleased with what he had received from Solomon and asked: So, he said, ‘What kind of cities are these which you have given me, my brother?’ And he called them, the land of Kabul [unclean], as they are to this day (1 Kings 9:13). In fact, David’s son had imposed a tribute on Hiram of 120 talents of gold, so that the house of the Lord and his would be built, plus some works such as the wall of Jerusalem and other minor works. As Solomon grew, the people around him became tributary to him!

Originally, Galilee was restricted to these 20 cities. Seeing the distress that would come upon the people, Isaiah said, To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Isaiah 8:20). He spoke of the need to obey the law and the testimony of the Lord. If one does not act according to this guidance, he will never see the light. This warning is also addressed to us today!

Isaiah prophesied about the future of those who despise the law of freedom, the Gospel: They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward (Isaiah 8.21). The life of the person who does not learn from God, failing to heed His teachings is bad and very difficult. Now, the person who is not born again will never see the Kingdom of Heaven nor enter it!

Because of the unruly life of a people, the picture is this: Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness (Isaiah 8.22). However, when the nation comes to fear the Most High again, everything is transformed. Then there are countless blessings for the people whose God is the Lord: Happy are the people who are in such a state! Happy are the people whose God is the Lord! (Psalm 144.15). Every convert helps a lot!

With the coming of Jesus to Galilee, it became the blessed land of promise: Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles. (Isaiah 9.1). With Christ, your story will also change!

Now the picture was different, for the Savior’s work was credited for the good of people. Hell lost its right to oppress them and finish its destructive purpose in their lives: the people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined (Isaiah 9.2)

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares