Friends, I hope you still have not forgotten about PELEG. I am simply reminding you of it, not that I’m ready to talk about it yet. Let’s do more discussion on the purpose of nations before we get back to PELEG.

Here we go, let’s look into a very crucial scripture for our studies today:

Deu. 32:8 “When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court.” (NLT)

There are several things to take note of in this scripture;

1. It is God Almighty who assigned and divided lands to the nations.

2. Note that lands are divided to nations. Nations therefore are God’s idea.

3. God gives land to nations as their inheritance. That is, God as a father gives out inheritance to his children, to his heirs.

4. When God divided the lands, he established boundaries for each nation.

5. God is interested in race, hence he had races divided according to their kind.

This passage above goes a long way to confirm the fact that God is a purposeful God. He does everything with already planned out intentions and purposes. He does nothing by accident. God is an organised God. He has goals and purposes for everything he does or creates. So ladies and gentlemen, God has purpose for your nation. Which means God has a purpose for your nationality, God has a purpose for your tribe, God has a purpose for your clan, God has a purpose for your lineage, God has a purpose for your household, God has a purpose for your family and God has a purpose for you.

It is because of these God given purposes for each unit and member of the human race that God in his wisdom distributed lands to nations. Land is important to God. There is an unspeakable significance of the place and role of lands in our lives and destiny. Lands are not just important to God, they are important to us. It is important where people are born, that land and the environment influences and leaves a trace and a mark on them for the rest of their lives. Your place of birth defines you. It leaves a mark on you for the rest of your life. You cannot get rid of your colour, you cannot get rid of your look, you cannot get rid of your pigmentation, you cannot get rid of your DNA, in most cases you cannot get rid of your accent, etc.

There are a lot of things that influence our lives from our land of birth much more than we could ever think or imagine. For example, the climate of the place you were born and grew up plays a role in defining you. The food produce of the land plays a significant role in your formation.

A few years ago, in the depth of river Thames in England, a decomposed body was recovered. The body was so decomposed that there was no evident sign of recognition that could help in tracing the body to any particular individual or race. As complex as the task of identifying this corpse was, through the help of forensic analysis it was discovered that the body belonged to a young teenager of the black race.

However, further analysis traced the composition of the bones to the food stuff that made up the content of that bone. After a thorough forensic breakdown had been done, it was discovered that the composition of the food that is built in the bones could only be traced to one particular square kilometre of earth in the world. Which led to a particular people group, nationality and tribe in Nigeria. This horrible homicide was unveiled, thanks to the significance and the role of the land were the person was born and breed.

Ladies and gentlemen, we all carry a part of the land where we were born. In my own case I know for certain that if I had not had the Nigerian DNA in me, there is no way I would be having the same result I am having right now.

Dear friends, there is nothing that is in you by accident. Your parents were not by accident, your culture was not by accident, your nationality is not by accident, your tribe is not by accident, your language or tongue is not by accident. Please don’t despise all the great things God has deposited in you.

Talking of your countries, the composition is not by accident just like the composition of your body and your different make ups contribute to who you are. In a similar way the composition and makeup of peoples in your country contribute to the personality and identity of that nation.

I, being a Nigerian of Yoruba descent, have come to appreciate the wealth and the advantages I possess in being a Nigerian rather than just being a Yoruba man. It’s just like I see a great advantage in being a Yoruba man rather than just being an Ijebu man. In the same vein there are even more advantages that I am an African, a black man rather than just being a Nigerian. Everything is important in God’s calculations.

Before I go back to what I started this write up with PELEG, I would like to touch on the fact that there are some universal purposes for all nations of the earth, while at the same time there are more concrete purposes for each nation as well. Let’s have a look at some of the most common and universal purposes God has for all nations.

“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” —Acts 17:26-27

There are several points we must note from the scripture above:

1. All nations have the same origin. We are all one in God

2. The proof of our oneness is in the blood.

3. The earth was given to nations to be inherited.

4. God specifically gives out boundaries or territories to nations.

5. There is a purpose for every nation

6. There is a timing for every nation.

7. That purpose is in time. That is, a country could be given a purpose to be accomplished within a time span of 500 years. From the history of the Israelites, there are different time spans in God’s dealings with them. The most often used is 40 years, 70 years, 400 years, etc.

8. Boundaries or territories of nations is dependent on purpose and timing.

9. Which means if a nation fails to accomplish her purpose, or fails in its timing, as in the case of Jerusalem that missed the time of her visitation, this could affect their boundaries.

10. That tells us, God is the ultimate decision maker on the boundaries of nations and the length of time they possess the land.

11. Failure to fulfill Gods purpose by nations affects their direction and destiny, hence every 100 years geographical maps of the world are constantly changing to reflect new nations and nations that have disappeared. Everything is subject to purpose; that explains to us why there is no longer a country like the Soviet Union, Prussia, Babylon or the Roman Empire, etc. That also explains to us why the African continent had to be divided into smaller countries, it explains to us why God would sometimes allow war and conflicts.

12. The universal purpose for all countries and nation is seen in verse 27: “God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” God gives nations chances and opportunities to discover him and his purposes for them.

•Sunday Adelaja is a Nigerian born leader, Transformation Strategist, Pastor and innovator who lives in Kieve Ukraine. He can be contacted at sundayadelajablog@gmail.com

Update news