God established the nation following the Flood, after mankind began to multiply and disperse around the globe. Ever since, God has dealt with nations as such. In fact, from the time of Abram until the time of Jesus, one nation was the focus of God’s attentions: ancient Israel. In this nation, the Word of God was to be found, communicated in various ways, but especially by verbal and written communication from God-designated prophets. In this nation, the approved worship of God was observed, according to His commandments. In this nation, the way of salvation from sin was understood — and even enacted, in the sacrifices at the Tabernacle and then the Temple. In this nation, the people of God were enabled to better refrain from the sinful practices of the nations around them. In this nation, a few outsiders were accepted in, as long as they adapted to the norms of God’s Word. In this nation, married couples brought forth children in the hope that a son would prove to be the long-awaited Messiah (or Christ). In this nation, the expectation was that this one nation would bless all the other nations. “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days[,] ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’”(Zechariah 8:23, New King James Version). The strong emphasis on this nation in the Old Testament proves that the nation is the basic unit of human society, not regional unions or global constructs, all of which lack divine sanction.
