24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.” (Acts 17:24–26 (ESV)
First, Paul told the Athenians that God was the true creator of the universe. He was the one who made the world and everything in it. Therefore, God is greater than His creation. He is Lord and sovereign ruler of the earth. He cannot be contained, nor does He live, in man-made temples.
God is the self-sufficient creator. He does not need anything outside of Himself. While God’s creation needs Him to exist, God does not need anything from His creation to exist. He needs nothing from us.
Secondly, God not only created the universe but He also sustains it. The One, True God who made all things, gives His creation what it needs. He does not need anything from us, but we need everything from Him. He provides life and breath and everything else.
Job 33:4 says, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
Colossians 1:17 says, “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Hebrews 1:1-4 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”
2 Peter 3:4-7 says, “4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the Day of Judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”
Paul’s message to the Athenians not only was a lesson on Theology Proper, the study of God the Father, but also an excellent study on Christology, the study of God the Son.
Thirdly, Paul stated God not only created and sustains the universe, He also governs it. It was easy for the Athenians to be unaware of this truth in light of their rich democratic, philosophical and artistic culture. It is easy for today’s culture to forget this as well. America, for example, is dominated by political leaders who pursue power at all costs and who ignore God who has called them to serve, not swagger, in government service (Romans 13).
God has created man, and from that one man has established every nation of mankind. Notice, God has made every nation. There are no governments independent of God’s sovereign authority. This was historically true and remains so today.
God not only has created all nations, (past, present and future), but has also determined their lifespan and their borders. It would have been interesting for the Greeks to hear this because they thought their great conqueror, Alexander the Great, was responsible for Greece’s victories in the third century B.C. and not God!
We must never forget that God has created all nations: their existence, their duration and their demise (Daniel 2:22-24). This truth remains so and includes the United States of America. May all nations remember their origin, repent of their sin and return to the God of the Bible.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 