Not a local deity

NOT A LOCAL DEITY: THE LORD AND THE LAND

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2008

Unlike other gods of the Ancient Near East, the Lord is not limited to a particular geographical locale. In fact, He and the biblical writers state numerous times that, while He may have a vested interest in Canaan, His involvement is not at all restricted to it. Quite the contrary, His authority extends beyond any borders as does His ability to act.

I. The LORD is not a local deity.

A. His jurisdiction is not limited to one place.

Exod 8:22 But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land.

Exod 19:5c ...the whole earth is mine....

Ezra 1:2 This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah."

Ps 24:1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

Ps 89:11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.

B. His presence is not limited to one place.

Gen 28:15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.... I will not leave you....

Gen 31:3 ...Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.

Gen 35:3b ...God...has been with me wherever I have gone.

Gen 46:4a I will go down to Egypt with you...."

Exod 3:8a So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land....

II. Nevertheless, God chose to localize His presence in Canaan, demonstrating a special attachment to the land.

Lev 25:23 The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.

Num 35:34 Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.

Hos 9:3 They will not remain in the LORD's land; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.

Joel 1:6 A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness.

III. God also states clearly that the land has a unique place in His plan.

Isa 2:2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Ezek 37:25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.

Ezek 47:13 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel.... 14b Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will become your inheritance....

Ezek 48:9 The special portion you are to offer to the LORD will be... 10 ...the sacred portion for the priests.... In the center of it will be the sanctuary of the LORD.... 14b This is the best of the land and must not pass into other hands, because it is holy to the LORD.... 35b And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE."

Zech 8:20 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going.' 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him."

Zech 14:16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

IV. Moreover, God indicates that territory once under Israel's control will eventually return permanently to the sphere of Israel's sovereignty.¹

1 Kgs 4:24 [Solomon] ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides.

Isa 14:2b-c ...the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD's land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.

A. Aram²

2 Sam 10: 19a When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer [king of Aram] saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject to them.

2 Kgs 14:28 As for the other events of Jeroboam's reign, all he did, and his military achievements, including how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Yaudi, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

2 Chr 8:3 Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. 4 He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath.

Ezek 47:16 Berothah and Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer Hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the north boundary. 18 On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This will be the east boundary.

B. Southern Lebanon

Josh 19:28 It went to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. 29 The boundary then turned back toward Ramah and went to the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah and came out at the sea in the region of Aczib,

Obad 20a This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan will possess [the land] as far as Zarephath.....

C. Moab

2 Sam 8:1 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

Isa 11: 14b They will lay hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

D. Edom

2 Sam 8:14 He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David.

Isa 11: 14b They will lay hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

Amos 9:12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name," declares the LORD, who will do these things.

Obad 19 People from the Negev will occupy the mountains of Esau, and people from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines. They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead.... 21 Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the LORD's.

E. Philistia

2 Sam 8:1 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

Isa 11:14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east.

Obad 19b ...people from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines.

F. Amon

2 Sam 12:3 la-b [David] brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. He did this to all the Ammonite towns.

Isa 11: 14b They will lay hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

G. Sinai

1 Kgs 4:21 And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon's subjects all his life.

2 Kgs 14:22 He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers.

The Lord is especially concerned about Canaan, which He often calls "my land."³ Nevertheless, the God of the Bible is a universal deity in that His sovereignty and activity are unlimited⁴ While He is especially concerned with a particular geographical area and its people, ultimately His authority is over the whole world and all its inhabitants.

For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.