Jehovah
Is Near
D.
Richardson
Jehovah
is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in
truth (Psalm 145:18). God is near regardless of race, for all are created
in His image and likeness (Gen. 1:26). From the first man, Adam, God made
all nations of mankind who dwell upon the earth (Acts 17:26-29). This
generation has not "cornered the market" on racial prejudice; we
read about it in Bible times: "For Jews have no dealings with
Samaritans" (John 4:9). When God draws near, He makes no distinction
between individuals based upon their race.
God is near regardless of sex. While history has seen
great partiality shown between the sexes, God created both male and female
in His image (Gen. 1:27). And while there are obvious physical differences
between the sexes (the woman is the "weaker vessel", 1 Pet.
3:7), and differing God-given responsibilities for the woman (1 Tim.
2:12-15), God does not distinguish between them regarding their salvation
in Christ and the hope of heaven: "For as many of you as were
baptized into Christ did put on Christ ... there can be no male and
female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ’s,
then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise" (Gal.
3:27-29).
God is near to those regardless of their social and
economic standing. God’s ability to draw near to man is not conditioned
upon whether he is materially rich or poor, neither does it depend on how
much formal education one possesses. The apostle Paul, concerning his
divine charge to preach the gospel, said, "I am debtor both to Greeks
and to Barbarians ..."(Rom. 1:14). The distinction between a Greek
and a Barbarian concerned how "cultured" they were. But there
was no distinction regarding who would hear the gospel. God desires to
draw near to all, regardless of their social circumstance in life.
