The Nation of Psalm 33:12

 

By Dr. Ken Matto

 

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Psalm 33:12)

 

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (Matthew 21:43)

 

Many believe that Psalm 33:12 is speaking about the United States which many still feel is a Christian nation.  If we are going to speak about a Christian nation, Armenia in 301 A.D. declared themselves to be Christian nation as Christianity was declared to be the state religion.  However, by 301 A.D. it morphed into a primitive Catholic religion.  It is taught that two of Christ’s disciples brought Christianity to Armenia about 60-68 A.D.  The two were Thaddeus and Bartholomew.  Whether that is true or not is lost to true history.

 

The word “nation” in the Hebrew is the word “goy” which means not only nation but also Gentile or people.  In Matthew 21:43, the Lord Jesus Christ calls the body of believers “a nation.”  The Greek word is “ethnos” which parallels the Hebrew meaning.  It can mean “nation, Gentiles, heathen, or people.”  So there is no specific geographical nation in view.  It is true that when Psalm 33:12 was penned, the physical nation which God had a special relationship was Israel as they were destined to bring forth the Messiah through the tribe of Judah.  Then, of course, as one looks at the founding of the United States beginning with the Pilgrims in 1620, they came to these shores with two goals in mind.

 

In the Mayflower Compact there is a line which reads “Having undertaken, for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith...”  The United States had its beginning with God as its focus and the advancement of the Christian faith in which Christians of the USA have become the catalyst of world missions sending missionaries forth since the 1700’s.  However, as the church became weaker and more compromised, the sin in the USA has burgeoned and as of today, no one can honestly say that the USA is a Christian nation.

 

So because of that situation which exists today, we can rule out the USA being the nation where God is the LORD.  Then this brings us back to Matthew 21:43 where Jesus stated that the Kingdom of God will be taken from Israel and given to another nation and that nation is the body of believers who has taken the gospel to the ends of the earth regardless of who the political leaders are.

 

Then we must look at the second half of Psalm 33:12:

 

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Psalm 33:12)

 

Notice the verse states “and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”  One of the greatest teachings concerning the body of believers is the fact that we will inherit the Kingdom of God for eternity.

 

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:3-4)

 

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)

 

Then we read in Romans 8:17 that we are heirs of God.  Since we are children of God by means of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the benefits of salvation do not end there. We are also heirs of God.   Romans 8:15 states we have been adopted into the kingdom of God.  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15)

Well that adoption into the family of God makes us co-heirs with Christ and carries with it all the benefits of spiritual adoption.  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:1-2)  We read that Christ is the heir of all things and since we partook in his sufferings by means of imputation, we will also be glorified together with Christ, not on the same level since He is eternal God, but His glory will also be imputed to the believer on some level.

 

1 Peter 2:9-10 expressly states that the body of believers is “holy nation” and are now “the people of God.”  There are not two chosen peoples only one as evidenced by the definite article “the” in verse 10. 

 

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

 

Then also in Psalm 33:12 God states that “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”  Can anyone honestly say that God is the Lord of the USA with abortion, sodomy, transgenderism, hatred for God, hatred of Christ, hatred of Christianity, Bible being a banned book, financial debt out of control, ungodly wars of aggression, being modern Israel’s puppet on a string, etc.  Can we say that the USA is now a blessed nation? 

 

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:3)

 

In Genesis 12:3, God makes a promise to Abraham that anyone who curses him will be cursed and those that bless him will be blessed.  The cursing applies to those who hate true Christianity will have a curse upon them and those who do not oppose Christianity will experience a blessing from the LORD.  The nation that will bless all the families of the earth is not modern Israel because she is under a curse like the rest of the nations steeped in false doctrine but the blessing applies to the body of believers, the nation which the Lord Jesus Christ implanted the Kingdom of God in.  Those who are of faith which are the true believers are blessed with faithful Abraham, not a false religion like Judaism which is opposed to the true God.  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. (Galatians 3:9)  So then the nation where God is the LORD is the body of believers and not a geographical nation but the nation of believers is found in every physical country in the world.

 

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