“When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.”
(Deuteronomy 32:8)
God does a good deal of dividing and separating in the Bible in order to delineate a difference between entities according to his wise discretion. For example, God separates those he calls in order to sanctify them for service and distinguish them by grace (1 Cor. 4:7). One such instance in Scripture is the prophet Jeremiah, whom God “set apart from the womb” (Jer. 1:5). Paul uses similar language in reference to his own calling. “God, who separated me from my mother’s womb…” (Gal. 1:15), where Paul is constantly teaching the Old Testament from a New Testament perspective. This reference demonstrates the complete absence of any contribution from Paul toward his apostolic calling.
God also eternally separates those who refuse to believe and trust Christ as Lord and Savior from himself, from heaven, and from all opportunities to repent in the hereafter. The meaning behind this use of the term separation by God in Scripture is “to cast off or away, to be destroyed, or to deprive of some good,” which is clearly the separation God executes on unconverted sinners (Matt. 25:31-46).
It is hard to imagine that humanity was ever without sin. But life in Paradise consisted of perfect harmony between God’s presence and Adam and Eve’s innocence in the midst of lush bounty and blessing … until the moment they breached the covenant that was predicated on their absolute obedience to God’s one command. In that instant, a chasm of separation occurred between the Creator and the apex of his creation. Adam and Eve were immediately driven from Paradise and consigned to battling the elements instead of basking in them. And for all time since, every man by nature is separated from God.
Separated eternally, irreconcilably, but for Jesus Christ whom God wrapped in his amazing love, mercy, and grace and delivered to earth from heaven. God’s gift of his own Son was the only balm that could heal this fatal wound of eternal separation from God.
Willingly, Christ entered into a covenant with his Father to redeem his people, and make reconciliation. This way the separation between Creator and creature might be reconciled. He cloaked himself in humanity and dirtied his feet in the very dust he created so that he might fulfill the Law of God perfectly. He then shed his innocent blood on the altar of the cross, the only solution sufficient to wash our sin away and restore that original relationship with our Creator. In doing so, Christ reconciled sinners to his Father, and redeemed them, restoring peace and harmony between believers and the Lord.
And by the efficacy and virtue of his work, Christ subdues that rebellious disposition against God which naturally dwells within us (Rom. 6:6), so that we may receive the atonement in such reconciliation with God in order to yield ourselves servants to righteousness and holiness (Acts 5:31). Praise be to God who has now separated us to God in grace through Christ!
Contemplations:
- Lord, I know you brought me close to the Father. You made peace for me, for you are, “peace,” and you accomplished this by your blood.
- It is a wonderful thing, Lord, that you separated me from before the foundations of the world to be holy, to be a servant in your kingdom. This calling of separation from the world to holiness is set on the branch of that peace which Christ purchased with His blood.
- The Apostle asserts that you, Lord Jesus, are my peace. And he even gives me an example of this, “Who hath made both one,” (Eph. 2:14). The dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles has been destroyed by the one who calls his people to the Father by grace. As James Ferguson said, I am brought together “into one with your people for your glory.” [A Brief Exposition of the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians by James Fergusson, (London: 1659), 129–130.]
- Lord, you separated me from the world to yourself. You separated me to holiness. You separated me from that which is evil to that which is good. Help me continue to see how you govern the world and all the boundaries you lay out for me as one dedicated to you – boundaries from sin, boundaries from evil, separated to holiness to keep your law and your word.
Further References for Deut. 32:8:
Acts 17:26; Ge. 11:8; Deut. 33:28; Job 12:23
