Blessed is the Nation Whose God is the Lord

Joseph

Joseph was a believer living in an unbelieving country, Egypt. Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt was troubled by a dream and the fact that all of the wise men of Egypt could not tell him its meaning. Finally, it was suggested that Pharaoh ask Joseph. Joseph declared the meaning of the vision to Pharaoh and told him what God wanted him to do:

Genesis 41:25, 32-33 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh...And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

God told Pharaoh, via the dream and the revelation provided by Joseph, that there were going to be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. What wouldn't the ruler of a great nation give to know what is going to happen for the next 14 years?!!! But to profit from the knowledge of God a ruler, and a nation, must believe that the word is accurate and must act upon it. This is how Pharaoh responded:

Genesis 41:38-40 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

During the seven years of plenty Joseph gathered a fifth of all the plenty of food and corn. When the seven years of famine came he opened the storehouses and SOLD the food back to the people of Egypt and to needy visitors from other lands. He did not just give it away out of pity. He did what God told him to do. When the people ran out of money he traded them food for their livestock and bought their land and moved the people into cities and made the people work for Pharaoh. The people were allowed to keep 4/5ths of their labor but a fifth went to Pharaoh. By obeying God Joseph brought the wealth of the world to Egypt. Truly Egypt was blessed because at this time the nation's God was the Lord.

Solomon

I Kings 3:5-9 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

God offered Solomon any thing he wanted. Solomon responded, in essence, by saying "When it comes to running this nation, I want you to do it, God." He literally made God Lord of the nation. In response God blessed Solomon and the kingdom.

I Kings 3:10-13 And the speech please the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words; lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that here shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

Chapter 10 of I Kings tells of some of the blessings God poured out upon the kingdom under Solomon. Following is a small part of that record:

I Kings 10:23-25 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

Whenever a nation, or the ruler of a nation, seeks a knowledge of God's Word and Will when deciding on how to operate, God guarantees that he will bless not only the man but also the nation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord

Daniel

Daniel believed and acted according to the revelation God gave him. God told him the things that Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed. Nebuchadnezzar then placed Daniel and other believers in a position where they could bless the nation of Babylon.

Daniel 2:47-49 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon; But Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

Nebuchadnezzar decided one day that since he had captured all the gods of other nations that he must be god. He set up a golden image of himself and required all in the kingdom to worship it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were under great pressure (life or death) to obey the king. However, they chose to believe God. Their believing changed the law of the kingdom and kept the true God first in the kingdom of Babylon.

Daniel 3:28-30 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore, I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort, Then the king promoted shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.