Page 56 - Gods Plan of the Ages

Deuteronomy 25:1-3
"If there is a dispute between men and they go to court, and the judges decide their case,
and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, then it shall be if the wicked man
deserves to be beaten, the judge shall then make him lie down and be beaten in his
presence with the number of stripes according to his guilt. He may beat him forty times
but no more, so that he does not beat him with many more stripes than these and your
brother is not degraded in your eyes."

Yahweh's punishments are meted out. Yahweh's wrath is only for a moment. His love
for that which He has created leads always to a renewal of mercy.

Isaiah 54:4-8
"Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not
be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your
widowhood you will remember no more. For your husband is your Maker, whose name
is Yahweh of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God
of all the earth. For Yahweh has called you, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even
like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected," says your God. "For a brief moment I
forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In an outburst of anger I hid My
face from you for a moment, but with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion
on you," says Yahweh your Redeemer.

The words above were addressed to Israel. Yahweh calls Israel His "firstborn" (Exodus
4:22). As such, Israel serves as a type and shadow of how Yahweh will deal with all the
nations. Yahweh chose Israel to be a nation holy unto Him. Israel strayed often, forsaking
Yahweh and serving other gods. Israel became filled with murder, adultery, and all forms
of corruption. This led to Yahweh forsaking Israel in His wrath, but His wrath lasts for a
brief moment. Soon Yahweh's everlasting lovingkindness once more was manifested and
He took Israel back to Himself. What Yahweh did for Israel, He will do for all nations.
Two of Israel's greatest enemies were the nations of Egypt and Assyria. Both of these
nations incurred the wrath of Yahweh. This wrath will have an end. Even Egypt and Assyria
will receive mercy. Yahweh will transform these nations which formerly scorned Him into
worshipers of the one true God. They will worship Yahweh alongside Israel.

Isaiah 19:22-25
Yahweh will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to Yahweh, and He will
respond to them and will heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to
Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the
Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third party with
Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Yahweh of hosts has
blessed, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and
Israel My inheritance."

Israel may be Yahweh's firstborn, receiving the inheritance, but Egypt is also God's
people, and Assyria is the work of God's hands. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. In the
book of Jonah we read of God instructing the prophet to go to Assyria and proclaim
judgment against them that they might repent. Yahweh did not want to destroy Nineveh,
for He has compassion on all His creation.
Jonah, however, did not share Yahweh's burden to see all nations reconciled to