When we lift up our eyes, we not only see who created all these things, and brought forth their host in number, but we also see that He calls them all by name, because of the greatness of His power, and because He is strong in might; and that not one is lacking, Isa. 40:25. He covereth himself with the light as with a garment; He stretcheth out the heavens as with a curtain; He covereth his chambers with the waters, maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind, Ps. 104 : 2, 3. He sustains the earth with the fruit of his labors, makes the grass grow for the beasts, and the grass for the service of man, bringing forth bread from the earth and wine that gladdens the heart of man, Ps. 104:13-15. He establishes the mountains by his strength and quiets the roaring of the seas, Psa. 65: 7, 8, makes the outlets of the morning and evening to rejoice, visits and enriches the land, blesses its fruit and crowns the year of his goodness, Psa. 65: 9ff. He feeds the birds of the air, covers the grass of the field with glory, Matt. 6: 26-30, makes His sun rise on the bad and the good, and rains on the just and the unjust, Matt. 5: 45. He made man a little less than the angels, crowned him with honor and glory and gives him dominion over all the works of his hands. Glorious is his name on the face of the earth! Ps. 8.
And not only in nature, but also in history God carries out His counsel and brings about His work. He made the whole human race from one blood, to dwell upon the whole earth, Acts 17:26. He destroys the first human race in the flood and at the same time preserves it in the household of Noah (Genesis 6-9). He confounds the talk of mankind in Babylon’s tower and scatters it over the whole earth, Genesis 11:7, 8. And when the Most High gave the inheritance to the nations and separated Adam’s children, He humbly ordained the times beforehand and the provisions of their dwelling places, and set their land poles according to the number of the children of Israel, Deut. 32:8, Acts 17:26. Although He chose the people of Israel to be the bearers of His special revelation, and allowed the Gentiles to walk in their own ways, Acts 14:16, yet He did not lose sight of them nor leave them to their own devices. On the contrary, He did not neglect Himself, doing good from heaven, giving us rain and fruitful times, filling our hearts with joy and gladness, Acts 14:17. That which is evident from God was manifest in them, for God revealed it to them, Romans 1:19, that they might seek the Lord, whether they might touch Him and find Him, Acts 17:27.
Through this general revelation God has preserved the peoples and led them to the dispensation of the fullness of time, in which it pleases Him to gather all things into one again in Christ, both those in heaven and those on earth, Eph. 1: 10. From all races and tongues and peoples and nations He is bringing His church, Rom. 11:25, Eph. 2:14 ff. Rev. 7:9, and is preparing that end of the world, in which the saved will walk in the light of the City of God and all the kings and peoples of the earth will gather in it all their glory and honor, Rev. 21:24, 26.
Herman Bavinck. Magnalia Dei.
