“And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:” (1Corinthians 1:28)
What are the base things Paul is talking about? We can just skim through this verse and assume that we know exactly what it means. And it wouldn’t be far off. But the enormity of what Paul is trying to convey is God’s power to take nothing and glorify Himself. Many think Paul is talking about Gentiles here. The previous verse allows us to think this because Paul is talking about people. Remember that in Jesus’ time, Gentiles were called dogs. We see this in the interaction Jesus had with the Syrophoenician woman. “For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of Him, and came and fell at His feet: The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought Him that He would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto Him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.” (Mark 7:25-28) Jews considered Gentiles unclean and had nothing to do with them. And Jesus merely used the term that was commonly used. And the Syrophenician woman accepted this. She accepted the Jewish consideration of her status. When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, she expressed surprise that Jesus spoke to her because Jews would have nothing to do with them. (John 4:9) They even went out of their way around Samaria to avoid them. This is not to mean that non-Jews were not loved nor a thought in God’s mind. The Lord always meant to bring in the Gentiles. But this time was for the Jews first. So, knowing that the base things are the Gentiles, God has exalted Himself by taking the Gentiles, considered to be nothing and having no worth and has made them His children.
Moses also wrote in Genesis how God took nothing and created the earth as we know it with its stratospheres, the right combination of gases needed for man to survive, the earth, the seasons, the creatures and all the different life cycles on this earth to perfection so that man could survive. The world is so complex that even today, scientists are learning new things about it. That is the wisdom and power of God.
The Lord is still in the creation business. Paul wanted to express the magnitude of God’s greatness in taking nothing, meaning the Gentiles and making them part of His family. (John 1:12) He has created from nothing and has given them an inheritance and elevated them to the position of kings and priests. (1 Peter 2:9)
It's so human to elevate ourselves and to think we are something, when we are nothing without the grace of God in our lives. We see this so much in the world, a striving to be on top. We must also recognize it in ourselves. We must never think of ourselves as better than the unbeliever and the sinner. We were nothing and sinners ourselves. (Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21) We have received so much from the Lord. We must not allow ourselves to think anything of ourselves. It’s because of God’s mercy that we have what we have, are who we are and know what we know. I am always awed by God’s Word in 1 Corinthians 13 where Paul describes what true Christian love is. It’s a work of God that must be done in our hearts. “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;” (1Corinthians 13:4-5) Then verse 7: “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” (1Corinthians 13:7) The King James Version is difficult to understand here. The Good News Bible puts it in our vernacular. “Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs;” (1Corinthians 13:4-5) and then verse 7: “Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.” (1Corinthians 13:7) It’s hard to be patient and kind with those who irritate and exasperate us. If we are having a time with this and are impatient and irritable, we need to check our love level. Love endures all things. Therein is the measuring stick of our love. And therein is the power of God, to put His love in us who were nothing.
The Lord’s power and might is evident in us. He took us who were nothing and made us something special in His kingdom. He glorified and is still glorifying Himself and will continue to glorify Himself throughout eternity.
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