If the world had created itself or someone else, other than God had created it, then lands and their ownership disputes would have been none of God’s business. But if the world-as the Bible reveals- has been created by God, then land allotment, ownership and disputes must be God’s concern because he himself had created it in the first place.
Now this what the bible says about God creating the universe and the earth: “For thus says the Lord who created the heavens, God himself who formed the earth and made it; he had established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited.”(Is 45:18) As for the “inhabiting” part, the Bible further says: “And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitations.”(Acts.17:26) See also Duet.32:8.
In short, God is both the owner of the earth as well as the one who has distributed different boundaries of lands to different nations of the earth for their habitation. Here, like any other nations on the earth, we Nagas are also only inhabiting lands that were bequeathed to our ancestors by God and handed down to us by them so that we can also have a country we can call our own. In this context, to sum up God and his relationship to lands, God is the sole creator and owner of all the lands on earth. After all, no single individual in human history was ever born into the world with a single grain of soil in his hands from which he could cultivate and produce food for himself. The final fact of life on earth therefore is one where “naked we have come into the world and naked we will depart from it” (Job 1:21).
The next question is: Is God the creator, owner and distributor of lands concerned about land disputes when one nation invades the lands of another nation? To this question, one very good example which shows that God is concerned about land disputes is found in 11Chr 20. In this chapter we find that the kingdom of Judah which was then under King Jehoshaphat came under the threat of invasion by the Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites. Now, the Edomites were the descendents of Esau the brother of Jacob who was the figure head of the Israelite nation. To the Edomites God had given the land of Seir for their habitation. (Gen.25:30&36:8) When the children of Israel were walking through the wilderness in their journey from Egypt to Canaan and were passing through Edomite lands, God had commanded the Israelites saying: “You are to pass through the border of your brethren the children of Esau who dwell in Seir…Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breath, because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.”(Dt. 2:4&5)
As for the Moabites and the Ammonites, they were the descendents of lot to whom God had given the land of Ar and the lands besides the river Jabbok for their habitation. (Ex.2:9&37)
Now when Jehoshaphat saw the thousands of invading forces that had encircled Judah and pleaded for God’s intervention, this is what God told King Jehoshaphat through the prophet Jahaziel: “And he said, Hearken ye all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you. Be not afraid or dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (11Chr.20:1-15) In the subsequent events as narrated from verses 16-25, the enemies of Judah fought amongst themselves and Judah was saved.
The important thing to be noted here is that in this land dispute of intended invasion where three kingdoms had gathered to invade the land of Judah, God said “The battle is His and not that of Jehoshaphat or the citizens of Judah.”
In the same way, I believe God is concerned about the Indo-Naga-Burma land dispute where India and Burma have invaded our lands. I believe that in the same way as he told King Jehoshaphat, God would also say to us Nagas: “The battle is mine.” In my fourteen years of research work listening and writing about our struggle, I have seen God’s footprints everywhere. I marvel at how God had guided and led our leaders of yesterday in making the right decisions and executing the right actions at all the right times. It is also almost unbelievable how a small army like ours could defy the combined military might of India and Burma for all these years. I was also amazed to read the theologically very correct and profound statements in the preamble of our Constitution.
Yes, I believe God is concerned and involved in our land dispute with Burma and India and has helped us all along. But it is indeed tragic to see how some of our own leaders of today are tearing our nation to pieces by their own narrow visions and selfish pursuits.
Now this what the bible says about God creating the universe and the earth: “For thus says the Lord who created the heavens, God himself who formed the earth and made it; he had established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited.”(Is 45:18) As for the “inhabiting” part, the Bible further says: “And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitations.”(Acts.17:26) See also Duet.32:8.
In short, God is both the owner of the earth as well as the one who has distributed different boundaries of lands to different nations of the earth for their habitation. Here, like any other nations on the earth, we Nagas are also only inhabiting lands that were bequeathed to our ancestors by God and handed down to us by them so that we can also have a country we can call our own. In this context, to sum up God and his relationship to lands, God is the sole creator and owner of all the lands on earth. After all, no single individual in human history was ever born into the world with a single grain of soil in his hands from which he could cultivate and produce food for himself. The final fact of life on earth therefore is one where “naked we have come into the world and naked we will depart from it” (Job 1:21).
The next question is: Is God the creator, owner and distributor of lands concerned about land disputes when one nation invades the lands of another nation? To this question, one very good example which shows that God is concerned about land disputes is found in 11Chr 20. In this chapter we find that the kingdom of Judah which was then under King Jehoshaphat came under the threat of invasion by the Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites. Now, the Edomites were the descendents of Esau the brother of Jacob who was the figure head of the Israelite nation. To the Edomites God had given the land of Seir for their habitation. (Gen.25:30&36:8) When the children of Israel were walking through the wilderness in their journey from Egypt to Canaan and were passing through Edomite lands, God had commanded the Israelites saying: “You are to pass through the border of your brethren the children of Esau who dwell in Seir…Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breath, because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.”(Dt. 2:4&5)
As for the Moabites and the Ammonites, they were the descendents of lot to whom God had given the land of Ar and the lands besides the river Jabbok for their habitation. (Ex.2:9&37)
Now when Jehoshaphat saw the thousands of invading forces that had encircled Judah and pleaded for God’s intervention, this is what God told King Jehoshaphat through the prophet Jahaziel: “And he said, Hearken ye all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you. Be not afraid or dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (11Chr.20:1-15) In the subsequent events as narrated from verses 16-25, the enemies of Judah fought amongst themselves and Judah was saved.
The important thing to be noted here is that in this land dispute of intended invasion where three kingdoms had gathered to invade the land of Judah, God said “The battle is His and not that of Jehoshaphat or the citizens of Judah.”
In the same way, I believe God is concerned about the Indo-Naga-Burma land dispute where India and Burma have invaded our lands. I believe that in the same way as he told King Jehoshaphat, God would also say to us Nagas: “The battle is mine.” In my fourteen years of research work listening and writing about our struggle, I have seen God’s footprints everywhere. I marvel at how God had guided and led our leaders of yesterday in making the right decisions and executing the right actions at all the right times. It is also almost unbelievable how a small army like ours could defy the combined military might of India and Burma for all these years. I was also amazed to read the theologically very correct and profound statements in the preamble of our Constitution.
Yes, I believe God is concerned and involved in our land dispute with Burma and India and has helped us all along. But it is indeed tragic to see how some of our own leaders of today are tearing our nation to pieces by their own narrow visions and selfish pursuits.
