1 Timothy 2:1-7: God Includes All Who Disagree With God

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. - 1 Timothy 2:1-7

"...who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 

There are a lot of "all" words in these verses. "made for all people", "all those in authority", "all people to be saved", "ransom for all people" and "mankind" (i.e. all people) Kings, leaders and Gentiles seem to be questionable, in the minds of some people. They are immoral, ignorant and headed in directions that are diametrically opposed to the way of God. There is temptation to just write people like this off, saying they get what is coming to them--that if we just ignore them, they will ultimately get what they deserve. But Paul flips this around. Rather than ignoring or isolating these people, he has been appointed to engage with them. In doing so, he is doing helping fulfill Jesus' own mission: "as ransome fo all people"

Part of that engagement is praying for the leaders in all ways: "petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving" That is, we pray for what we know or imagine are the struggles of the leaders. 

Then he goes beyond this to describe the "peaceful and quiet lives" citizens should live under these leaders. That is, our default posture is not rebellion but peace. Like Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers." because they are creating an environment where growth and health are possible, not just for themselves but also for those around them. 

Then he says that he is a true and faithful teacher. That is not a role that can be achieved from a distance. Sure, you can convince your buddies how smart you are. But Paul wasn't appointed to preach to his buddies. Rather to those who explicitly were not his buddies, the Gentiles. 

 When I read the words "all" in these verses, I am reminded how ambitious God's plan of rescue is for the world and how much he must love all the people, even those who flaunt their disobedience or apathy. Grant that we could have the same attitude, even with those we disagree with.

Isaiah 49:8-13: The Covenant Is A Person

This is what the Lord says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ “They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.

They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.

I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up. See, they will come from afar—some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan.”

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. - Isaiah 49:8-13

Normally, a covenant is an agreement-a sacred agreement between two parties. There is the old covenant, established between God and the nation of Israel through Moses. It establishes the agreed-upon roles and obligations of both parties, spoken or written by word. But these verses from Isaiah are different. The covenant that it talks about, the new covenant between God and people, is a person. 

The covenant has a purpose: restore and free and enlighten and nourish. The covenant-this person-will "guide them and lead them" Covenants usually describe how each side can meet the terms and become pleasing to the other party so that they will fulfill their part. But this covenant is unique, because it is not a system of rules or conditions that you meet. There is no way to "fulfill" the covenant. It is a relationship with Jesus and when you are "in him" you become acceptable to every requirement of the other party: God the Father.

Rather than spoken or written words, the covenant is the Word, Jesus Christ. Paul said: For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)