I won't paste in today's passage, as it's quite lengthy. Here we have a first-person account of events that happened to the most powerful ruler in the world at the time; events that seem so far-fetched and fantastic that one almost can't believe them. Part of me feels badly for him, and says "Wow, that really was rock bottom. My life is a gay and carefree skip through the park in comparison." Can you imagine going from being the king of the world, really, to being like a dumb beast, unkempt, eating whatever was handy, sleeping out in the elements... what a way for God to prove his point! Part of me says "That's what you get for being proud and full of yourself!" Then again, I think we all have our struggles with pride, although none of us are likely to be the wealthy and prosperous rulers of vast kingdoms. Thankfully, God is not given to punishing all of our pride with seven years of animalistic living, but I do often find that old proverb to be true: "Pride goeth before destruction."
MacArthur says the following:
And the bottom line in this testimony is one statement that he repeats four times... The Most High God rules in the kingdom of men. That is the message here, that God rules. Things don’t happen by chance; they’re not kismet; they’re not fate--God rules in the kingdoms of men.
You remember Herod in Acts 12 who declared that he was some great thing, and he was immediately struck by God, eaten by worms, and died on the spot. World leaders are consumed with arrogance, pride, boastfulness, narcissism. We see it in our own country in politicians. We see it in world leaders, consumed with themselves. Some of them talk about God, they use the word God, but they’re not referring to the true and living God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in Holy Scripture. If you defy the God who is God, the true and living God, you will be judged.
The nations are in an uproar; just turn on the news. People are trying to devise things that are useless. The kings of the earth are taking their stand. The rulers are having their counsels. The problem is, they’re all set against the Lord and against His anointed, who is Christ, and they’re all saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart and cast their cords from us!” We will not be obligated to Scripture, to the Word of God. He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury as He terrified Nebuchadnezzar, because He has established His King, the One who He has begotten, the one who will rule the nations and the ends of the earth and “break them with a rod of iron and shatter them like earthenware.”
There is only one King, and that is God. And one anointed by that King and that is Christ. Verse 10, “Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence.” And verse 12, the Hebrew says, “Kiss the Son.” “Kiss the Son, that He not become angry and you perish in the way.” Kiss the Son or “His wrath will soon be kindled.” That’s what’s going to happen to the world. The last line, “How blessed are all of us who found refuge in Him!”
What’s wrong with our world? Rejected God; same thing that’s always been wrong. What are the solutions to all of the things that come from that? The only solution is to worship God by honoring His Son, the only Savior, the only hope. People talk about hope and change. There’s only one hope--that’s Christ. There’s only one change--that’s regeneration. Otherwise nothing changes and there’s no hope.
Tomorrow's scripture focus: Daniel 5
1 comment:
I liked how Pritchard summer it up - "God is God and you are not"
The sooner we learn that the better. Because God will get that point across to us sooner or later. Sooner is obviously better for us, because later (after death) is too late to change.
God is not a safe God, but he is good. He isn’t safe because God doesn’t act according to our standards. He won’t stay in the “box” we construct for him. We dare not trifle with him. But he is good, which means that even when our tree is shaking, we know he means it for our good and his glory. Let God be God, and all creation will sing his praises.
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