Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
PSALM 2:8
All of history boils down to this one design – that is, God’s determined purpose to exalt his own Son, and the ultimate reign of that Son over all his enemies. And there is not even the remotest possibility of this not happening because the zeal of the Lord is involved.
Psalm 2 gets at the ongoing struggle between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, and Acts 4 contains a prayer that reveals the early church clearly understood what they were up against.
Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. ACTS 4:27
The One enthroned in heaven finds that laughable. Why? Because he has a plan and will not deviate from that plan until it is accomplished. He has no plan B. His ways are unstoppable and his purposes are guaranteed. He will be successful. Even the so-called “setbacks” end up being advances. And the beauty of it all is that our salvation is wrapped up in the process, as we get brought into the glorious purposes of God.
This Sunday, Randall Gruendyke will continue our Advent preaching series, as we consider Old Testament prophesies and how they are a window into God’s redeeming heart, revealing the plan that he has been working out from the beginning of creation.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
ISAIAH 9:6-7
Donald Trump is intent on making America great again. But any successes he achieves will be short-lived at best. Not so with our Lord. His will be an eternal reign, characterized by justice and righteousness.
From John Newton:
Such is the character of MESSIAH! This is the God whom we adore; our almighty unchangeable Friend! His greatness and goodness, His glory and His grace, when once known, fix the heart no more to rove; and fill it with admiration, gratitude, and desire.
From hence spring a cheerful, unreserved obedience to His commands, and a deliberate voluntary submission to His holy will. For His people do not serve him, or yield to Him by constraint; at least, it is only the pleasing constraint of love, which makes their duty their delight; and their burden and grief is, that they can serve Him no better.
HALLELUJAH! CHORUS
George F. Handel
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