In the OT, His people were told in Deuteronomy 11:1. “You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.” Some of them understood and agreed:
Judges 8:23. “Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.”
1 Chronicles 29:12. (David prayed) “Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.”
Was life simpler then? Not so. The wrong was also strong as Nehemiah prayed, “We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.”
God rules yet sin resists His reign and demands its own way. This begs the question then as it does now: why does a Sovereign God allow such folly? At that, I can almost hear Him say, “I might ask you the same question?” If anyone is concerned about God’s goodness, when then do they resist His rule!
The reason is usually rooted is thinking I know better ways to do things. I can rule my own life. This is pride and ridiculous, yet sin and selfishness are always behind my failures as well as the craziness reported in the daily news. Human sinfulness is the idea that we do not need God; we can be in control. Most of us seldom stop to think that just our very life and breath are gifts of grace; the One who rules could take them in a moment.
The NT talk of rule covers a wide variety of meaning and application. Many refer to leaders and being in charge, yet God’s concept of rule is far different than ours. Jesus said that Gentile rulers “lord it over” those they govern but the road to greatness is takes a totally different path.
Mark 10:42–45. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Most human ‘rulers’ do not think that way. No matter. Colossians 1:16 says, “By him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” and 2:10 says He “is the head of all rule and authority.” No matter the power trips, greed and corruption in human leaders, Jesus ‘is the ruler yet.’
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. This total rule means that nothing can rule over me (unless I let it) or separate me from His love or His sovereign care. Romans 8:38–39: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” With Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 1:17, I also say: “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
2 comments:
How have you been doing, Elsie?
I'll say it again -- these posts reflect how I am doing because being transparent is important. However, it seems a lot more important to talk about Jesus. No matter what comes along, He always uses it for our good and for His glory. We are incredibly blessed.
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