In the battle between God’s people and the Pharaoh of Egypt, Moses was told to several times to confront this pagan ruler with truth about God, such as:
Exodus 9:16. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
Since the entire Bible is a proclamation of God, it is full of words that mean ‘to call, summon, proclaim, announce, make public’ with the idea that humanity is ‘to hear, listen, pay attention, perceive, obey, and also announce to others’ what they have heard God PROCLAIM to them. This is God’s reason for telling me to put these devotional thoughts on this page. This is the reason missionaries go to people who have not yet heard the wonderous story of God sending His Son to give His life so we can have a personal relationship with our Creator and be blessed with eternal life. This is the reason we meet often to hear the good news repeated and to praise Him who gave us His Son, who hears and answers our prayers and meets all our needs.
God proclaimed to Moses that He is “the Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” and Moses replied, “I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God!”
Even before Moses, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” and “The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.” (Psalm 19:1 and 97:6) Creation itself proclaims God’s nature and character.
As did the psalmist who said, “I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds.” He could not help himself. He said, “You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told” and “O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.”
The prophets also heard God’s proclamations and passed them on to others. Isaiah heard this: “I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses, and I am God” and Isaiah responded with, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.” This proclamation was repeated by Jesus who fulfilled it.
Matthew 9:35. And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
He told those who believe in Him, “What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops” and said, “This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
His followers took these proclamations seriously. Saul was transformed, renamed Paul, and “immediately proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ ” He suffered because of his bold declaration and was put in jail, yet Acts 28 tells how “He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”
Paul was not a one-man show. He depended on God’s Spirit and the support of others. In Ephesians 6:19 he asked for prayer that “words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” What is normal for God should be normal for His people, but most of us struggle to proclaim Jesus Christ and need the same resources as this man.
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. A focus on Jesus helps me to remember the words of 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” I belong to Him and He gave me a task that is part of His plan for this world. As John said, “This is the message I have heard from him and proclaim to you” and as the angel in Revelation proclaimed, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth.” As I respond to Him, I am blessed by this amazing God who proclaimed His love for me through the life, death and resurrection of His Son.
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