Apr 19
1
Satan’s
Grief = The Children Of God
Tommy Robbins
“The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And
they were grieved because of the children of Israel.” Exodus 1:12
As Satan and the world is no match for God, neither is sin and Satan a
victor over the children of God – “Nay, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him that loved us” Romans 8:37. The more the
child of God is afflicted the more we grow in grace and knowledge of
Him. This is because of Christ, not ourselves – “Ye are of God, little
children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you,
than he that is in the world.” 1John 4:4. Our Lord knows nothing of
defeat. He has won every battle and defeated every enemy that comes
against us – “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us,
who can be against us?” Romans 8:31. We but need to stand on the bank of
the river and watch the final destruction of Pharaoh and his army to
calm our fears. The deliverance of the children of Israel is but a
picture of a greater deliverance. It was by the affliction of our Lord
Jesus Christ that grace was multiplied for His sheep.
The grief of Satan is the growth of God’s kingdom through Christ’s
suffering and death. Shall those whom Christ purchased with His Own
blood suffer loss? Emphatically, NO! “This is the Father’s will which
hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing,
but should raise it up again at the last day” John 6:39. As the children
of Israel were an uncontrollable burden and grief to the Egyptians, so
is Christ and His church to the world.
Adversity is sent from the loving hand of God to graciously force us to
Himself. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have
peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I
have overcome the world” John 16:33. What Satan means for evil, God uses
for His people’s good. “We know that all things work together for good
to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His
purpose” Romans 8:28.
WE SING “JOY TO THE WORLD!”
Many religious leaders dissuade their followers from singing Isaac
Watts’ hymn Joy to the world! We here do not speak of atheists or men of
other “world religions” avowedly opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ (e.g.,
Judaism): Their objection to such a hymn is understandable. Rather, we
here speak of men professing to be Christians!
What is their objection to this hymn? Lines such as the following:
Joy to world! the Lord is come! / Let earth receive her King …
Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns! …
He rules the world with truth and grace .…
They object to Christ being presently praised as King ruling over His
kingdom!
I reject every reason they may give for their objection, whether it be
on the grounds of their Chiliasm, Millennialism (whether
Pre-/Post-/Pan-/Non-), Dispensationalism, Zionism, Darbyism,
Scofieldism, Atheism or any other ism!
The Lord Jesus Christ was not thwarted by unbelievers in His purpose to
establish His kingdom and reign as King over it. He did not have to
resort to “Plan B” (as some call it) because unbelievers would not let
Him fulfill “Plan A”. He was not lifted up on a cross because
unbelievers would not let Him ascend to His throne. He did not
inaugurate some “Parenthetical Church Age” because of His failure to
inaugurate His “Millennial Kingdom Age”. He is not presently in heaven
as a king in exile – like pitiful Napoleon on Elba – because His
citizens will not permit Him to rule and reign over them. He is not
waiting for those who rejected Him to finally permit Him to return and
be their king. Furthermore, it was never His intention to offer to
unbelieving Jews the earthly, worldly, carnal, physical kingdom for
which they lusted. And if He waits until men of their “freewill” accept
Him as king and let Him establish His kingdom, He never will be king
over a kingdom.
Neither did He come the first time to be a prophet, then return to
heaven to be a priest, intending to be a king when He comes to earth the
second time. His mediatorial offices cannot be divided in such a
fashion. He came to earth to be Prophet and Priest and King – and all
three He was and is!
Jesus Christ was prophesied to be King in the Old Testament (e.g.,
Isaiah 9:6f), with the promise that in His incarnation He would be “upon
the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it
with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever” (cp.
Jeremiah 33:15-21). In His incarnation He was announced as King (Luke
1:26-33; fulfilling 2 Samuel 7:12f), sought and worshipped as King
(Matthew 2:1f, 11), manifested as King (Matthew 12:28f; cp. Revelation
20:1-3), presented as King (Matthew 21:1-5; fulfilling Zechariah 9:9),
and empowered as King (Matthew 28:18). In His exaltation He was
enthroned as King at God’s right hand (Acts 2:29-36). God therefore
assures Christ His Son, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a
scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (Hebrews 1:8).
And believers in Him have been by God delivered from the Satanic power
of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Jehovah’s dear Son
(Colossians 1:13)!
Let others object – if they must – to Christ’s present and everlasting
Kingship and Kingdom. Let them say – if they are such rebels – “We will
not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14).
But believers in the Lord and Savior Jesus have ceased their rebellion
against Him and bowed to Him as King of King and Lord of Lords, and been
graciously received into His kingdom, and joyfully sing …
Joy to world! the Lord is come! / Let earth receive her King …
Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns! …
He rules the world with truth and grace .…
And we exultingly sing that song all through the year, not with mere
lip-service at Christmastide only.
–
Daniel E. Parks
The Sovereign Will of God
Drew Dietz
One way or another, the sovereign will of our God is being done!
Do you believe this? Do I believe this? Take a look with me at Acts
21:30-37 and you will see what I mean by the statement above.
You have on one hand the Roman soldiers, on the other the Jewish mob.
One group is the occupier and is despised by the occupied nation. One
group is responsible for law and order, the other group is in full
rebellion. The Romans are the conquerors, the Jews are the conquered.
Two wheels turning in direct opposites bent on over-ruling the other.
Yet God in His sovereign power and supreme purpose used both of these to
fulfill His will for Paul in his eventual journey to Rome. It is amazing
how, says one writer of old, the Lord would use Rome to protect the
fledgling church while Jerusalem persecuted it.
Our ever gracious Lord is still doing such things for each individual
sheep as well as His Church collectively, taking all things, whether
opposites in our way of thinking or not and turning them for His glory
and our best interest!
Oh my soul, consider this daily and see the sweet peace it affords to my
weak and hurting soul.
Absolutely Sovereign
Clay Curtis
Psalm 76:10: Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of
wrath shalt thou restrain.
If we deny the absolute sovereignty of God we do not deny it because we
think it belittles God. Whether we know it or not we do it TO BELITTLE
GOD AND EXALT SELF. Though most argue against God’s absolute authority
and power claiming concern over God being accused of being the author of
evil, the true concern is that I’ll be found out to be the author of all
my sin.
If we confess that God can remove his restraining hand from a man,
harden a man’s heart, so that the sinner commits evil in a city all to
accomplish God’s purpose then we have to confess that it is only by
God’s direct hand and purpose that sinners are not venting more evil
than we do now. By nature evil is what we are. The only thing keeping me
from committing the vilest act right now is the sovereign power of God.
Yet, all the evil acts that sinners have ever committed on this earth
have praised God. One only has to look at the most sinful act of all. At
the cross we behold God bringing praise to his name from the unrighteous
wrath of man through the death of his own Son. If everything which
happened to God’s own Son was according to God’s determinate council
then who are we to question him as to what he does from his throne in
glory to us worms called men. Praise him that he has not given us our
just due in removing his hand from all of us. Sinful man apart from
God’s restraining hand is hell.
God’s absolute sovereignty is the very definition of who God is. It
gives great peace to the sinner who has been made to see him in truth. I
am thankful my God is truly God.
God’s King is King Already
About 5,000 men sat on the side of a mountain in the lush grass and
listened to the gracious words of Him who was the gospel incarnate.
Having heard His precious words they ate their fill of a basket
containing five barley loaves and two small fishes.
This God did by Him in their midst to confirm His person and offices
(Acts 2: 22). Having satisfied their religious curiosity and mixing His
words with their own reasoning and logic, they rose up with an ignorant
zeal intending to make Him a king by force. Perceiving their selfish and
carnal motives, the Lord withdrew himself from their numbers and went
into the mountain alone.
Every fallen son of Adam believes he has the power and ability to
effectually resist the living God, alter His will, and by his own
authority allow him to do or not do certain things. David calls this in
Psalm 2 a vain imagination. “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh;
the Lord will have them in derision (Psalm 2: 4).”
“Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill in Zion. I will declare the
decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I
begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thy
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
(Psalm 2: 6-8).” This is not that day in Bethlehem when Mary brought
forth the promised seed but the eternal begetting of the mediator King.
God’s King is King already! God hath set Him by decree upon his holy
hill in Zion. This is the eternal generation of Christ and includes all
of his offices, all of his work, all of the means, and all whom he
represented.
His reign is without contest, without assistance, and without question.
‘None can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou (Daniel 4:
35).” “In his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only
Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords (I Timothy 6: 15).” As
fallen sons of Adam the best thing we can do is to fall prostrate at his
feet, and be thankful for his rule which has been established in him to
save sinners for the glory of his name. (John 17: 2)
Darvin Pruitt