One of my personal Bible readings for March 1st (today, until I go to bed!) was from the book of the prophet Isaiah. It is found at ch.32:1-20. The first verses of that passage read:
"Look, a righteous King is coming! And honest princes will rule under Him. Each one will be like a shelter from the windand a refuge from the storm,like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.
Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth,and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it. Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding.Those who stammer will speak out plainly. In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes.Scoundrels will not be respected. For fools speak foolishness and make evil plans.They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the Lord.They deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty. The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil.They plot crooked schemes.They lie to convict the poor,even when the cause of the poor is just. But generous people plan to do what is generous,and they stand firm in their generosity." (vs.1-8; NLT).
Having suffered much injustice from evil rulers, many in Judah were
hungry for a strong king who would rule with justice. Many, today, will quickly see how relevant those words are to our own age. We live in a culture of 'celebrity' in which some with nothing more than the ability to kick a football; use a microphone; or, in certain situations, commit murder; are classed as 'heroes' - in spite of their ungodly beliefs and lifestyles. How many of us desire to see strong men and women, of integrity and righteousness, walk the corridors of temporal power.
This desire will
be fulfilled when the Christ reigns. Evil will be banished, and the King
will reign in righteousness and rule with justice. In the immediate
future, Judah would be destroyed and taken into captivity. But one day,
God's Son, the King unlike any other king, will reign in righteousness.
When
the righteous King comes, people's motives will become transparent.
Fools will not be regarded as noble. Those who have opposed God's
standards of living will be unable to maintain their deception. In the
blazing light of the holy Saviour, sin cannot disguise itself and appear
good. Christ's revealing light shines into the darkest corners of our
hearts, showing sin clearly for what it is. When King Jesus reigns in
your heart, there is no place for sin, no matter how well hidden you may
think it is.
The future rule of the righteous King is a reminder to us to consider our values, and priorities, even now! What do you value most? How do your priorities relate to the Kingdom of God? You see, what you value demonstrates to others the priority of your faith in the God Who is Saviour, and Lord, and King.
And now, the best (in my opinion!) Gaither Vocal Band - David Phelps, Guy Penrod, Mark Lowry, and Bill Gaither - sing of the coming of the King of kings, and Lord of lords, together with others of the Gaither Homecoming Friends. Maranatha - "Come, Lord Jesus!"
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