Representing the living God among the Nations

 

An emoji devotions for Mon, Nov 8th, 2021

Topic: Representing the living God among the Nations

By Pastor H. U. Wenger

Highlights: Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ (Isaiah 46:9 – 10)

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. (Revelation 3:11 – 12)

In Isaiah 46 God makes very clear that he is absolutely incomparable with any God of the Nations. He has carried Israel from its calling in Abraham and in verse 4 he even renews his vow: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” He goes then on and asks in verse 5: “With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?” The following description God gives from the making and handling of pagan Gods reveal how ridiculous Idols are. Years ago he has given Israel his law through Moses reminding them that he has proven himself with a strong hand. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Even then it has been difficult for the people to accept the one and only powerful invisible God, who declares the end from the beginning and brings about all he has promised, despite the unbelief and disobedience of his subjects. In the absence of Moses they quickly created an idol in the golden calf. Today, especially in the western world, people do rarely create visible idols, but it became common to violate the second commandment by inventing all sorts of ideas about the elements and the powers of the universe often related to the false gnosis the apostles fought against. 

The Almighty God gets often reduced to what seems feasible to the human mind. I see God as …, I worship God as … and so forth. For the Israelites the worship problem got visible in every new challenge. They always considered the material problem bigger than the divine power, although they had a daily experience of the supernatural force. In the end they missed out on the timely entry into the land of milk and honey, because they did not believe that God could give them victory over the people of the land and their fortified cities. In other words, they worshiped the givens of their circumstances more than the Almighty God. Nevertheless they were called to be an example for the nations and they were and they are still today. 

God has told them the end from the beginning and he does it again with the prophet Isaiah. Israel is still a sign for the nations and with it Jesus has made the New Testament Church to a sign for the world. In Acts 1:8 Jesus says to his disciples: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Israel and the New Testament church are God’s calls to the world to turn to him because he is on the move to come back to his creation, to uproot and destroy all evil and to bring a reign of peace and justice to the fallen world. He declared it from the beginning and we are the generation who has the privilege to see it with our own eyes. He made it know from the beginning, he brought Israel back and now he is on the verge to rapture the church, to save Israel out of the coming troubles and come back as the prince of peace, as the king of all kings and the Lord of all Lords. Eventually he will gather all his redeemed subjects in that wonderful city, which will come down from heaven to a new earth within which there will be no evil no injustice, no crying, no sorrow, but only peace and joy. 

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, please help me to be victorious with you by trusting you and by believing that your powers and possibilities are always greater than all the obstacles and impossibilities I am encountering. You have a way even if I cannot see it. You have told us the end from the beginning and you have promised: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” You know me as a big sinner and nevertheless you love me and grant me your mercy and grace. Thank you for ever and ever. Amen.