2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Yesterday, I spoke about Isaiah’s commission from IS 6 and about the wonderful attitude Isaiah demonstrated when he said in (8), “I will go! Send me!,” in response to the Lord’s question, “Whom shall I send? Who will be my messenger?” This whole passage, IS 6: 1-8, is very meaningful to us. The seraphim declare God as Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts, in (3). “They [the seraphim or living creatures] were calling out to each other: ‘Holy, holy, holy! The Lord Almighty is holy! His glory fills the world.’” This is the foreshadowing of REV 4: 8, the Ter Sanctus, the similar song sung during worship in heaven. IS 6: 4 suggests the significance of this vision. “The sound of their voices made the foundation of the Temple shake, and the Temple itself became filled with smoke.” It too foreshadows heavenly activity seen in REV 15: 8. “The Temple was filled with smoke from the glory and power of God, and no one could go into the Temple until the seven plagues brought by seven angels had come to an end.” All of these citations help us to have some idea of the power and glory of God. Another name for God that can be applied here is Yahweh. The message is that He is to be obeyed. He is the Creator; we are the created. How blessed we are that our Deity Who has this kind of glory and power loves us the way He does! He will never use that power with evil intent.
I stand in awe of the many ways God wants us to know Him. Knowing His attributes helps us to know the lack of limits of His sovereignty and what constitutes our responsibility to respond to it. If we know God through experiencing Him with our obedience, then we will also understand His total righteousness. That keeps us from being afraid to accept the assignments He gives us. Look at how Adonai, our Lord and Master, deals with Jeremiah at the time of the latter’s commission as a prophet. JER 1: 4-8, “The Lord said to me [Jeremiah], ‘I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born, I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.’ I answered, ‘Jehovah-Adonai, I do not know how to speak; I am too young.’ But the Lord said to me, ’Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you. I, Jehovah-Adonai [the Lord and Master], have spoken!” God’s mastery and love in this passage leave me breathless! Just as that was directed at Jeremiah, it is directed at each one of us who accept his commissions. Think of it: His presence, His guidance, His protection…even words for our mouths that will be effective in doing His work! It’s all there for anyone who demonstrates His love for God through obedience!
Another passage that sheds light on Jehovah-Adonai is MT 22: 41-46. “When some Pharisees gathered together, Jesus asked them, ‘What do you think about the Messiah? Whose descendant is He?’ ‘He is David’s descendant,’ they answered. ‘Why, then, did the ‘Spirit inspire David to call Him, Jehovah-Adonai [Lord]?’ Jesus asked. ‘David said [in PS 110:1], ‘The Lord said to my Lord; sit here at My right side until I put Your enemies as a footstool under Your feet.’ If , then, David called Him, ‘Jehovah-Adonai [Lord],’ how can the Messiah be David’s descendant?’ No one was able to answer, from that day on no one dared to ask Him any more questions.” If we encounter anyone who is on the brink of coming to faith, why not show him this passage and take the time to explain what it means to us? Just as we saw the connection between God and Christ in JN 14: 9 & 11, it can be seen here too. Once again Christ appears in the OT, ignored and rejected by traditional Jews and so explicit to those who know Who their Messiah really is.
The story of Christ’s rejection is sad indeed. It is like that of a dying person rejecting the cure which a competent physician offers. In this case, the sickness is sin, and the great physician is Christ as Jehovah-Adonai. We must bear in mind that God is One in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. JN 10: 30-33 exemplifies this tragic rejection of the Son. Christ had just finished saying in (27-29), “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never die. No one can snatch them away from Me. What my Father has given Me is greater than everything, and no one can snatch them away from the Father’s care. The Father and I are One.” Now read (30-33): “Then the people again picked up stones to throw at Him. Jesus said to them, ‘I have done many good deeds in your presence which the Father gave Me to do; for which one of these do you want to stone Me?’ They answered, ‘We do not want to stone you because of any good deeds, but because of Your blasphemy! You are only a man, but You are trying to make Yourself God!’” My heart breaks for people who read a passage such as this one and who reject the truth of God’s power, glory, sovereignty, compassion, and love seen here. We must examine our own reaction to these words and ask ourselves how do they impact the decisions and attitudes I have in my own life?
PRAYER: O Lord, You value each one of us so much that You want us to know many important things about Yourself. This is not the act of an egotist looking for ways to press human-like agendas to consolidate power. Instead, this is one way that You demonstrate Your love for us. You want nothing more than to make the words You inspired Paul to say in RO 8: 28 true. “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love Him, those whom He has called according to His purpose.” Through Your power and glory, You exercise Your right to call us according to Your purpose. If we take the time to know You the way You want us to, we will also know that Your purpose is always for our eternal good. We won’t hesitate to accept the commissions You assign us, nor will we worry that we do so without Your protection. You, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One. The earnest desires of Your heart are to inhabit and direct our lives using all three of Your personalities. You are truly our Jehovah-Adonai, our Lord and Master-the Master Who loves us more than words can describe. We humbly approach You with our pledge of adoration, worship, loyalty, trust, obedience, praise, and thanks. We offer our lives to Your glory and honor. In Christ’s name, we pray, amen.
What a loving and righteous Deity we have! He cares for us, even the least of us. He guides, protects, teaches, encourages, and opens the way to salvation through His Son for us. For those reasons and so many more, we must not reject either Him, his power, or His love with foolish, sinful attitudes, decisions, or behavior. We must know that when we trust and obey Him, His love will be real and palpable in our lives. Tomorrow, we will continue looking at Jehovah-Adonai as He is seen through the Son in the NT.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn