God's promises are real
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| Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The thought of the kingdom of heaven spreading throughout the world, of people from all nations bowing in obedience to the God of Israel, and of a world once hidden in darkness being brought into light by the power of God’s Spirit must have been difficult for the Jewish mind to grasp. Remember, they were a people surrounded by enemies. The world had turned against them. They were slaves in a foreign land. Temples to foreign gods were erected everywhere and the name of Jehovah was ridiculed by commoner and king alike.
The laws of God were not heeded, as every man did what was right in his own eyes. And even among themselves, only a remnant truly worshiped the Lord. Could they possibly believe the words of Isaiah that a day would come when the nations would be brought to worship the same God they worshiped? Could it be that justice and truth would be exalted instead of oppression and lies? From what they could see by their own experience, such a thing wasn’t possible.
But we should know better than to measure things by what we see. God is greater than our experiences, and His vision is broader than the moment in history in which we live. He who created the heavens and spread forth the earth will accomplish what He has promised. He who gave breath to people and called forth His church in righteousness will make certain that the nations will know His name.
From the lips of Isaiah, He told the people that He would not share His glory with another. The idols that seemed so numerous would one day topple, and His glory would shine forth in the world: “I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor my praise to carved images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
God will not tolerate a world mat dishonors Him, and He will not allow His light to be darkened. The name of Christ will advance among the nations, and His justice shall reign in the hearts of men. One day He will come back in cosmic judgment, and everyone who blinded themselves by their idolatry will know the truth. Then every tongue will be silenced and every knee shall bow. Though it is unimaginable to us today, the Lord has promised that it will happen. We need never doubt this truth, that Christ’s reign will be seen throughout this world.
Do you believe that God will have victory over the wickedness of men in this world? It is hard to believe, considering all the terrible injustices that happen every day. Bolster your faith with these promises that Christ will accomplish His purposes in this world. Author: RC Sproul
