SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/16/2015
8:08 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Because
Justice is Meted Out
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Revelation
19:2
Message of the
verse: “2 BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS;
for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her
immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER."”
“because His judgments are
true and righteous, because He has
judged the notorious prostitute who
corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality;
and He has avenged the blood of His servants that was on her hands
(HSCB).”
I
don’t think that I have ever heard of the word meted and so I looked it up and
this is what I found “dispense or allot
justice, a punishment, or harsh treatment.”
Let
us compare this verse with Revelation 16:7 “And I heard the altar saying,
"Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your
judgments."” What we see here is
that heaven is rejoicing because God’s judgments are true and righteous, and
this is evidenced by the destruction of wicked, deserving Babylon.
I
think that people who are true believers have always longed for justice to be
served and look forward to a coming day when the Lord will rule in
righteousness which will happen during the millennial kingdom. Isaiah looked forward to this day as seen in
Isaiah 9:6-7 “6 For a child will be born
to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will
be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the
increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over
his kingdom, To establish
it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
Jeremiah
23:5 “"Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I
will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act
wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.”
In
an earlier verse we looked at in Revelation (6:10) we read the following as a
cry from the martyrs: “and they cried
out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You
refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the
earth?"”
John
MacArthur writes “God’s people hate sin because it mocks God and love
righteousness because it exalts Him.
They long for world characterized by holiness and justice. But that will only happen when Christ
establishes His righteous kingdom and rules with a rod of iron (cf. v.15; 2:27;
12:5; Ps. 2:9).”
We
have already studied how the Lord judged the great harlot in chapters 17 and
18, and this set the stage for establishing the kingdom of the Lord which will
soon take place after that event as we are learning in chapter 19. Again it is good to remember that when we
study the book of Revelation we are studying about Jesus Christ and we also
must remember that in eternity past that God the Father promised a kingdom for
His Son and when He came the first time He died for the sins of those who would
participate in His kingdom, and when He comes again as we will see later on in
chapter 19 He will set up His kingdom.
We have been stating throughout this study of Revelation that we find in
this book that God is taking back control of planet earth and will give it to
His Son to rule over and that since sin entered the world in Genesis chapter
three that Satan has been ruler of the world system that is thriving on planet
earth at this time. Once Babylon, the
system of Babylon is destroyed this as stated sets the stage for the return of
Jesus Christ to planet earth.
John
MacArthur writes “A further reason for Babylon’s judgment was her maltreatment
of God’s people (cf. 18:24). As a result,
‘He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.’ That God will exact vengeance for His people
is clearly taught in Scripture.
Deuteronomy 23:42-43 reads: “42 ’I will make My arrows drunk with blood, And
My sword will devour flesh, With the blood of the slain and the captives, From
the long-haired leaders of the enemy.’ 43
"Rejoice, O nations, with His people; For He will avenge the blood
of His servants, And will render vengeance on His adversaries, And will atone
for His land and His people."””
Another
verse that we studied when we looked at Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians
fits in here: “6 For after all it is
only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give
relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be
revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out
retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the
gospel of our Lord Jesus.”
The
Bible has much to say about God’s justice and as we look at this second verse
in chapter nineteen we too can praise the Lord for the justice that He will
bring upon those who disobey Him, especially what we have seen in chapters
17-18 of Revelation
Spiritual meaning for my life today: When I think about what we call the “Lord’s
Prayer” it makes me think of a part that says “thy kingdom come” and when I
pray for that I am actually praying that God will bring justice to those who
are preventing this to happen, but in His time will bring it about.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Remember
what Paul wrote in Ro 12:19 Never take
your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is
written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “600,000” (Exodus 12:37).
Today’s Bible question: “The Corinthians, being babes in Christ, were
also what?”
Answer in our next SD.
9/16/2015 8:45 AM
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