Tuesday, June 6, 2023

PT-4 "The Epitome of Praise" (Matt. 21:8-9)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/6/2023 9:41 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  PT-4 “The Epitome of Praise”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 21:8-9

 

            Message of the verses:  8 And most of the multitude spread their garments in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and spreading them in the road. 9 And the multitudes going before Him, and those who followed after were crying out, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!’”

 

            I have been talking about how the children of Israel wanted to have their Messiah destroy the Romans, but mentioned that it was not the time for the Romans to be destroyed.  The first thing that had to happen was to destroy sin, which Jesus did on the cross.  It is true that the Romans were a godless and cruel oppressors, and the Lord would not allow them to survive indefinitely.  But they were not His people’s greatest enemy, as mentioned their greatest enemy was sin.  The Jewish people would go ahead and have Jesus crucified, using the hated Romans to do it, and because they refused to trust Jesus as their Messiah in around 40 years later God would have the Romans destroy the Jewish Temple, which has never been rebuilt yet, but will be in the future.  In the book of Deuteronomy it told that the Jewish people would be sold as slaves, but no one would buy them, and this happened in 70 A. D. when there were too many slaves on the slave market and so after Titus and his Roman army destroyed the temple in 70 A. D. they Jews really had no place to go.  In May of 1948 Israel became a nation again right in the place where God gave them the land when they conquered it from the heathen nations through Joshua.  They may be in their land but they still do not understand who their Messiah is, and won’t understand that until near the end of the tribulation period. 

 

            John MacArthur writes “On the day after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem Jesus ‘entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves.  And He said to them, ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer, ‘but you are making it a robbers’ den’’ (Matt. 21:12-13).  The cleansing of the Temple was purely symbolic and had little lasting effect.  The mercenary moneychangers and sacrifice sellers were doubtlessly back in business the next day.  But less than forty years later, in A. D. 70, the Romans would utterly destroy the Temple, after which, just as Jesus foretold, not one stone of it was left upon another that was not torn down (Matt. 24:2).  Not until modern times, nearly two thousand years later, could even its ruins be identified.

 

            “As far as the true intent of the people was concerned, Jesus’ coronation was a hollow, empty pretense.  The words of the multitude were right, but their hearts were not.  In any case, He had not come at that time to be crowned but to be crucified.”

 

            Those who know Scripture know that someday Jesus will be crowned, and not like the first time when the only crown He had was a crown of thrones.  The times of rejection will be over as I mentioned earlier, and at His name “every knee [will] bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and…every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).  I have mentioned that the first time Jesus came, He came to provide men’s salvation.  But when He comes again, He will come to display His sovereignty.  His great ultimate coronation is described by John in Revelation 5:8-14, which we will not look at.

 

8 And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 "And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." 11 And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." 13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." 14 And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped.   

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful be on words to realize that Jesus did not by pass the cross, but took my place there in order to pay for my sins so that one day, in heaven after the rapture of the church that I will be watch His wonderful coronation described in the verses from Revelation 5:8-14.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire to live my life in a way that will bring glory to my Lord who saved me.

 

6/6/2023 10:16 AM

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