West Park Baptist Church

King

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Advent 2020 – Psalm 72:18 (Dec. 7)

Psalm 72:18

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things. (ESV)

This week we are focusing on the Way – how God will work out the salvation of His people, despite the overwhelming odds against their salvation. And we’re going to see day by day through this week that faith is required to experience God’s way of salvation. 

Today’s verse in Psalm 72:18 calls on us to bless the LORD, the God of Israel, and proclaims that God alone does wondrous things. Why focus on this verse today as we learn about God’s way? There are a couple of reasons. 

First, we need to know something about this entire Psalm. It is the end of Book 2, the second collection of Psalms, and it was written to honor Israel’s king. Either David or his son Solomon wrote this psalm, and it describes the type of king that Israel needs to sit on the throne. A mighty king. A just king. A faithful king. A compassionate king. A godly king. A king that Israel will pray for, learn from, and grow closer to God as a result of his rule. A king to whom the whole world will give honor and pay tribute. When a king like that rules with perfect justice and love, the whole world sees God most clearly and worships Him for who He is. 

Ultimately, we know Jesus is this King! He is the heir of David, for Jesus Himself says in Revelation 22:16, “I am the root and the descendant of David.” God’s plan is for the whole world to be ruled by King Jesus. That is God’s way forward. That was the expectation of David and Solomon and all the people – for the Messiah to rule them. Yet, by the time of Isaiah, when the people inquire as to what type of King they will get, Isaiah tells them he will be rejected and despised (Isaiah 53). We’ll learn later this week why that would be the case. 

But I said there were two reasons why we are focusing on Psalm 72:18 today. The first reason is to meditate on the perfect king and pray for his arrival. But the second reason to focus on this verse is to give God praise for the wondrous things He has done for you personally. What has God done for you? What wondrous things have you experienced through His work in your life? 

Think on those things today, cultivate your faith in God’s wondrous works and bless the glorious name of the LORD!

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Advent 2020 – Isaiah 2:2-5 (Dec. 1)

Isaiah 2:2–5

            [2] It shall come to pass in the latter days

                        that the mountain of the house of the LORD

            shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

                        and shall be lifted up above the hills;

            and all the nations shall flow to it,

            [3]        and many peoples shall come, and say:

            “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

                        to the house of the God of Jacob,

            that he may teach us his ways

                        and that we may walk in his paths.”

            For out of Zion shall go forth the law,

                        and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

            [4] He shall judge between the nations,

                        and shall decide disputes for many peoples;

            and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

                        and their spears into pruning hooks;

            nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

                        neither shall they learn war anymore.

            [5] O house of Jacob,

                        come, let us walk

                        in the light of the LORD. (ESV)

Advent literally means “arrival,” and for us who know the Lord it refers to the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and King of all kings. The prophet Isaiah wrote about the arrival of King Jesus in today’s passage. In Isaiah’s day his country Judah was under constant threat of war, vulnerable and right in the middle of powerful powerful nations seeking to control it. Think of how amazing Isaiah’s prediction of a future reign of the Christ would have sounded to such discouraged people!

Read the verses again and think about the news of the King.

What kind of King would He be?

What kind of things would He do as King?

There’s only good news about Jesus the Messiah. We need the good news all the more today. Our world may seem quite dark with people turning away from God instead of turning to Him. But believe the good news that the King will still come to rule with perfect justice, settling all wars and disputes, and He Himself will teach us all we long to know about Him.

Even now, as Isaiah commanded Judah in his day, walk in the light of the LORD! Don’t look into the darkness of our culture and time, but purpose today to walk in the light of Jesus Christ, our King.