OUR FATHER WHO DELIVERED HIS PEOPLE FROM BONDAGE BY HIS GREAT POWER

During the time of the ten plagues of Egypt, which were signs and wonders designed to persuade Pharaoh to release the Hebrew slaves, it became clear that Pharaoh was able to rationalize the occurences of the plagues of bloody water, frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilences and bodily boils that had struck Egypt and her people. 

The Lord now commanded Moses to warn Pharaoh that things would get worse as recorded in the book of Exodus chapter 9 verses 13 - 14;

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.

This passage heightens the stakes against Pharaoh by warning of more severe plagues that would adversely affect Pharaoh himself, his officials and the whole population of Egyptians

This time, the coming plagues would not be  explained away as easily. Hail, locusts, darkness and the deaths of all the first born people and livestock in the land represented an escalation that would be  an existential threat to the kingdom of Egypt.

These strikes against Egypt, it turned out, were so devastating that by the end, Pharaoh unconditionally surrendered and released the Hebrew slaves.

Thus the power of God was known in Egypt and the surrounding nations and they all feared the Hebrew nation as they departed Egypt because of the devastating power of their God.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL NATIONS (95)

Chapter 4 in the book of Daniel is an extraordinary chapter that is the personal testimony written by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, about his encounter with the Almighty God of Israel.

The chapter starts with the king saying that it was his pleasure to announce to the nations and peoples of every language, the amazing signs and wonders that the Most High God had done for Him. 

He then recounted a frightening night vision that he had while lying in bed and that he had sought the interpretation of the dream  from the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners but they could not solve the mystery.

King Nebuchadnezzar then described how Daniel, also known by the name Beltechazzar,  finally came into his presence and in chapter 4 verse 9, recorded this excerpt of his testimony;

I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me.

Nebuchadnezzar, in this verse, revealed that  Daniel, a prophet of the God of Israel, was highly regarded among the Babylonians.

Daniel had been elevated to the rank of Chief Magician and it was known that the Spirit of God was in him because there were no mysteries that were not laid bare to him by the Spirit's power.

The king thus confidently entrusted Daniel to interprete the dream for him.

Daniel, knowing that the dream was about the king himself, was greatly perplexed about telling the king what the dream meant but the king encouraged him to speak plainly of its meaning and so Daniel explained that the dream spoke of king's fall from his lofty position in his kingdom  down to being among the animals, drenched in dew and eating hay like an ox. 

Daniel also revealed that the expulsion of Nebuchadnezzar from among humans would be for 7 years and that the Lord would restore his sanity and restore him to his position as king.

It was after the astonishing prophecy came to pass and Nebuchadnezzar was expelled from governance due to insanity and then restored to his throne over his kingdom when he recovered,  that he wrote and widely distributed his testimony of the greatness of the sovereign God whom he called the King of heaven.

The Lord had promoted his prophet Daniel in the land of Babylon and demonstrated the greatness of the power of God through him such that the name of the Lord was glorified before all people.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO REIGNS IN GREAT POWER

Psalm 99 verses 1 - 2 says this;

The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.

Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations.

This passage captures the awesome majesty of the reigning Lord.

From His throne in Zion, the Lord, seated between the cherubim,  is exalted above all nations. The nations tremble and the earth shakes in His presence.

How great the Lord is.

He is worthy of honor and praise forever.

Amen.

OUR FATHER CHALLENGES THE IDOL MAKERS

In Isaiah chapter 44 verse 10, the Lord asks this question;

Who shapes a god and casts an idol,  which can profit nothing?

Isaiah chapter 44 verse 11 then follows with the response to the question describing the consequenses that would be upon those who deemed it their role to make idols.

People who do that will be put to shame; such craftsmen are only human beings.

Let them all come together and take their stand; they will be brought down to terror and shame.

For mere human beings to presume that they have the power to craft gods out of wood and stone that other people should worship defies common sense.

How could a man imbue an inanimate object with qualities worthy of deification by another person?

The Lord foretells that they will be put to shame. 

He invites these craftsmen to assemble and make a case for themselves and demonstrate the power of the idols they create  but predicts that they will be brought down to terror and shame when their demonstrations fail.

As 1 John chapter 5 verse 21 says;

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

OUR FATHER WHOSE NAME IS GLORIFIED 

Psalm 45 verses 3 - 4 says this;

Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.

In your majesty ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice; let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.

This passage captures some details of a 'most excellent man' who lips have been anointed by grace and who has been blessed by God as recorded in the previous verse.

This man is described as a mighty one clothed in slendor and majesty which points to His royalty and kingship.

His cause is that of truth, humility and justice.

The subject of this passage is a prefiguration of the Lord Jesus. At the end of His first visitation where he existed as a carpenter and a traveling preacher, he suffered and died on a cross. Gaining victory over sin and death,  He  rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to sit on the administrative throne at  right hand of God the Father.

On this throne, splendor and majesty are His regalia while truth, humility and justice are the hallmarks of His kingdom. 

Bless the Lord who reigns forever. 

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO REACHES OUT FOR US

Isaiah chapter 65 verse 1 ( x chapter 64 verse 13) says this;

“I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me.

I said, ‘Here am I, here am I,’ To a nation which did not call on My name.

This verse reveals the bracing reality about the condition of mankind in relation to our creator.

If the Lord did not permit Himself to be sought and to be found, we, as a race, would never have be able to reach Him. 

If the Lord had not gone out of His way to indicate that He was there and who He was, we would have remained completely in the dark about the God who made us.

The very brightest among us may have been able to form a rough idea of the nature of the God from creation but this would have been uncertain and even more contested than it is today.

To our eternal benefit, the God who made us in His image, deliberately set out to make Himself known to those He created even when, in our fallen and rebellious state, we were determined to follow our own ways.

We consorted with false gods and occupied ourselves with the pursuit of fleshly desires but the Lord still called out to us to turn back to Him.

Our God loved us so much that He made the ultimate sacrifice of giving His son unto death in order to pay the ransom for our redemption after we had fallen under the sway of the kingdom of darkness.

Let us believe in the Lord Jesus who was slain so that we, by calling upon Him and trusting in Him, can be saved and  find our God who loves us and reaches out for us.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO SETS ASIDE A REMNANT

The Lord permitted himself to be sought and found by a people who were not calling upon His name. The people turned out to be obstinate and  rebellious and  walked in bad paths and were given to pursuing their own thoughts and imaginations.

Isaiah chapter 65 verse 3 describes how brazenly they defied the Lord by sacrificing and burning incense to other gods; 

a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick;

These people carried out rituals among graves, kept unholy vigils in the night and indulged in impure flesh.

The Lord, responding to those who rejected His ways for their own ways, said in Isaiah chapter 65 verse 8;

So I will act on behalf of My servants In order not to destroy all of them.

When a society rebels against the Lord, He sets those who remain faithful to Him apart and they inherit a place set aside for them as Isaiah chapter 65 verse 9 says;

“I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, And an heir of My mountains from Judah;

Even My chosen ones shall inherit it, And My servants will dwell there.

Amen.