April 25, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“But you will be called the priests of the LORD; they will speak of you as ministers of our God; you will feed on the wealth of nations, and you will boast in their riches. Instead of shame, My people will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation, they will rejoice in their share; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.” (Isaiah 61.6-7)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD TO US:

Have you ever considered that the Church was intended to be God’s nation in the world? As Jesus speaks of “the Kingdom of God is in your midst [or, in the midst of you]” (Luke 17.21), we are already aware that He is speaking first, of Himself, and secondly, of the spiritual reality of the abiding presence of God on earth in the moment. “In your midst” can be interpreted as “within you,” “near you” or “around you.” The point of Jesus’ teaching is the reality that there was no separation between God’s rule and humanity’s dwelling place. We know from the psalms that David already had declared that reality of “God is everywhere; there is no place that he could go where God wasn’t already there.” When David proclaimed this truth as the shepherd King, he was also speaking as the prophetic priest. He did not say it as empower his own kingship. He wasn’t seeking to be a Jewish pope as if the godhead included him. He was speaking of the abundant reality of spiritual accountability. There was nowhere human beings could exist apart from the awareness, sovereignty and authority of God. God’s presence is an inescapable reality! That meant, and means, God’s righteousness abides and abounds. We may believe we can put buffers up to keep God away, that is what sin is and invites the sinner to believe, but nothing escapes God’s attention nor is beyond His ability to judge and redeem. I bring David into this reflection because of his place in history as the true King of Israel on earth in the years before Jesus was known as “the Christ.” Despite David’s failure, with Bathsheba and there were probably other “sinking times,” he led the nation of Israel with an awareness and allegiance to God alone. Even in those times of sin, for which he experienced earthly consequences, David was aware of God’s authority over him. David repented. The Lord blessed him with opportunities to do right and make it right as much as it was within his power so to do. In this way, David was a part of what Peter would call “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, a chosen people whose purpose is to praise Him who called you [us] out of the darkness [sin and death] and into His wonderful light [eternal life in His ever-present kingdom.]” (1 Peter 2.9)

The influence of God’s word to Isaiah on this point for Peter is virtually undeniable. Here in Isaiah 61, we hear the declaration of God to the nation of Israel, His chosen people, to become known by their first and true identity: the priests of God. In Isaiah, God is not speaking merely to the Levitical priesthood. That priesthood was not dismissed in the restoration of Israel out of exile, both foreign and domestic. It served a specific purpose within the whole of the faith experience in God’s name and by His calling. In Isaiah, God was declaring an overarching truth of who His people were meant to be from the beginning. He was reclaiming that identity for them. He was making it possible for them to put ownership to that identity in their present moment. God declared to Isaiah that the world, the humanity community, would call them “ministers of God.” It was their function and purpose to “administer” the truth of God to the entire world without reservation. They were to “preach, teach and make disciples,” let’s borrow the theme from Jesus’ Great Commission, to every tribe and every nation with the understanding of “the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” It was never meant to be a “lord it over them.” Jesus would say to the disciples in part of their commissioning that they should not “rule as the Gentiles do.” (Matthew 20.25f and Luke 22.25f; Paul would refer to this in Ephesians 4.7f) That referral to “gentile authority and leadership” was also a “quiet slam” on what was happening in Israel. The leadership of Israel, spiritually and politically, had adopted too much of the ways of other nations. This continues to be the downfall of Israel to this day. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus would warn those in the “faith in Christ community founded in Ephesus “…but I have this against you- you have given up your first love.” (Ephesians 2.4) This is a significant appraisal made by the Resurrected Lord of the Kingdom of God as Ephesus was the hub of faith authority for the Seven Churches of Asia Minor. As Ephesus would go so, too, would the other six churches. Indeed, the church in Ephesus would stand critically as the presence of ministry to the “Gentiles” equal to that which would happen in Rome and in Damascus. To surrender their spiritual calling and identity as those who are witnesses to the righteousness of God was to abandon the faith and make the gospel a lie.

In the modern age, mighty ones of God, it behooves us to put into practice our true identity and function as followers of Christ. We simply do not live to ourselves alone. There is no place we are where God is not until that day when Jesus returns to judge between the sheep and the goats. On that Day, He will set them into their pastures as the “good” shepherd. Remembering that biblically “good” means to reflect the will and purpose of God and not “what seems good to us for our benefit,” it is judicial and thus justified that the saint (the repentant and redeemed sinner) finds themselves in the presence of God and the sinner (unrepentant and refusing to accept the instruction of the Holy Spirit) find themselves outside of the presence of God. Know that “outside the presence” of God does not mean that God is not in their midst. His presence will surround that pasture and keep it isolated from escape. He holds the keys to that Kingdom and He alone. He is the door of that sheepfold and will not abandon His post. Just as the angel of the Lord stood guard at the gate of the Garden of Eden to prevent entry, so it will be for the gates of Hell to prevent escape. So, this is good, right and just. In this world on earth, as it is in Heaven, we are called to serve the Lord our God with gladness and perseverance. As His chosen people, a royal priesthood, we are to conduct ourselves for the purpose of proclaiming their opportunity to be redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb of God who is Jesus Christ. We are to pursue our function of administering the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit so that others may increase and find themselves engaged in such ministry as glorifies and honors God. It will also then demonstrate and empower the love of God which saves us all from the penalty of our sins. And look! What is promised to those who will serve the Lord in this way and with this identity? It is promised peace, fruitfulness and provision; restoration, rebuilding and return. This is the way of the Lord. We should seek it out and pursue with fervor and see that God is true to His word.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness which we know is folly but righteous works which declare Your glory and further witness the truth that can set all who believe free from death. So may we live by the name of Jesus our Christ. AMEN.