God is Awesome
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Key Verse: “Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.” Selected Scripture: |
THE PSALMIST AFFIRMS the grandeur and majesty of the Creator by exhorting all people to honor and praise his mighty name.—Ps. 66:1,2
In our Key Verse, there is an introduction to some of the great works that have occurred under God’s sovereign authority, especially as they pertained to his covenanted people, the nation of Israel.
Gentile nations also were aware of the Heavenly Father’s providence concerning the Jews, as attested by the words of Rahab the harlot prior to Joshua’s conquest of Jericho.
“She said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven.”—Josh. 2:9-11; Ps. 66:6,7
The psalmist again calls upon the nations to reverence God for all that he had done to preserve Israel while also reminding the Jews that he had brought various disciplines and chastisements upon the people though he had not abandoned Israel, but brought them into a greater blessing as an evidence of his special favor toward them. “O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, has proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. … We went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.”—vss. 8-12
Although this psalm relates primarily to God’s dealings with his ancient people Israel, the lessons it contains have a much wider prophetic application. Gospel Age followers of Christ may well take comfort from the faithfulness of God in delivering them from the condemnation that fell upon the human race because of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”—Rom. 8:1
Thus, despite the fact that the faithful footstep followers of Jesus have endured opposition and persecution throughout their Christian sojourn, there have been given exceeding great and precious promises to God’s spiritual children. The end result of their fidelity and development of the fruit and graces of the Spirit will merit for them an everlasting inheritance into the “kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.” This grand reward is also described as a “crown of righteousness” that will be reserved for all the saints whose lives demonstrate their supreme love for God and obedience to the principles of holy and sacrificial living during this present age.—II Pet. 1:4-11; II Tim. 4:7,8
It will be then, under the administration of a righteous government by Christ and his church, that all will truly praise God and worship him in spirit and in truth.