Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; with the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself. (Psalm 76:10)
In the previous devotion we began with the question, ”How can man’s wrath produce praise for God?” Today we will pose another question: with whose remaining wrath does God gird Himself? Once again, Jewish commentators provide something interesting for us to consider, specifically as it relates to the existing friction between humility and pride. Put simply, those who have a heart after God will exhibit humility and a will to serve Him; the proud will exhibit the selfish desire to be served as they follow the dictates of their own wicked heart. In the process, the righteous and the humble are often persecuted by the proud and arrogant — that is until God says, “Enough.”
When the most powerful of men and nations are brought low — sometimes acknowledging their sin, sometimes not — others who may not have been as egregious as they are faced with the reality that the God of Israel is over all gods and all powers. Consequently, they must decide whether it is wise to continue in their rebellion or to take a lessen from the fallen and restrain their anger toward God and be quiet. I can’t help but think of the Egyptian magicians and other servants who initially stood against Moses when he appeared in Pharaoh’s court. However, when it became apparent that resistance to God was futile, they petitioned the king to relent saying, “Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” (Exodus 10:7).
The point is sometimes God doesn’t have to eliminate every foe and adversary to make His power known. Sometimes He only has to break the most powerful so that others will recognize their own folly, and perhaps, be motivated to humble themselves before Him. On that note, remember that when Israel left Egypt, a mixed multitude joined them. People from other nations, perhaps some Egyptians, came to realize that the gods of Egypt weren’t gods at all; there is only one God. This realization on their part was a fulfillment of that which God had declared — “they shall know that I am the Lord.” May it be that, in the days ahead as God displays His might in this world that many who have been His adversary will abandon their rebellion and cling to Him in faith. And may you and I be vessels prepared and in position to play our role in their new journey.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments