“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.”
(Psalm 24:1-2)
King David acknowledged that the Lord is not like idols or false gods. He is not confined to any one spot, for He is almighty God who has created the whole universe. Compared to Yahweh, idols and false gods are utterly useless and totally impotent. Yahweh is mightier than even the seas, which, to the ancient peoples, were the ultimate symbol of chaos and evil.
The Lord God is also holy and without sin. No one can appear before Him who is false, filled with hypocritical piety, pride or selfishness or who worships false idols. The Lord can see through all these lies. Those who seek Him in earnest and with a humble heart will find blessings. There is reason to hope.
We might not think so for, as we approach the feast of Christmas and we look across the world we might be tempted to see few if any reasons for optimism. Evil seems to reign unchecked. War rages in many parts of the globe. Terrorism is rampant. Persecution of Christians is on the rise. Changes in the environment seem to be wreaking havoc with our weather. Immorality is becoming socially acceptable as the concepts of sin and shame are vanishing from our culture. Injustice is widespread especially the injustice done to the unborn through abortion, and to the millions of poor in the world who suffer from malnutrition and die of hunger and disease.
Yet there is reason to rejoice: the Lord is on His throne. He rules despite the way things seem. He will bring justice and will make all things right. He has already established His Kingdom on earth through the redemption wrought by Christ Jesus. As members of His Kingdom we are His instruments to bring His goodness and justice about, not through violence or abuse, rioting or demonstrations but through sacrificial acts of lovingkindness and by the truth of His Word.