SUBJ: Christ our King, His Kingdom
and the effects of His righteous reign.
AIM: That we might rejoice to see
Him as King and that we might delight in all His benefits toward us.
INTR: As we look around at the
“gloom and doom” appearance of this present world, the optimism and
assurance of scripture sustains us. 1. The ultimate message of
prophecy is of victory and joy. We do well to see it both presently and
in the future. 2. We should look to Him always who champions that
victory and is the source of that joy. 3. Where there is a King there
is a Kingdom and the nature of the reign reflects the nature of the King
Himself! The metaphors in this passage speak great things of Him!
THESIS: To truly benefit from Bible
prophecy we must see first, Christ as the ultimate revelation and
ourselves with Him and in Him. Men tend to be fascinated with events and
participate as spectators.
I. The King, His Reign and His princes
(v. 1) 1. Consider Psalms 2:6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy
hill of Zion. 2. Some think here of good King Hezekiah who followed
the wicked reign of Ahaz but indeed the ultimate look is to Christ.
3. The essence and expression of His reign is righteousness. His might
will be acknowledged, but His reign will be administered in
righteousness to the horror of the rejecter and to the delight of those
who truly come to know Him. 4. Indeed, “his sceptre is a sceptre of
righteousness: righteousness is the girdle of his loins, and
faithfulness the girdle of his reins:” (Heb 1:8, Isa 11:5) And 5. See
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a
right sceptre. Psalms 45:6 6. All His ways are just and right. 7.
His princes? Angels are referred to as such, but the declaration of the
Gospel and the administration of its principles seem to be in view as
their service to the King.
II. “The Man” and His provision in
salvation (v. 2) 1. “God was manifest in the flesh…” 1) By decree
2) By voluntary agreement 2. The Hiding place and covert which is His
righteousness, blood, sacrifice and intercession 1) From the wrath of
the Father that is deserved by all and it shall unless it has fallen
upon Christ. 2) From the effects of sin in the life 3) From the
onslaught of the enemy 4) From the violent temptation of Satan 3.
As rivers of water in a dry place and note that grace is poured out and
provided: 1) In abundance 2) John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as
the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. 3) And in the most unlikely of places – standing our in
precious contrast to the desert in which we find ourselves – What a
picture! 4. The comforting shadow of the Great Rock 1) Heavy and
not to be moved away as was Jonah’s Gourd. 2) Thus, the shadow is not
moved and the comfort is sure – the place of rest in a weary land. (The
Rock followed the children of Israel: 1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all
drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock
that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.) 3) But then we think
of that which beats against the Rock from the other side and we see Him
as between us and the scrutiny of God, against trials, against
temptations and disappointments.
III. His effect upon His people
(vv. 3-4) 1. The eyes of them that see (not prophets) shall see Him
and their blindness is taken away 2. The sound of His voice falls
upon the hearing (hearkening) ear and there is responsiveness. 3. The
heart of the rash or “hasty” shall understand. That is, they shall be
given to hear and to know of His Word, to behold His person and to seek
the proper way of praise, worship and service. 4. Elegance shall be
placed in the mouths of the “stammerers.” They shall know their subject
and speak freely and often of Him. – Malachi 3:16-17 Then they that
feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and
heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that
feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be
mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and
I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
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