Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter Twenty Six verse Eight, “Yes, in the path of Your judgments, O Lord, we wait expectantly for Your; our heartfelt desire is for Your name and for the remembrance of You,” (Amplified Bible). In this Chapter in the Book of Isaiah we find parallels with Psalm Twenty Four, verses Seven to Ten, where the Temple Gates are addressed, “Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be lifted up, you age-abiding doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; yes, lift them up you age-abiding doors, that the King of glory may come in,” (Amplified Bible). This is the song that Isaiah prophesied would be sung in the time when the Messiah would come to earth, as we read in Chapter Twenty Six, “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; the Lords sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the uncompromisingly righteous nation which keeps her faith and her troth with God my enter in,” (Amplified Bible).
Those who have been forgiven by the Lord are not fearful of his judgments, for they will be pronounced righteous as they enter into the Temple of the Lord to rejoice in God’s salvation. The Temple Doors are flung open to welcome the Lord of the Temple, the King of Kings. The composer Handel used these verses in the Oratorio, “The Messiah,” joining words and music together to illustrate, with sound, what the return of the Lord would sound like for those who eagerly await his coming. This joy would be sung across the world, announced by trumpet’s sounds, and we will celebrate the return of the Lord, as King of kings. There will be no fear of judgment, for God sees those who worship his Son as righteous before his eyes.
The Apostle Paul writes in the Second Letter to the Corinthians, in Chapter Five verses Seven to Ten, “For we walk by faith, thus not by sight or appearance. Therefore, whether we are at home on earth, or away from home on earth and thus with the Lord, we are constantly ambitious and strive earnestly to be pleasing Him. For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive their reward according to their purpose and motives,” (Amplified Bible). Christ judgment seat has become the mercy seat for us. He will not judge us harshly, but with love, for he has bought us and paid the ransom for us, so that we are called righteous. We can sing the song of the redeemed, and lift up our heads, and walk with the king of glory as we journey homewards.
Father, we praise you that you have sent your Son, through him you have come to earth to redeem us, and make us whole and righteous in your eyes. You have given us a song to sing, and with the ancient gates of the City of God, we lift up our voices and sing to you, for you are worthy to be praised, Amen.