Weekly Devotion Reunited in Peace “Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.” (Hosea 1.11) One of the great problems in the Middle East is that God’s chosen people abdicated their God-given position as God’s select, special people. (Deuteronomy 32.9, 10) God chose Abraham (Genesis 12.1-3), and promised him blessings. Those blessings would be extended to any who honored God’s choice of Abraham and his descendants. The field of the chosen was narrowed when God passed the blessing of Abraham along to Jacob and then to his descendants. God took Jacob from a far country, after having fled the wrath of his deceived brother, Esau, and brought him to a special covenant relationship by way of a vision. (Genesis 28.12) Jacob’s descendants went through periods of obedience and blessing mixed with disobedience and chastening. During those times, the special kingdom became divided into a northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdom. God allowed the northern kingdom to be dispersed throughout the world so that now they are considered the “lost” ten tribes of Israel. Ultimately, according to God’s plan (Acts 2.23), Jesus Christ was sent into the world – God in the flesh – who took upon Himself the form of a man, suffered and died for the sins of the world – including the descendants of Abraham and Jacob. (Philippians 2.7, 8) God’s chosen people rejected their Messiah – One who was not only of the seed of Abraham, but also of the seed of David – the one to whom God had promised an eternal kingdom. Daniel explains that 490 years are determined upon God’s people – the descendants of Abraham. “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. (Daniel 9.27) Notice that the years (seventy weeks – 490 years) are determined upon “thy” (God’s) people and upon “thy” (God’s) holy city (Jerusalem). The purpose is to clean up the sin problem in Israel and to “anoint the most Holy”: officially to put in place the proper King – Jesus Christ. God has been sowing the seed throughout history (Jezreel – “God sows”). The first 483 years ended with the Crucifixion of God’s Anointed Messiah. (Daniel 9.26, 27) Following that, Jerusalem was decimated and the Temple was destroyed. For many years, the descendants of Abraham have experienced problems – “desolations” have both been predicted and carried out. Israel, and especially Jerusalem, has been the most persecuted and maligned people and territory in the world. God has not forgotten. During the last seven years that God has determined upon His people, “the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together.” During that time of Great Tribulation, God will bring His people together – to Jerusalem – and deliver them from their own waywardness. The only path to true peace is when the King of peace establishes His kingdom and rules the world from His throne in Jerusalem. In the battle of Armageddon, Christ defeats all earthly powers and removes all hindrances. During His rule, even nature will be at peace. The deadly asp or the cockatrice will not injure a child. (Isaiah 11.8) The lamb will no longer be prey to the ferocious wolf and the lion will eat grass. (Isaiah 65.25) Although worldly philosophers suggest that peace may be obtained either through power or through submission, peace will only result when the Prince of Peace brings Israel and Judah back to the land and rules on planet earth. That time of peace is what the Psalmist spoke of when he wrote, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” (Psalm 122.6) As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we are also praying for the return of the Prince of peace. Great will be the day when God reaps His harvest.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 03:33:06 +0000
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