November 30, Day 334 – The Most High Is Sovereign

Psalm 135:13-21; Daniel 4:19-5:16;

2 Peter 3

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and as we welcome the Christmas season, we come again to Psalm 135, verses 3-21, where we find the Psalmist calling us to praise the LORD – no fewer than five more times (verses 19-21).  In verse 13, we see the Psalmist’s declaration that the name of the LORD, which is associated with His holy character, “endures forever.” God promises “to vindicate His people” and to express His “compassion” toward us (verse 14).  These promises are equally changeless and eternal. Unlike senseless idols – gods that are “made with human hands” (verses 15-18) – our God is sensitive, living, and active, and He speaks, sees, and hears.  He is the One Who created all the human senses (i.e., including life itself); thus, our God is worthy of all our praise. Interestingly, here the Psalmist reveals an innate principle of spiritual truth about human beings: they eventually become like the gods they worship (cf., verse 18).  The more we worship God biblically and properly, the more godly we become.  In the same way, idolators assume the same vile characteristics of the idols which they make with their hands and worship with their hearts.  Man was made in God’s image, but idols are made in man’s image.  From this we see that God dignified man, but idolatry dehumanizes man.  The Psalmist closes this song with a six-fold call to “Praise the LORD” (verses 19-21).

In Daniel 4:19–5:16, we see Daniel’s prophecy about Nebuchadnezzar’s pending insanity and then God’s fulfillment of this same prophecy.  Driven to his knees, the king finally realizes that he is merely a mortal man who is subject to God divine, immortal authority.  The God of heaven – not Nebuchadnezzar nor anyone else – is the One Who does whatever He pleases, and He is the only One about Whom it can be accurately said that everything He does is right.  In his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, twice Daniel states God’s central purpose for dealing with all mankind:  we are to “acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes” (cf., Daniel 4:17 and 25).  Whereas, Nebuchadnezzar was aware of the broad scope of his own rule and sovereignty on earth, he is now confronted with his responsibility to recognize the singularity that “Heaven rules” (verse 26), which is to say, “God rules.”  After his sanity was restored, Nebuchadnezzar says, “no one can hold back his hand” (verses 35-37).  In chapter 5, we will see that Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Belshazzar, is about to learn the same lesson, but assuredly with a less fortunate outcome.

In 2 Peter 3, we read about the coming of the Day of the Lord.  Peter tells us that, “in the last days, scoffers will come – scoffing” (verse 3).  Their question, “Where is the promise of His coming?” (verse 4), is an arrogant affront and misguided mockery of God Himself,  Many variations of such contempt exist in our culture today – indicating that we are definitely living in the “last days.”  Peter encourages us to remember that, by His Word, God promises to bring judgment on this world, and that He will subsequently create a “new heaven and earth” (verse 13).  Everything that God does, He does by His Word.  Although it may seem that God is delaying the coming of the Day of the Lord, nevertheless we need to remember that God is not slow about keeping any of His promises (verse 9).  God has the right perspective and the best timetable for everything, and we would do well to bring our perspectives and timetables in line with His.