Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 16, 2010

“But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them …”

Today’s devotion is Luke 19:11-27.
 
11  While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 
                              
 12  So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return.
                                                 

 13  “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’

 14  “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’

 15  “When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done.

 16  “The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’

 17  “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’

 18  “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’

 19  “And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’

 20  “Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief;

 21  for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’

 22  “He said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?

 23  ‘Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’

 24  “Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’

 25  “And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.’

 26  “I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.

 27  “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”  Luke 19:11-27.

God reigns over all:  believers and unbelievers.  There are those who do not want such reign.  ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’  Luke 19:14.  What is God’s response?  “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”  Luke 19:27.  God still reigns! 

Today’s Scripture reminds me of the following Psalm 2:2-12.

“The kings of the earth take their stand
         And the rulers take counsel together
         Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 
    “Let us tear their fetters apart
         And cast away their cords from us!” 
    He who sits in the heavens laughs,
         The Lord scoffs at them. 
    Then He will speak to them in His anger
         And terrify them in His fury, saying, 
    “But as for Me, I have installed My King
         Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”                                                                                                                             

‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
         And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 
    ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
         You shall shatter them like earthenware.'” 
    Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
         Take warning, O judges of the earth. 
    Worship the LORD with reverence
         And rejoice with trembling. 
    Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
         For His wrath may soon be kindled
         How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”  

“For it is written,” AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”  Romans 14:11

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Philippians 2:9-11.

Revelations 20:11-15 speaks of God’s reign and the Final Judgment. 

“11  Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

 12  And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

 13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them;  and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.

 14  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  This is the second death, the lake of fire.

 15  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

In conclusion, the reign of God is awesome and absolute.  It should cause great fear of God.  “But I will warn you whom to fear:  fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell;  yes, I tell you, fear Him!”  Luke 12:5. 

But, there is hope!  A Godly fear leads to salvation.  “But the LORD your God you shall fear;  and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”  2 Kings 17:39  “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.”  Proverbs 14:27.  “The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.”  Proverbs 19:23


Categories