Monday, March 05, 2007

No Debate

From time to time I will tune into listen to Sean Hannity on the radio. Hannity’s hot button for the last couple of months is what he calls “The Stop Hillary Express.” I’m not surprised by his push to try to keep her from being elected to the White House. What is surprising to me is that Mrs. Clinton, along with nearly a dozen other politicians, has already announced their campaigns for the presidency in 2008. We are twenty-two months away from the ’08 Election Day, but already the candidates are battling it out, and the talking heads like Hannity are all responding to the presidential debate. I for one think it has all started at least twelve months too soon.

While America debates the uncertainty of who will assume the presidential leadership in 2008 over the next two years nothing will be certain until Election Day (and if the last two elections are any indication of things to come we may not be certain then either). My purpose is not to debate presidential politics—present or future. Rather I want to contrast the uncertainty of it all with what we can know with absolute certainty. Without doubt God is the King and Lord over all nations.

Jeremiah is given prophetic messages for the nations that surrounded Jerusalem. Israel was God’s chosen people, but God had a message for Jeremiah to deliver to these foreign nations as well. Why? God rules over these nations as well.

Jeremiahs message was similar for each of these nations. God was preparing to pour out His judgment and wrath upon them. Like Israel these nations would also face the consequences for their sin. Yet at the end of one of these prophetic messages the Lord says something interesting.

  • [38] I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials," declares the Lord. [39] "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come," declares the Lord.
    Jeremiah 49:38-39 (NIV)

God was going to bring about his judgment, but with the announcement of His wrath God also makes a promise of restoration. This is not just a hope for the nation of Elam to be restored to a place of prosperity. God promised that He would renew a relationship with all people of the earth. God could judge the nations and offer them the assurance of deliverance because He rules over them all.

Nothing has changed. God is still in control to execute judgment in His time. And the Lord has provided the only means of restoration for all the nations of the earth through His son Jesus.

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