"Give Thanks To Jehovah, For He is Good"
Psalm 106:1
2015 year text

Thursday, February 24, 2011

"Vigorous In Power" -Isaiah 40:26

"In no way is there anyone like you, O Jehovah. You are great, and your name is great in mightiness." -Jeremiah 10:6

Yes, Mightiness or Power is linked to Jehovah's name meaning, "He Causes to Become" Power is one thing that enables Jehovah to cause himself to be whatever he chooses. Power is one of his important attributes.

Three ways Jehovah exerts his power:
1. Through his holy spirit. It is God's power in action. Like wind, God's holy spirit is invisible to our eyes, but it's effects are real and discernible.
-Genesis 1:2
2. Through his authority as Universal Sovereign. Jehovah rules over both angels and men.-Ps 68:11, 110:3; 103:19, 20.
3. Through his written word, "God's word is alive and exerts power"- Heb 4:12
God's written word can strengthen us, build up our faith and help us make changes in ourselves for the better.

It is true, imperfect humans often abuse power. (Ecc. 4:1; 8:9) However, Jehovah is holy, incorruptible. He has never abused his power and he never will. . Jehovah always exercises his power in harmony with his justice, his wisdom and his love. Jehovah does not use his power to force people serve him. He dignifies each individual with freedom to choose. He does warn of consequences of bad and tells of rewards for doing good. -Deut 11:26-28
Jehovah's power is creative, destructive, protective, and restorative!

Creative power. -Isaiah 40:26
Every day we see evidence of God's creative power. The sun and its energy, the stars, so many we cannot count. Look at the water cycle, the sun's power lifts up by evaporation water from the oceans. This water forms clouds, which are pushed all around the earth by atmospheric winds. This water is filtered and purified, then falls as rain, snow or ice. Our water supply is constantly being replenished. (Ecc.1:7) "He is the Maker of the earth by his power, ...." -Jeremiah 10:12.
Consider the power in all the animal life,elephants, alligators, lions and big bears. (Psalms 148:7-10; 150:6; 104:24).We learn too about God's sovereignty. The word "Creator" separates Jehovah from everything else in all the universe. Everything else is "creation" including us. Even Jehovah's "only-begotten" son, is the "firstborn of all creation" -Col 1:15. Jehovah's position as Creator gives him the right to have exclusive sovereign power over all the universe. -Romans 1:20; Rev 4:11.

Destructive Power. -Exodus 15:3
Jehovah uses his destructive power sparingly, and as a last resort.- Eze 18:23.
Although Jehovah is the God of love, he is also a God of holiness, righteousness, and justice. At times these qualities compel him to use his destructive power. -Isa 59:15-19; Luke 18:7. Think about when God used his power to destroy Pharoah and his armies in the Red Sea. -Ex 14:26-28; 15:1, 2. God does not blemish his holiness when he fights. He fights because he is holy. "...Holiness belongs to Jehovah". -Ex 39:30.
When Adam and Eve rebelled against God in Eden, an issue regarding sovereignty was raised. - Gen 3:1-6. If Jehovah had tolerated their unrighteous behavior he would have undermined his position as Universal Sovereign. As a righteous God, he had to sentence them to death. (Romans 6:23) In the first Bible prophecy, Jehovah foretold that enmity would exist between his own servants and the followers of "the serpent," Satan. (Rev 12:9; Gen 3:15) This enmity could only be resolved by the crushing of Satan. (Ro 16:20) That judgment act would result in great blessings for righteous mankind, ridding the earth of Satan's influence and making way for a global paradise through the Messianic Kingdom. (Matt 25:31) Those who sided with Satan would be an ongoing threat to the physical and spiritual well-being of God's people. Jehovah will have to intervene.

Jehovah has not changed; nor has his purpose to make this planet a peaceful paradise changed. (Gen 1:27, 28) God still hates wickedness. However, he dearly loves his people and will act soon act in their behalf. -Ps 11:7. The enmity described at Genesis 3:15 is expected to reach a dramatic and violent turning point in the near future. To sanctify his name and protect his people, Jehovah will once again become "a manly person of war"! -Zechariah 14:3; Rev 16:14, 16
Although Jehovah is "a manly person of war" when the situation demands it, this does not mean that he is warlike at heart.. In Ezekiel's vision, Jehovah is pictured as being prepared to fight against his enemies. Yet, Ezekiel saw God surrounded by a rainbow -a symbol of peace. (Gen 9:13; Eze 1:28; Rev 4:3) Jehovah is calm and peaceable. "God is love," wrote the apostle John. (1 John 4:8) Because all of Jehovah's qualities exist in perfect balance we can draw close to our powerful yet loving God.

Protective Power. -Psalm 46:1
God's promise of protection is realized only by those who draw close to him. Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of Jehovah is a strong tower. Into it the righteous runs and is given protection." We need to know and trust the bearer of that name and live in harmony with his righteous standards. How kind of Jehovah to reassure us that if we turn to him in faith, he will be a tower of protection for us!
Jehovah has demonstrated his power to protect. Remember, when he protected the Israelites from the Egyptians, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they found themselves in a foreign land. Most important, Jehovah protected the infant Jesus from the enemy Satan. (Ex 7:4; Daniel 3:15-17, 29; Luke 1:31, 35; Matt 2:1-15.)
Why did Jehovah protect certain individuals in miraculous ways? In many cases Jehovah protected individuals in order to protect something far more important, the outworking of his purpose. The survival of the infant Jesus was essential to the fulfillment of God's purpose, which will in the end benefit all mankind. These examples strengthen our faith in our all powerful God -Romans 15:4
Our God does not guarantee us a problem-free life in this old system. Many faithful servants of Jehovah face severe adversities, including poverty, war, sickness, and death. Jesus plainly told his disciples that as individuals they might be put to death because of their faith. That is why Jesus stressed the need for endurance to the end. (Matt 24:9, 13) If Jehovah were to use his power to effect miraculous deliverance in all cases, there might be a basis for Satan to taunt Jehovah and to call into question the genuineness of our devotion to our God. -Job 1:9, 10.
As Jehovah's worshipers we can expect physical protection as a group. Those who draw close to God, need not worry about the execution of God's judgments during the "great tribulation", because, "Jehovah knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial..." (Rev 7:14; 2 Peter 2:9)
Jehovah safeguards us through his living "word", which has the motivating power to heal hearts and reform lives. (Hebrews 4:12) By applying its principles, we can in some respects be protected from physical harm. For instance, abstaining from fornication, protects us from STD diseases, taking our anxieties to our heavenly Father in prayer, relieves stress, which protects us from stress related diseases.
Jehovah protects us spiritually. Our loving God protects us from spiritual harm by equipping us with what we need in order to endure trials and to safeguard our relationship with him. Prayer may not remove trials, but will provide wisdom to deal with them. (James 1:5, 6). Holy spirit that can make us equal to any trial or problem we may face. God's holy spirit can infuse us with "power beyond what is normal" to endure until Jehovah removes all painful problems in a the new world. -2 Corinth
4:7. Jehovah thus works to preserve our life, not just for few short years but for eternity.

Restorative Power.- Rev 21:5
Jesus and his apostles foretold that true worship would be corrupted and lost. (Matt 13:24-30; Acts 20:29, 30) After the apostles died, Christendom arose. Her clergyman adopted pagan teachings and practices. They made approach to God nearly impossible, saying he is a mystery, that mankind could never understand him. Instead of heartfelt prayers to God, the people were taught to look to the clergy to confess sins and to pray to "saints". Yes, God's purpose was to restore pure worship. When?

The prophet Isaiah wrote: "And it must occur in the final part of the days (last days) that the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established above the top of the mountains, and it will certainly be lifted up above the hills; and to it all the nations must stream. And many peoples will certainly go and say: 'Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion law will go forth, and the word of Jehovah out of Jerusalem. And he will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many people. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore' " -Isa 2:2-4.

During these last days, Jehovah has taught his worshipers the ways of peace. He has abolished warfare among his people. In spite of imperfections he helps his people to put on "the new personality." He blesses their efforts with his holy spirit, which produces beautiful fruitage in them. (Ephesians 4:22-24; Galatians 5:22, 23) Jehovah is gathering into this spiritual paradise the type of people that he loves- those that love him, who love peace, and who are "conscious of their spiritual need." (Matt 5:3)

In the future God's people will experience the a grand restoration. Isaiah wrote of a time when the sick, the lame, the blind, and the deaf would be healed and even death would be no more. (Isaiah 25:8, 35:1-7) Remember in Eden, Jehovah made clear his purpose for the earth: It was to be inhabited by a happy, healthy, united family of mankind. Man and woman were to care for the earth and all of its creatures, to turn the entire planet into a paradise. (Gen 1:28) We do not see a paradise in the earth today. But we can be sure Jehovah's purposes will always become reality. (Isa 55:10, 11) Jesus, as the Messianic King appointed by Jehovah, will bring about this global paradise. (Luke 23:43)

Jehovah says, "Look I am making all things new" -Rev 21:5. He promises "a new heavens and a new earth." This means a new government will reign from heaven over a new earthly society made up of those who love Jehovah and who do his will. (2Peter 3:13) Satan and his demons will be locked up in an abyss( Rev 20:3) Mankind will be free of their corrupt, hateful, negative influence. Can you imagine the sense of relief!

Jesus will use his God-given power to restore sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, soundness of body to the lame and infirm. (Matt 15:30) The aged will be renewed to youthful strength, health and vigor, (Job 33:25) Wrinkles will vanish, limbs will straighten, and muscles will flex with renewed power. All of faithful mankind will sense that the effects of sin and imperfection are gradually diminishing, dropping away. We will thank Jehovah God for his restorative power.
Next, Jesus will fulfill his role as 'the resurrection and the life." (John 11:25) He will resurrect millions, giving them an opportunity to live forever in Paradise on earth. (John 5:28, 29) Imagine the reunions as beloved friends and relatives, long separated by death embrace one another.

Jehovah is eager to use his restorative power in such a loving way! Do you feel drawn to our powerful Creator? Yes, we do, but what about the injustice we see in the world around us? Some people even have blamed God for the injustice they see. However, the Bible teaches the truth- Yes, "Jehovah is a lover of justice." Next we will examine God's quality of justice.

1 comment:

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