Anxious Angels

“Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle” (Psalm 24:8).  “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels?  But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?... Nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:53-64). 

Our Savior questioned Peter when

His sword, unsheathed, began to swing.

Did he not know that even then

The angels would defend their King? 

The anxious angels surely waited

For merely an approving nod

Or slightest word that indicated

That they were thus dispatched by God. 

That word, however, never came,

Which would have brought them to His side. 

Their King had come to bear our shame

So sinners might be justified!

The battle Peter could not see

Was one that Christ alone could win. 

He fought our fight at Calvary

To ransom us and purge our sin.   

The Scriptures could not be fulfilled

Unless our King had forged ahead  

To thus be mocked, maltreated, killed,

And then to rise up from the dead! 

The King of glory shall return;

We see that fast-approaching hour

When all His enemies shall learn

The greatness of His awesome power!

O Lord, our King, the great I AM,

We bow in grateful adoration

As we behold You as the Lamb

Who came to purchase our salvation! 

Until we see You face to face

With all the angels at Your throne,

Lord, use us in our time and place

To make Your great salvation known. 

Surety and Shepherd

“God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it?  Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).  “The LORD is my Shepherd… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:1-6).  “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).  “As a Shepherd… shall the King say… Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:32-34). 

Our God is not like man so frail

That He should lie or change His mind,

For nothing He has said shall fail;

We've searched, and this is what we find! 

This challenge here is worth repeating

Regarding what our Lord has spoken. 

The Word of God is not retreating,

For not one Scripture has been broken. 

How great now our assurance is

Since we belong to Christ our Savior!

We are the sheep He claims as His,

Secured by everlasting favor!

We are His sheep, and none can sever

Our souls now from His mighty hand.

We know we’ll dwell with Him forever

And see His beauty in that land. 

He leads us on our homeward path,

As we are guided by His light.   

We worship Him who bore our wrath,

And thus our pathway still grows bright. 

That “perfect day” is just ahead

When Christ, our Shepherd on His throne,

Shall then fulfill what He has said

When He shall welcome all His own. 

Lord, as we view this place prepared

Before the earth had its foundation,

Our hearts rejoice that You have shared

Your vantage point of our salvation!

Lord, as we preach Your precious Word

With these assurances You give,

We pray that souls may thus be stirred

To trust in You and thereby live.  

Confronting the Curse

“God said unto Balaam… Thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed” (Numbers 22:12).  “They pierced My hands and My feet… The nations shall worship before Thee… They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this” (Psalm 22:16-31).  “He giveth grace unto the lowly” (Proverbs 3:34).  “As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37). 

The prophet Balaam would have cursed

God’s people for the price assessed,

But God confronted him then first,

Declaring that they had been blest. 

The curse for me, as well, drew near,

Advancing with each numbered breath. 

The wages of my sin were clear,

Extended through the second death! 

Alas!  I could not then erase

The record God could surely see,

Yet I beheld a Hiding Place

In Christ who gave Himself for me!

Behold the love of Jesus Christ: 

They pierced my Savior’s hands and feet! 

For me my Lord was sacrificed,

And thus my ransom is complete! 

How can I now begin to thank

My Lord who died to save my soul?

I contemplate the cup He drank:

Its bitter mixture then was full! 

The day will come when every nation

Shall worship Him as they recall

How Christ accomplished our salvation

By tasting death for one and all. 

He gives His grace now to the lowly

Just as He did in Noah’s day. 

Our God is love, yet He is holy,

So there is danger in delay!

We see it happening again,

As You have said it would, O Lord:

As in the days of Noah then,

Your truth is willfully ignored!

O Lord, we know there’s no defense

For those who turn away from You,

Since Your prophetic evidence

Now proves the Gospel to be true! 

Lord, help us show what You have done

To put away our condemnation,

So souls confronted may be won

Who turn to You and find salvation. 

Poison and Passion

“Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” (Numbers 21:9).  “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14,15). “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37). 

The poisonous serpents had bitten

The people who spoke against God.

It was for their sin they were smitten,

By God’s righteous, judgmental rod. 

What remedy therefore remains

When sin has demanded a cost?  

The poison was now in their veins,

It seemed that all hope was then lost! 

We see in this bleak situation

The people admitted their sin. 

Repenting in great desperation,

We see then the healing begin! 

A serpent of brass represented

The judgment which then had occurred. 

God waited till they had repented,

To show them a cure by His Word. 

The serpent was placed on a pole,

And they were instructed to look. 

All those who then looked were made whole,

Which Moses wrote down in God’s Book.

Our Lord Jesus Christ thus declared

This type would in Him be fulfilled. 

For this is how much our God cared: 

For sinners His Son would be killed! 

How great is the passion of Christ,

Who loves us as much now as then,

Portraying Himself sacrificed

And spreading His wings as a hen! 

He sadly declares that He would

Protect those who turn Him away.

Give thanks to the Lord!  He is good,

Who loved us though we went astray! 

O Lord, we give thanks for Your passion

That sent You to be our Defense.   

How great is Your love that could fashion

Salvation at such an expense!

Lord, send us to show by Your grace

The poison of sin has a cure:

For those humbly seeking Your face,

The promise of healing is sure! 

Making Light of our Merciful Lord

“Wisdom crieth… in the streets… saying…  Turn you at My reproof: behold, I will pour out My Spirit unto you, I will make known My words unto you… I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded” (Proverbs 1:20-24).  “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding… All things are ready: come unto the marriage.  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise” (Matthew 22:2-5).

God’s wisdom cries out in the streets

To many who now stand aloof. 

How merciful is God who meets

The careless sinner with reproof! 

For even though we’re not inclined

To seek for Him, we still are bidden 

To turn to Him and thereby find

His mercy which shall not be hidden.

Yet still His mercy is refused,

Though He has made His offer plain. 

There is no way to be excused

If Christ is treated with disdain! 

Our Lord set forth a parable

For those He wanted to redeem. 

A wedding feast, prepared in full,

Was met with scornful, light esteem. 

The king sent out his invitation

To all the streets throughout the city,

And so it is with God’s salvation

Extended to us by His pity. 

God sends His Word, which judges rightly,

To sinners who deserve His wrath.  

The fool, who yet esteems Him lightly,

Has chosen thus perdition’s path. 

They turn to earthly merchandise  

And others idols which they crave

Which cannot make a sinner wise

And certainly can never save. 

Lord, thank You for this wondrous grace

Which calls us to Your feast divine,

As even now You set a place

Where we are called to come and dine. 

O Lord, until we’re at Your table

Which You’ve prepared for us above,

We preach Your Gospel which is able

To save through Your redeeming love.