Words of Grace for January 10

Romans 1:3-4 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

What a wonderful thought we have expressed here at the end of verse three. The eternal, omnipotent Son of God became man. And it wasn’t because He had to. It wasn’t even that, as is often expressed, God saw the sin problem and asked around to see who could solve it and Jesus raised His hand. No, Paul says He was “born of the seed of David.” This involved planning. This involved precision. This is why I firmly believe that God’s sovereignty is everywhere in the Bible.

Yesterday, I had you look at 2 Samuel 7:8-16 in one of the questions for further study. This passage involves what is called the “Davidic Covenant.” It contains the promise of God to David that his son would reign forever and God would be his Father. Here, in this promise, we are shown the deity of Christ. But we are also shown the sovereignty of our God. In this passage God rehearses for David the events that led up to God’s people being at that place in Israel at that time. The events were a direct result of God’s actions. God also rehearses the events the led up to David being where he was at that time - king of all Israel. These events were also a direct result of God’s actions.

Then God goes on to tell David about what He is going to do for his son. Some of these events refer to Solomon, the next king of Israel. But some of them can only refer to David’s future “son”, Jesus Christ. All of the events that followed David to the day that Jesus was born in Bethlehem were directed by God. It is interesting that in Jesus’ lineage is Bathsheba, with whom David committed adultery. God even used the sin of His people to bring about His plan.

No, the coming of the Messiah was not some haphazard plan thrown together at the last minute to avert a crisis. It was determined before the foundation of the world and carried out by the One who “works all things after the counsel of His will.” (Ephesians 1:11) This same sovereign God is working in your life to bring about His good pleasure to the praise of the glory of His grace. That is something in which we can rejoice and take comfort in.

Adult Catechism
Q. 2. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Children’s Catechism
Q. 2. What else did God make?
A. God made all things.

Hymn
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God