Psalm 76:10
Because their hearts were filled with sinful hatred, the Jews got the Roman soldiers to nail Jesus to His cross. Would you dare to say that God was praised by this dastardly deed? Asaph did, when in Psalm 76:10 he wrote, ''Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shall Thou restrain." No, Asaph did not say that these wicked Jews praised God, but their work did. As our versification explains it (PRC Psalter):
When from heaven Thy sentence sounded
All the earth in fear was still,
While to save the meek and lowly
God in judgment wrought His will;
E'en the wrath of man shall praise Thee,
Thy design it shall fulfill.
There you have it! The devil and his host do not hurt God's cause. What God designed, for the realization of the day when Christ returns to usher in a creation free from sin and the curse, will happen. And when that takes place God's power, wisdom, and love will he manifested. That which in any way and to any degree would harm His cause, God will restrain. Then also His power, wisdom, and love are displayed; and He is praised by it.
Consider the truth that God has the devil and all unbelievers completely under His control in the most absolute sense of the word. No one ever has or ever will keep Him from doing at the precise moment, and in the exact way, what He wants done.
When the wicked strive to do something that would hurt the church, He will keep them from it. This work of God will say: "He is the almighty One, the all-wise One, the God of love.'' That which they set out to do that will serve His church — as the cross of Christ — will take place and also say: He is the almighty One, the all-wise One, the God of love..'' Behind every event is God using all His creatures to execute what He in His wisdom and love designed for His church. Nothing ever says anything else, but we must read all things correctly, as Asaph did in this Psalm.
Shall we for one moment doubt that God's people shall know Him in the way of tasting His greatness, wisdom, and love for His church? Nothing today will to any degree slow down or prevent Christ's return, and with it the church 's glorification.
Read: Daniel 3
Psalter versification: #207:3
Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism
Song for Meditation: Psalter #182
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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
II Kings 10:32-36
II Kings 11
II Kings 12
Acts 18:1-22
Psalm 145:1-21
Proverbs 18:1
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Quote for Reflection:
What is your relationship to this world? It becomes apparent that many of the saints in James’ day had cultivated a friendship with the world and had become the friends of the world. Sorry to say, the same is also true of many in the church today. Friendship involves especially two things: attraction and companionship. Friendships develop when two or more find in one another something that is mutually attractive and that draws them together. This can be a common interest, a common goal, even a common problem. But for some reason they are attracted to each other. And because they are attracted to each other they also seek each other’s company. They delight to be with each other and to do things together. –James Slopsema (Standard Bearer, Vol. 66, pg. 411)
Additional Info
- Date: 27-June
Heys, John A.
Rev. John A. Heys was born on March 16, 1910 in Grand Rapids, MI. He was ordained and installed into the ministry at Hope, Walker, MI in 1941. He later served at Hull, Iowa beginning in 1955. In 1959 he accepted the call to serve the South Holland, IL Protestant Reformed Church. He received and accepted the call to Holland, Michigan Protestant Reformed Church in 1967. He retired from the active ministry in 1980. He entered into glory on February 16, 1998.