Daily Devotions
Matthew
God as King
Text: Matthew 25 : 31 - 46
The Psalms often describe God as King. Let us look at some of the psalms that described the Lord as the great King.
“Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.”
PSALM 24:7-8“For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.”
PSALM 47:2, 6-7
GOD AS JUDGE
Another great theme found in the Psalms is the concept of God as Judge. Let us look at some of the psalms that describe the Lord as Judge.
“The Lord shall judge the peoples;
Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.”
PSALM 7:8“You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.
PSALM 9:4b-5
JESUS AS BOTH KING AND JUDGE
As Jesus spoke, He portrayed Himself as the Son of Man described in Daniel’s prophecy (Cf. Daniel 7:13-14). In that prophecy, we read about a glorious and everlasting kingdom being given to Him by the Ancient of Days, the Lord God Himself.
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory…
then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”
MATTHEW 25:31
DESCRIPTION OF THE JUDGMENT THAT JESUS WILL PRESIDE OVER
Jesus went on to describe the scene that will take place when He returns to the earth.
“All the nations will be gathered before Him,
and He will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
And He will set the sheep on His right hand,
but the goats on the left.”
MATTHEW 25:32-33
1. Judgment of all nations!
Jesus will preside over the judgment of “ALL the nations” of the earth! The ends of the earth had been given to Jesus to judge (Cf. Psalm 2:8-10).
2. Separation of sheep and goats!
In simple pastoral language, Jesus spoke of making a distinction between the sheep and the goats! The inference is quite obvious!
REMINDER OF THE PARABLES OF THE TARES AND THE DRAGNET
As we read about this great judgment that will take place one day, we are also reminded of the two parables Jesus told. In the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, Jesus mentioned that angels would be involved in the gathering of all the people to be judged.
“The Son of Man will send out His angels,
and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend,
and those who practice lawlessness,
and will cast them into the furnace of fire.
There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth,
Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom
of their Father…”
MATTHEW 13:41-43
In the parable of The Dragnet, He also mentioned that final judgment would be passed on all.
“So it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will come forth, separate the wicked
from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.
There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
MATTHEW 13:49-50
A DOCTRINE TO BE TAKEN MOST SERIOUSLY
The study of eschatology is to be taken most seriously. The aspect of the judgment of all nations must cause us to be deeply concerned. On a personal note, we need to be sure that we will be counted among the sheep. On the global scale, we must be deeply concerned about the work of reaching the world with the Gospel of the Kingdom.