Acts to Paul (3)
Pray Psalm 2.7-9.
“I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
Sing Psalm 2.7-9.
(Agincourt: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High)
I will declare the LORD’s decree. He said, “My Son I have begotten Thee.
Ask Me, and I will give every land for You to rule as I have planned.”
Read Acts 10.34-48; Acts 15.7-12; Rom. 4.13-18; Gal. 3.5-9; meditate on Rom. 4.13-18.
Preparation
1. How is the promise made to Abraham realized?
2. To whom is the promise thus made sure?
Meditation
From the beginning, God intended His covenant to bless all the nations of the world and all creation (Gen. 12.1-3). But how would that come to pass?
Paul summarizes the promises of God to Abraham by the phrase, “heir of the world”. This is an expansive and challenging way of thinking about the covenant and our role in it. The promise of the covenant is that all who enter it shall be heirs of the world, the entire created order (Gen. 12.1-13; 2 Pet. 1.4; 2 Cor. 1.20). People—Jews and Gentiles alike—enter the covenant like Abraham did, by believing God and His Word, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Savior of all nations. All who believe in Him will be heirs with Abraham of all the precious and very great promises of God (16-18; cf. 2 Pet. 1.4). Those who enter the promises are joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8.17), having been seated with Him (Eph. 2.6). Jesus is Lord and Savior of all nations because, through His people, He will make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28.18-20).
The goal of the promises is the restoration of the world—the cosmos—by the people of God’s covenant, through the work of Jesus and by the power of His Word and Spirit. All nations and all creation will know the blessings of God through those who “in hope believed” in Jesus.
We have a great salvation through Jesus. The promises to Abraham were far-reaching from the beginning, and the work of Jesus—in His life, death, and resurrection—is the key to entering those promises and the Kingdom of the Savior of all nations.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“‘For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My Name shall be great among the Gentiles;
in every place incense shall be offered to My Name, and a pure offering;
for My Name shall be great among the nations,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Mal. 1.11).
“In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land,
whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands,
and Israel My inheritance” (Is. 19.24, 25).
“He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them” (Is. 19.20).
“Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God…
for God is able to graft them in again” (Rom. 11.22, 23).
The mighty work of Jesus Christ, the Savior of all nations:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace,
by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace
which He made to abound toward us
in all wisdom and prudence,
having made known to us the mystery of His will,
according to His good pleasure
which He purposed in Himself,
that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times
He might gather together in one
all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven
and which are on earth—
in Him” (Eph. 1.3-10).
We—all people, all nations, all creation—have a great salvation through Jesus Christ, The Savior,
The Lamb of God, The Messiah, The Son of God, The Mighty King, The Lover of our souls.
We’ve a story to tell to the nations That shall turn their hearts to the right,
A story of truth and mercy, A story of peace and light, A story of peace and light.
We’ve a message to give to the nations That the Lord Who reigneth above
Hath sent us His Son to save us, And show us that God is love, And show us that God is love.
We’ve a Savior to show to the nations Who the path of sorrow hath trod,
That all of the world’s great peoples Might come to the truth of God, Might come to the truth of God.
For the darkness shall turn to dawning, And the dawning to noonday bright,
And Christ’s great Kingdom shall come to earth, The Kingdom of love and light.
(H. Ernest Nichol, 1896)
Reflection
1. What does it mean for us to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28.18-20)?
2. The writer of Hebrews says we have “such a great salvation” (Heb. 2.1-3). What’s so great about it?
3. Whom will you encourage today with the Good News that Jesus is Savior of the nations?
As God intended to give men a title to the promised blessings, so he appointed it to be by faith, that it might be wholly of grace, to make it sure to all who were of the like precious faith with Abraham, whether Jews or Gentiles, in all ages. The justification and salvation of sinners, the taking to himself the Gentiles who had not been a people, were a gracious calling of things which are not, as though they were; and this giving a being to things that were not, proves the almighty power of God. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Romans 4.13-22
Pray Psalm 2.10-12.
Jesus is the Savior and Lord of all nations, and He has commissioned us to make disciples. Pray that today, Jesus will work through you to reach others with His grace and power for new life.
Sing Psalm 2.10-12.
(Agincourt: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High)
Be wise, O kings, O judges, hear, and tremble with joy, serve the LORD with fear.
Embrace the Son, keep His wrath at bay, or you shall perish in the way.
His wrath is kindled like a flame at all who refuse to bow to His Name.
Beware His anger and judgment grim: How blessed are all who trust in Him!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast takes up the book Understanding the Times to help us in knowing how to live and proclaim the Kingdom. Our twice weekly column, Crosfigell, is well into a series on the life of Brendan the Navigator, one of the great saints of the 6th century. Our ReVision series, “The Kingdom Economy”, continues to unpack the secrets of the Kingdom. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
