Praise and Adoration of God
Exodus 15 directs the initial audience of the congregation of Israel so well, as it does every gathering of believers since:
“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Ex 15:11)
There are many different books that one could turn to that record these deeds. As the first verse of I Sing the Mighty Power of God reminds us, we can turn to the book of general revelation:
I sing the mighty pow’r of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at His command, and all the stars obey.
Beyond this, we can turn to the special revelation that God provides us in Genesis 1, that is also reflected in this song:
I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Both the book of creation and the book of the bible, tell us of a wondrous God, who deserves praise, for his truly is a God of wonders.
Joy Amplified by the Extent of Grace Provided
How great is the grace that God has provided us? How precious is His favor for those who call upon His name? To understand this joy, we must first understand whom it is that He has showed such love.
It would be easy to miss a subtle line in Rejoice the Lord is King, but to miss it would be to miss the amplifying factor of our grace received.
He has purged our stains.
All of our days were marked by hatred of Christ’s kingdom before He invaded our rebellious way of life. And, as we are honest, many moments may still be. But our hope is not in whether we are full of loveliness, but whether we are forgiven when we are not. Not whether we have achieved perfection, but whether we are being transformed.
We sing these songs with faith – the assurance of things hoped for – that we will be rejoicing and loving the Lordship of Christ and more and more as we are sanctified. We are to be trusting that although we are not yet fully like our Savior, he will carry us fully there. We are saved from our past sins. We are saved from our present sins. We are saved from our future sins. Saved to God over all transgression.
Response of They Who have been Purged
In our response to this incredible grace, can we now turn, without a need to earn, to freely offer a love for Christ’s Lordship, to Him who is worthy. For He who has saved us, has changed our nature, given us a heart, not made of stone, but of flesh, that through the power of the Spirit returns our affections back to the excellent One.
For this person, the promise that Jesus Shall Reign truly is good news. Let us boldly encourage one another in expectation of that glorious day.