PSALM 45 - A WEDDING SONG

This Psalm is meant to be a song. It is directed to the choirmaster and written to a specific tune. It is a wedding song, dealing with a beloved king and his bride, a glorious foreign princess.

45:1
Introduction

The songwriter was thrilled to write this song to the king. We do not know which king the song was initially written about, but one of the kings in the line of David. The psalmist loves the king and writes about him in glowing terms. It is an idealistic description, portraying the king as one blessed by the Lord because of the promise of the Lord to David to keep his heirs on the throne of Israel forever.

45:2-9
Praise of the King

In this section, the psalmist praises the excellent qualities of the king. First he praises his appearance, calling him the most handsome of men. (2) The NIV says “excellent” instead of “handsome”. The idea is royal perfection.

He is also gracious in speech because God has given him grace and blessed him forever.  God has poured grace on him, or anointed him with grace. We saw this in Solomon, who spoke wisdom. People of all the nations came to hear his wisdom. (1 Kings 4:34) His wisdom and wealth took the queen of Sheba’s breath away. (1 Kings 9:5)

God has blessed the king forever. (2) God promised David a descendant on the throne forever. (2 Samuel 7) This king inherited that blessing, both in becoming king and passing the kingdom to his son. Maybe this verse inspired Paul to write “…and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever”. (Romans 9:5) Jesus Christ is a descendant of David in the flesh.

He is a mighty warrior and can ride out to battle expecting victory. (3) People will fall to his arrows. (5) He has splendor and majesty because of his past victories. (3) He establishes peace and prosperity for Israel and order to the world.

The king does not go to battle just to add territory to his kingdom. He goes in the cause of truth and righteousness (4), standing for God and his law. Yet, though he has majesty and splendor, he goes in meekness. He is a glorious king, yet obeys the Lord and humbly fulfills his duty for Him.

This passage inspired an old hymn. It is entitled “Ride On! Ride on in Majesty! written by Henry H. Milman in 1827.

Verse 6 makes a puzzling switch, addressing God, saying his throne is forever, his scepter is the scepter of uprightness, and he has loved righteousness and hated wickedness. What throne is the psalmist referring to?

He refers first to the Davidic throne, established by God when he anointed David as king and continued with the covenant he made with David to have a descendant, or son, on the throne forever. The successive kings would enjoy the favor of God and rule as God’s representative as long as they were faithful to God’s covenant with Israel.

This throne is to be established and maintained in righteousness. The kings are to oppose all wickedness. They are to establish God’s kingdom on earth. When they do these things, they secure God’s blessing on themselves and on the nation. As we read through the books of Kings and Chronicles, we see these blessings poured out on the kings who acted righteously, obeyed God’s law, and did not worship idols. Those who were wicked suffered the disfavor of God, which led to the suffering of the people.

Because God has established this throne, the king is anointed above all others with the oil of gladness and his robes scented with pleasant smelling herbs. This is a picture of the king on his wedding day, dressed in scented robes, his hair groomed with oil, ready to be presented with his bride.

Beautiful music is played for the wedding, royal princesses are attendants, and his queen is ornamented with the finest gold. (9) Only the very best and most pleasant is used for the wedding of the king.

Instruction to the Bride, the Queen
46:10-15

The psalmist then gave instructions to the bride, as we see him telling her to incline her ear or listen to him. (10)

She must be a royal princess from another country, because he tells her to forget her people and her father’s house. (10) Although she is royal in her country, it is her greater honor to wed the Davidic king. So, she should not dwell on her past glory, but come to the king and bow to him as her lord. Submission to the king implied submission to God, since the king was God’s representative.

The Bride will be rewarded for her submission to the king. The king will appreciate her beauty.  She will be honored among the nations, demonstrated by the rich people of Tyre coming and giving her gifts. (11) Tyre was a wealthy trading nation in what is now Lebanon.

The bride will come to the king in her own glory, wearing gold robes befitting a royal person, which are intricately woven of many colors.  (13) Not only will she arrive in beauty, both in face and in clothing, she will have attendants who are virgins that attend her in joy and gladness as they come to the palace and present their lady to the king.

The picture here is shifted from the throne room, where she was presented to the king, to the chamber where she prepared for the wedding, and then her entrance into the palace.

God’s Continuing Promise
45:16-17

The Psalmist closes with a reminder of the Davidic covenant. God will bring the king sons to continue the line of his fathers. He will make the king’s name known and praised forever.

When we read the Old Testament, we first consider what the writer meant for the first readers, the original audience. We have done that here. Second, we may consider what the scripture means for us today in the context of Christ and the church.

Though this exaltation applies first to the king at the time the psalm is written, we see in the words a greater king. The writer of Hebrews, under the influence of the Holy Spirit did also. He directly applied these verses to Jesus in Hebrews 1:8-9, saying the Father said this about the Son.

Jesus is indeed on the throne, at the right hand of the Father. He is the descendant of David, the bright and morning star. (Revelation 22:16) His scepter is one of righteousness, for he lived on earth in total righteousness. His righteousness is imputed to us when we commit ourselves to him in faith.

In the new creation, all things will be put in order and Christ will rule them as David ruled the nations around Israel. Revelation 21:26 says they will bring into the new Jerusalem the glory and the honor of the nations.

The bride of king Jesus is the church. As he sanctified, then glorified those who believe in him, the bride is presented to him at his second coming as beautiful and flawless. Revelation shows it to us in poetic terms:

Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his Bride has made
herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. (Revelation 19:6-8)

When the Davidic kings served the Lord, the nation was glad. It prospered and blessed the Lord. In eternity, the eternal king, Jesus, will give all his people gladness and joy forever.

That is why the Spirit and the Bride say “come”. (Revelation 22:17) And that is why we, with John, say “Amen. Come Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20)

A CRY FOR HELP - PSALM 44

Psalm 44 is attributed to the “sons of Korah”. Korah was famous for leading an insurrection against Moses. God caused the earth to open and swallow the rebels, killing them. (Numbers 16) But the sons of Korah were spared. Maybe they did not take part in the rebellion.

Seven generations later, the prophet Samuel was born into the family as a descendant of Korah. The Korahites began to participate in the care of the tabernacle again. Under King David, they began to lead in worship. One man, Heman, became famous as a singer. (1 Chronicles 6:33)

Psalms 42 and 43 were personal laments. Psalm 44 is a national lament. It was written in a time of defeat in battle. It is a cry by the psalmist for the rescue of the whole nation.

We do not know an exact date for the writing of the Psalm or the circumstances to which it refers, but it deals with a time when Israel is oppressed by enemies. One possibility is the attack of the Moabites and Ammonites during the reign of Jehoshaphat, recorded in 2 Chronicles 20. Jeshoshaphat called the nation of Judah together to fast and seek help from the Lord.


44:1-3
Recalling the Past

The psalmist started by recalling the stories told by his ancestors of the great deeds of the Lord. (1) He focused on God’s driving the Canaanites and others out of the land of Canaan to give it to Israel. He acknowledged that the Israelites did not win the land in their own strength. Rather, the Lord did it. (3)

The psalmist, as with all of the Old Testament writers, related the history of Israel in terms of the sovereignty of God. “Sovereignty” means the authority and power to rule without interference from anyone.

John Piper wrote: “There are no limits to God’s rule. This is part of what it means to be God. He is sovereign over the whole world, and everything that happens in it. He is never helpless, never frustrated, never at a loss.”

The psalmist wrote “you afflicted the peoples”. (2) He was referring to the Israelites becoming slaves in Egypt. He laid the power to do this and the responsibility for it in God’s hands. God also took them into and through the wilderness, where they had to learn to trust him for survival.

Then, he wrote “but them you set free”. God delivered them from Egypt and from the wilderness and delivered them to Canaan.

God delivered Israel because he delighted in them. (3) They were his chosen people. He set his love and favor on them.

It is this way for us today as the church. (Ephesians 1:4)

44:4-8
Declaration of Faith

The psalmist declared that God was his king. He acknowledged God’s sovereignty and rule over Israel and over himself. And, based on that, he asked God to ordain salvation for Jacob. In effect, he was saying, since you rule over us and love us, save us. This indicates the time of writing this psalm was a time when Israel was defeated or oppressed by another nation.

Victory would be one “through you (God)”. The psalmist did not at all lean on the military strength of Israel. And, likely, that strength had failed and allowed another king and country to oppress them.

Again, the psalmist looked to the past, saying “you have saved us from our foes” and “put to shame those who hate us”. (7) Because of this, the nation had continually boasted in God and given thanks to him. (8) This might be an overstatement by the psalmist. Israel has certainly faltered in its obedience to God many times in its history. But, possibly, within the experience of the psalmist, that had not been the case.

God Had Afflicted Them
44:9-16

The Psalmist wrote that God, as the sovereign, was responsible for Israel’s troubles. All of their confidence in God was shattered by the present reality of defeat.
God had rejected and disgraced them by not giving victory to the army. He said God had not gone out with the armies. (9)

These military defeats are attributed to God by the psalmist. He said it in several different ways:
He made them turn back, or retreat, from the enemy (10);
The enemy had taken spoils from the army;
God made them like defenseless sheep to be slaughtered (11);
He scattered them among the nations;
He gave Israel up and got no value for it (“for a trifle”)(12);
He made them the subject of taunts, derision and scorn (13);
they were laughed at (14).

The psalmist is still acknowledging God’s sovereignty, but in a negative way. He blames God for the military defeats. And he is correct: God is sovereign and can give victory or defeat as it pleases him.

The psalmist personally felt the shame and disgrace of these defeats. Here he considered Israel as God’s favorite, yet they were defeated. His question is “how can the God of our fathers abandon the children”?

Like many who suffer, the psalmist is asking “don’t you care”?

A Claim of Innocence
44:17-22

In this section, the psalmist declares the innocence of Israel. In other words, he is saying “you are doing this to us and it is unfair because we have done nothing wrong”. If they had broken covenant with God, they would rightly be subject to the curses of the covenant set out in Leviticus 26.

But the psalmist stated that Israel had not been unfaithful and had not broken the covenant. (17) They had obeyed the law, and not departed from God’s way. (18)

Despite their faithfulness, God had broken them. (19) He brought death upon them. A “place of jackals” would be an abandoned, desolate place.

The psalmist then went back to the theme of unfairness. He said if they had been unfaithful, or turned to idolatry, God would know it. (20-21) The implication is that God knew they, as a nation, had been faithful to him.

Paul quoted verse 22 in Romans 8:36, to support his argument that nothing separates us from God, including tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword. Unlike the Psalmist, Paul expected suffering and knew God continued to be with us in it, with Jesus interceding for us.

The Call For Help
44:23-26

The Psalmist called for God to wake up and come to their aid. He questioned why God forgot them and their suffering. They are so low they are on the ground in the dust. (25) He asked for God to come and help and redeem them from their oppression, and to do this for the sake of his steadfast love.

This psalm certainly shows that we can pour out our pain and suffering to God. It borders on disrespect for God, which I do not endorse, but it shows us that God is willing to hear us even when our feelings are raw. We do not have to “sugar coat” our feelings or to act like we are not in pain. God made us, including our feelings, and knows we suffer at times. Jesus took on human flesh and felt all of the emotions, sufferings, and pains that we do, and he intercedes for us.

The Takeaways

1. The psalmist did a good theological thing when he acknowledged God’s sovereignty even over bad things. What he did not do is submit himself to God’s will in suffering. He considered it as unfair. It is difficult to suffer, but especially difficult to suffer without cause.

Compare the psalmist to Job.The Book of Job also is an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty. Satan is only allowed to attack Job when God lets him. Job, in contrast to the Psalmist, did not consider it unfair, even though he was a righteous man.

Job submitted himself to God. When his wife urged him to curse God, he said “shall we receive good from God and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10) Later, he said “though he slay me, I will hope in him.” (Job 13:15)

The Bible tells us that we may, and probably will, suffer. And we should accept it. This is another place the prosperity gospel errs. Righteous men and women suffered for the sake of the gospel in the New Testament, as recorded in the book of Acts. Stephen was killed. James was killed.

Paul suffered physical ailments. Peter and John were jailed. Peter was ultimately martyred, though this is not recorded in the New Testament, and John was exiled. Many others were imprisoned and had their property confiscated.

The promise of the gospel is not an immunity from suffering. Calvin said “In order, therefore, that weariness, or dread of the cross, may not root up from our herts true godliness, let us continually reflect upon this, that it behooves us to drink the cup which God puts into our hands, and that no one can be a Christian who does not dedicate himself to God.”

Additionally, the fact is, God does not always tell or show us why we suffer. He does not owe us an answer, because he is God and can do what pleases him and what he finds necessary. If you do not believe this, read the last few chapters of Job. In chapter 31, Job justified himself, telling all that he has done that is good and demanded that God to tell him why his suffering happened. He said “Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Oh that I had an indictment written by my  adversary! (Job 31:34)

In answer, his young friend Elihu blasted him for justifying himself and not God, then blasting Job’s friends for not speaking up. This goes on for six chapters! Then God spoke directly to Job of his sovereignty for five chapters. That is a thorough rebuke, 11 chapters worth!

Job got the message and said he repented in dust and ashes. (Job 42:6)

2. The psalmist did another good thing he continued to call on God for redemption and to believe God had the power to deliver Israel.   Though he was in despair over Israel’s defeat, he did not quit believing in God’s power to deliver them.

Suffering is very difficult, no matter the cause or the type. We are not promised there will be no suffering. In fact, Jesus told his disciples to expect it.

Faith is honed in suffering. The one who suffers and endures in the faith will find his faith strengthened and his relationship to Christ deepened.

Prepare your heart for suffering. Jesus told his disciples they would suffer so they would be prepared. Peter was not prepared when confronted on the night of Jesus’ arrest and trial, and he denied Christ. Later he was prepared and confessed Christ in the face of death. 

WHY ARE YOU CAST DOWN, O MY SOUL? PSALM 42-43

Psalm 42 and 43
Why Are you Cast Down, O My Soul?

The second book of Psalms begins with Psalm 42 and runs through Psalm 72. There are five books of Psalms.

Psalms 42 and 43 should be one poem, or Psalm.  We will treat them as such for this study. They are a lament of one who is away from Jerusalem and the Temple and longing to return. He might be in exile in a foreign land. While away, the writer is surrounded by enemies. Yet, the writer continues to hope in God.

Since Jerusalem was where God chose to place his temple, and the temple was where the presence of God dwelt, to be away from Jerusalem was to be away from God in the mind of the writer, and he longed to return.

There are 3 divisions or stanzas to this psalm, all expressing the writer’s longing for God, but in different ways.. Verses 1-5 describe this longing in terms of thirst. Verses 6-11 express longing in terms of discouragement. And 43:1-5 expresses longing in prayer.

Thirsting For God
42:1-5

The writer compares himself with a thirsty deer. This is a “simile” in poetic terms. The deer pants for a flowing stream to quench its thirst. In a hot, dry land such as Israel, the deer would desperately desire a drink of clear and clean water from a flowing stream. The psalmist longs for the presence of God in the same way. (2) He is thirsty for God. You may have experienced this. You may have felt spiritually dry, desiring the close and intense relationship of being close to God.

The psalmist also cries continuously as he enemies taunt him by saying “where is your God”. Have you ever been in a place where you were suffering and hanging on, and someone taunted you by asking why God did not help you? This is the situation of this psalmist.

Yet, he remembers going with the crowds to the Temple. He must have been a worship leader of some sort, for he led them. They shouted and sang. He was at one of the Old Testament festivals. There were three of them, when all of Israel was to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem at the temple: Passover, First fruits, and Tabernacles.

There would be offerings, sacrifices, feasts, worship and rejoicing.

In times of spiritual distress, or in times of trial, we can look back to times of joy in the Lord, or the Lord’s deliverance from trouble, and have hope and faith in him.

In verse 5, the psalmist chides himself for being cast down and in turmoil. Sometimes you have to talk to yourself when you are down. You exercise faith over doubt and despair. The psalmist reminded himself to hope in God, knowing he will again praise God who is his salvation.

Part of hope is waiting on God to act, knowing that he will. When times are hard, we will find ourselves discouraged. Even Jesus experienced this. When he went to Gethsemane on the night of his arrest, he was sorrowful and troubled. (Matthew 26:37) He told his disciples his should was very sorrowful, even to death. (Matthew 26:38) But he submitted himself to the Father’s will in faith and in hope.

42:6-11
Discouragement

But the fact remained that his soul was “cast down. He was depressed and in turmoil. He remembered the land, with the river Jordan which begins in the north of Israel near Mount Herman. (We do not know where Mizer is.)

The psalmist is back to the image of water, but this time it is more in a sense of despair than relief. He sees noisy waterfalls, turbulent water flowing over him. He may sees this as judgment, because they are God’s waterfalls, breakers and waves. He has no control over his circumstances and is overwhelmed with problems.

You may not be sent into exile, but you may find yourself in situations where you have no control. One day you are well, the next you are diagnosed with a serious disease. One day you are working faithfully at your job, the next you have been fired and do not know what you will do next. One day you you are married and, the next day, your spouse leaves you. Circumstances will seem overwhelming and you may question why God does not act to restore you. Your soul will be “cast down”.

In verse 8, the writer again talks to himself. He remembers the steadfast love of God. This love is God’s love toward those in covenant with him. In fact, he referred to God here by his covenant name, Yahweh, represented in the English text by “LORD”.

He has made promises, a covenant, with those who are faithful to him. Israel was in covenant with God, expressed in the law and the promises set forth in Exodus and Leviticus.

The psalmist acknowledged God’s love and his promise keeping. He sang. He prayed. He had fellowship with God continually in the past.

But his reflection on this past communion with God causes him emotional turmoil in the present. He questioned God, asking if he has forgotten him, asking why he must be said because his enemies oppress him. (9) It is so bad, he feels he has a deadly would in his bones, as if he had been stabbed all the way into the bone.

You can see the writer’s conflict here. He remembers a past of joy. He acknowledges God as his rock, the one who can give him refuge. Yet, he keeps feeling that God has abandoned him because he continues to suffer separation from is homeland and the temple.

In verse 11, the psalmist returned to questioning his should and speaking to himself to hope in God, knowing he will again praise him who is his salvation.

Longing in Prayer
43:1-5

The psalmist now turns to prayer for help. He asked God for vindication and defense against the ungodly who persecute him. Vindication and defense are two words for the same thing the writer is asking: for God to act to save him from his enemies to show his faith in God was not in vain.

He is now in even more turmoil of spirit. He moves from asking why God has forgotten him, to why has God rejected him? He not only feels that God has been slow to come to his rescue, but that he may not come at all because he has rejected the psalmist from the covenant relationship. (2) His is in mourning over this as his enemies oppress him.

In the midst of this spiritual darkness, the writer asks God to keep his promises and bring him back to the temple. (3) The holy hill is Mount Zion on which the temple sits. His (God’s) dwelling is the temple.  He asked for God’s light and his truth to lead him.

God’s light and his truth are personifications of his covenant faithfulness. If God will show him the way back and lead him back, he will again experience the presence of God in the temple. He will go to the altar and make a sacrifice to God in exceeding joy. He will praise him with a lyre, a musical instrument.

The psalmist seeks to worship God that is personal to him, with whom he has a relationship. He calls him God, my God.

These thoughts, and this prayer, restore hope and joy to the Psalmist. Again he talks to himself, asking why his should is depressed and anxious. He tells himself to hope in God, trusting that he will again praise him who saved him and is his God, his Lord

Those who are in Christ, have the Lord with them always. There is no exile for us. Jesus brought us out of the separation from God into fellowship with him. Ephesians 2:13 says: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

When we feel separated from him, it is usually from sin and neglect. Unconfessed sin makes us reluctant to come to God. His holiness illuminates our sin in the most uncomfortable way. If this is your situation today, do not wait another minute to confess your sin and receive restoration into full fellowship with the Lord.

Sometimes our sin is simply neglect. We have become consumed and diverted by the world and lost our focus on God. We quit praying. We quit reading the Bible. We do not worship with our fellow believers. Then we reach a point of spiritual dryness. Again, if this is you, confess and get back on track and you will again feel the joy of his presence.

At other times, though, we go through difficult trials. And sometimes they seem so overwhelming. They are painful and they go on so long we begin to despair as this psalmist did. Here is where our faith is put to the biggest test. Here is where we place all of our hope in God to sustain us and deliver us.

Do not be afraid to cry out to God at these times, even as this Psalmist did, expressing his feeling that God was not coming to his rescue. God can take it. And by crying out to him, you will also receive assurance that he hears your cry, feels your pain, and is there to help you.

We do not always know why God lets us suffer or go through trials, but he tells us in his word that he is there with us at all times to strengthen us, and we can trust his word because he is the promise keeping God.

THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST - COLOSSIANS 1:15-20

THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST

COLOSSIANS 1:15-20

Paul wrote Colossians to combat a heresy attacking the church. The book does not spell out the details of the heresy, but it seemed to involve the idea that Christ was not God and that he was not enough for salvation, and something else should be added. Christ, to the false teachers, was not sufficient. Dr. Curtis Vaughan said it cast a cloud over the glory of Christ.

Paul wrote to give the Colossians an adequate view, a correct view, of Jesus, showing them he is all we need for salvation and worship. He proclaimed the absolute and unqualified supremacy of Christ. He is preeminent in creation and in salvation.

And I want you to today to see the same thing. Jesus Christ is above all things, capable of saving you, and worthy of your worship. So, let’s look at who Christ is: in relation to God the Father, in relation to creation, and in relation to redemption.

Paul makes several statements about Christ in this passage, each starting with the words “he is”. He described Christ in relation to God the Father, to creation, and to the church.

First, in relation to God the Father, Christ is the image of the invisible God. In the New Testament generally, and in this passage specifically, the word “God” refers to the Father. Jesus, the Son, is the image of the Father, who is the invisible God.

The Bible tells us that God is invisible to our sight. God himself reminded the Israelites that they did not see any form when he spoke to them on the mountain to give them the covenant law. (Deuteronomy 4:15) He told them they could not make an image of him or of anything to worship as God. (Exodus 20:4)

Jesus told us that God is spirit (John 4:24). John told us that no one has ever seen God. (John 1:18) Paul told us God dwells in unapproachable light. (1 Timothy 6:16)

All of this being true, we see that we cannot know God by sight. So, how do we know him? We know him by knowing Jesus, who revealed him to us. As the image of God the Father, Jesus perfectly reveals the nature and being of God. He said “whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) Hebrews 1:3 says Jesus is the exact representation of the Father.

Jesus has always been, is, and always will be the image of God. Therefore, we do not seek to know God in any way other than through Jesus, his actions and his words. John 1:18 says “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known”.

In relation to creation, Christ Jesus is the “firstborn of all creation”. “Firstborn” does not mean he was the first creation. Some have cited this verse to mean that. Rather it means he is before all creation in time and in his rank or position over it.

Verse 16 makes it clear: all things were created by him. He made them, he rules them, and they owe their existence to him. They were also created for him, to serve him, willingly or unwillingly, and to bring him glory.

This includes everything you can see and everything you cannot see. (16) It includes angels, even the evil ones we call demons. Paul named 4 classes of them: thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities. Jesus created them and he rules them as a firstborn son of a king rules the kingdom. He will dispose of them eventually according to his will at the final judgment. We need not fear them, for Jesus rules them.

Not only did Jesus create all things, he holds all things together. (17)  He will hold creation together until the time comes for the heavens and earth to be made new. Hebrews 1:3 says Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power. What holds the Sun at exactly the right distance to warm the earth but not burn it up? Jesus does. What keeps the universe in order? Jesus does.

In relation to the church, the new creation, Jesus is the head of the body. (18) Your head, containing your brain, rules your body. It tells your heart to pump blood through your body. It tells your feet to move one at a time when you need to walk somewhere. It even works while you sleep, directing the functions of your body.

Similarly, Christ is the ruler and director of the church. He leads and directs. He is the only head of the church.

The use of the metaphor of the body for the church implies that the church is an organism and that the members, the redeemed, are parts of the body working together in unity of purpose to obey the commands of its head, Jesus Christ. Christ works out his purpose and will through the church. Christ and the church are in union with each other, just as the human head and body are.

Why is Jesus the head of the church? Because he is the beginning of it. he is the firstborn of the dead. (18) That is, he is the first who died and was resurrected, beginning the church. He is the source of the church’s life.

Because he is the first to be resurrected, he will have preeminence in everything. (18) God has declared him to be first above all things by having all his fullness to dwell in Jesus. All that God the Father is and has he has conferred on his Son. In Colossians 2:9, Paul further wrote: “in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”  He is sufficient to redeem you, because God caused all of his redemptive power to dwell in Christ.

In fact, God was pleased to reconcile all things to himself through Jesus. (20) At the end of this age, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Phil. 2:10) All intelligent beings, on earth and in heaven, will acknowledge the sovereignty of God, willingly or unwillingly.

If you are a believer, I hope you will see and rejoice in the Preeminent Christ, who rules over all things, including death and the grave. You need nothing else for salvation and spiritual life but Him.

If you have not committed your life to Christ, I pray that you will come to him today. He who is before all things, created all things, and rules all things died on the cross to reconcile you to the Father.

Your sins have separated you from God. You were bound for Hell. But, by placing your faith in Jesus, you will be declared blameless and at peace with God, bound for heaven.