30 May 2010
Psalm 146, 147; Job 38:1-11,42:1-5; Rev. 19:4-16; John 1:29-34

After all of Job’s posturing and desire to have a hearing before the Lord when God shows up, Job’s heart melts within him. The Lord asks Job many questions, of which this lesson gives us only a few. The questions demonstrate the majesty and power of God and bring into light the gulf between God and man. Job is able to see two things, one the paucity of his own understanding and two that the God who created all things and who sustains all things cares enough about him to reveal Himself to His creation, Job. In light of this revelation, Job is humbled. It is interesting that Job says that formerly he had only heard of God and now he has seen Him. The revelation of these chapters is all questions, not visual revelation, yet Job says that in all this he has seen God. Sometimes the words create a picture that is as much visual as auditory and in the words we see God afresh.

John the Baptist here speaks of seeing and understanding. He says that the Spirit promised that he would see a dove descending on one whom he would baptize and would remain on Him. He has seen that vision realized in Jesus’ baptism and now he has taken up a new proclamation, behold the Lamb of God! What John meant by that title would be interesting to know as his proclamation was of one who would come and judge the nations and Israel herself. Did John know that the Lamb of God would be sacrificed for the life of the world? John’s proclamation of Jesus is clear although no one would have understood what it all meant at the time, no one expected the cross.

John sees the coming of the Lord in judgment on sin. The judgment of God on Babylon is complete and now comes both judgment and salvation. The time of the end has come, the marriage supper of the Lamb, and the rider on the white horse, Jesus, appears to return for the end game. In the final few verses John tells us several names for Jesus: faithful and true, the Word of God, King of kings and Lord of lords. John had spent three years with Jesus and has also seen the Lamb looking like it was slain appearing before the throne in Revelation 5 and yet here we see a different Jesus as He comes in power and might to bring an end to Satan’s power and to rule the new creation. John is clearly impressed with this figure that he now sees for the first time.

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.