Word for the day by Christian Education Forum


“Lord our Royal Crown”

Isaiah 28:1-7

“In that day the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his peo-ple. He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.” (5-6 )

Isaiah 28 talks about the judgment on Ephraim and Jerusalem. When Israel split into two after Solomon’s reign, Jerusalem ended up in the Southern Kingdom and Ephraim was one of the ten tribes of Israel representing the Northern Kingdom. Isaiah gave this message to warn them and to encourage them to repent before the Lords judgment. We read in v5 "in that day." This refers to the previous judgment coming upon Israel. So when Israel falls to Assyria, Judah (the southern kingdom) will be considered the remnant of God's people. For those that follow the Lord, His presence will be like a glorious crown, one that does not fade nor falter under the force of storms.
A king’s crown is a beautiful treasure, and Isaiah is saying that we are crowned with the royal crown: the Lord Himself. The Lord is our royal crown, the One who sets us up to be His servant in all that we do. Isaiah gives two examples in these verses of what it means to serve the Lord because you have His royal crown. “[The Lord] will be a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment.” In other words, for those that have taken on the Lord as a crown, He will give us the ability to be just, the ability to judge right and wrong, to correctly handle situations.
Again Isaiah gives an example: “[The Lord will be] a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.” If you’re a soldier, if you’re in a battle, if you have the responsibility of protecting others, and if you must fight to protect the city, He will give you the strength to fight.
These are just two examples that Isaiah gives, and both the principle apply to all of us: When we live in this world we are asked to be responsible for making just decisions and constantly fight the battle against this world. As said in Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the au-thorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Let us ask these questions today, Are we able to live our lives as a faithful remnant in this world? Are we using the royal crown that’s placed on our heads for making decisions and fighting the battles?

Prayer: Father, thank you for giving me your son, the royal crown on my head. Guide me, direct me, work with me, and by your grace you have given me the strength and endurance to go on and fight the battles.

Thought for the Day: Faithful remnant will receive the crown

Chris Thomas, St. John’s MTC, New York

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