How does God implement His rule in earth? We understand that He is sovereign and that He always does what He has predetermined. We also know that He rules in and through His chosen people. This is a mystery!
Before God created the universe, His plan was to draw His human creation into partnership with Him. He created mankind in His image and gave humans the mandate to rule over the natural world. Despite every attempt of ungodly people to deny this truth, the Bible declares…
“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:26-27 NIV
Humans are the unique creation of God, separate and different from the animal world, able to connect with Him through His Spirit and through prayer, and created to rule with Him over the earth.
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels (that is, “Elohim”…God), and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:”
Psalms 8:3-6 NIV
Not only that but God also tells us what He plans to do … for example…
“Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” …Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” …Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?”
Genesis 18:17, 20-21, 23 NIV
“Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? … Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”
Amos 3:3, 7 NIV
The mystery deepens!
As we have already discovered, God always works through His Word. He created the universe by His spoken word. He sent Jesus, His Word in person, to complete His communication to the world.
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”
Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV
It is through His word and most often, in prayer…the way we connect with God, through our spirits and His Spirit…that He makes His mind and His will known to us. He has spoken to us through Jesus and He continues to speak to us through His written Word.
Prayer, then, is not primarily about our telling God about our “stuff” and getting him to do something about it. When we do this, we have dragged prayer down to the level of the pagans! Prayer is about God sharing His secrets with us. Let that sink in!
“The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.”
Psalms 25:14 NIV
God has included everything about the relationship between Himself and us in a legally binding covenant, which Jesus, His Son, signed in His own blood. Included in that covenant is the partnership that we have with Him and through which He carries out His will on earth.
In a simple sentence, in a few words, Jesus ratified that mandate.
“…Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10 NIV
In this model prayer, God shows us His way of including His people in the administration of His kingdom and will on earth. Once again, as I have already stated, God always works through His word. His Word expresses His intention and forms the bridge between heaven’s will and His power to way accomplish His will on earth. We speak His Word and He works according to His Word. Again, it’s as simple as that!
To be continued…