Have you ever thought about ‘forever’? What does it look like? Can we truly ‘survive’ forever?
I admit. I do use the term. However, my mind can’t truly imagine what forever is like, especially since I’m not a lover of routines. Regardless, forever … eternity is something I look forward to with Y’shua. How about you? As we meditate on Today’s Holy Nougat, might we begin to imagine forever with YHWH, Y’shua, and the Ruach HaKodesh (God’s Spirit).
Exodus 15:18 AFV
[18] The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”
Eternal Reign
In the Hebrew tradition, possibly also for all Ancient Near Eastern religious groups, it was not uncommon to regard a deity as sovereign. This was so, because sovereignty, at its basic meaning, refers to supreme authority. Thus, wherever there was organised religion, there was an understanding of the sovereignty of the gods. When people moved more and more toward nationhood, I presume that the term expanded to revert to the human with ‘ultimate’ authority. In both instances, that authority was understood as one’s ‘reign’.
Point to Ponder
If God is sovereign, what does that mean for us today?
Digging Deeper
Whether we recognise God as sovereign or not, it was the affirmed belief of the Children of Israel at that time. One could actually see this as a turning point, because it was a very public acknowledgement of YHWH possessing ultimate jurisdiction over all gods in their context. Given that monarchs (usually kings and princes) were viewed as demi-gods, or as divinely chosen; naming any god as sovereign placed that deity above all others. That aligns with Moses’ rhetorical question in verse 11, ‘Who is like unto You, oh Lord among gods?’ It also shows that they were publicly declaring their loyalty to YHWH.
It is worth noting that then, like today, not all gods were considered eternal. Hence, in Matthew 25:41, Y’shua asserted that Hell (Gehanna) is reserved for the devil and his angels. Since idolatry was seen as devil worship, we can assume safely that the devil (also known as the enemy of our souls) was also viewed as a god. Our tradition says, despite the long run of the devil, the lake of fire will put pay to the devil’s reign.
God, YHWH, having demonstrated total power over the Egyptian gods and sovereign, proved to Moses – and the Children of Israel – that YHWH’s power was superior to those others. It qualified YHWH as sovereign, so much so, that Moses was convinced that YHWH was also El Olam, the Eternal God.
This belief has continued into our time, as we would note that Y’shua taught us the same principle in His model prayer. We say, ‘Yours is the *kingdom, power, and glory* forever’. It is the same principle, spelt out plainly.
Therein lies the key to forever. God’s sovereignty never ends. And if we die with/for Him, then we will live with Him (see 2 Timothy 2:11). Especially when we hold to Y’shua’s promise that He goes to prepare our place with Him in eternity (forevermore). Siblings, that’s what we subscribe to when we confess Y’shua as Lord.
So whether we can actually see eternity in our minds’ eyes, as followers of Christ, we are declaring that
YHWH reigns supreme over all other gods
Y’shua, as the Son of God, is God
By His Ascension, Y’shua is preparing our space in eternity
Y’shua will return to take us to that place to be with YHWH, Y’shua and the Ruach HaKodesh forever.
What does forever look like?
– Being in the Sovereign Lord’s presence forever and a day.
Self-Check
Are we able to honestly declare God sovereign in our lives? If not, what other ‘gods’ need to be vanquished? Let’s give Y’shua free reign over our lives today.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
