p. 3 | JEHOVAH REIGNETH by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 10, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 15.

"JEHOVAH REIGNETH."

By Editor

THE psalmist sings: "Jehovah reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad. . . . Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne." "Show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations." "Say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth." See Psalms 97 and 96, A.R.V.

It is a dominant note in God's Gospel song of the ages—"Jehovah reigneth." "There is none like unto Thee, O Jehovah; Thou art great, and Thy name is great in might. Who should not fear Thee, O King of the nations?" "The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, these shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens." "But Jehovah is the true God; He is the living God, and an everlasting King. . . . He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and by His understanding hath He stretched out the heavens." See Jer. 10:6-12. This Jehovah, infinite in every perfection, is the God of the universe; "there is no God beside."

"JEHOVAH reigneth" despite all appearances to the contrary. Above all the earthquakes, the pestilences, the famines, the deluges, the devastating storms which sweep the earth, "Jehovah reigneth." Jehovah sat as King at the flood. The earth and its laws are perverted. Its wild storms, its fearful convulsions, its horrible pestilences, are abnormal conditions. Jehovah did not include them in His infinitely wise plan and purpose. They are the fruit of perverted laws and perverted purposes. God's laws are living, working laws, normally working out good and only good; but when evil perverts that mighty power and turns it into another channel; when lust and pride and ambition and hate and other elements of selfishness turn the life of the law of God to their own ends, inevitable death and all that leads to death ensues. The devil and demons and men may seem to thwart God's purposes for a time; God permits the evil working that intelligent beings may see the fruits of evil and choose the good; but above all the evil He is waiting for the glorious outcome of the eternal principle—right is might. He reigns. Even the wrath of man shall praise Him; the remainder of wrath will He restrain. We see but the one item; God sees the stupendous whole. We see but one stripe in the web which God is weaving despite of hindering sin, and often the wrong side of that; He sees the completed web in all its beauty. All that will not submit to His righteous reign shall perish; all that will yield to it shall ever rejoice in God.

H. M. S. “Terrible” in Christmas dress, in Hongkong, 1903. The letters on the great battle-ship's side are formed of the ship's crew in white.

JEHOVAH will not reign in His fulness where He is not invited. Above all other places where He longs to reign is in the hearts of His creatures. It is His invitation,

"My son, give Me thy heart; and let thine eyes delight in My ways." In other words, let God reign in the heart; let His ways be acknowledged there. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place [not a thing to be wondered at], with him also [marvelous condescension] that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite." In the hearts of all He desires to reign; in the heart of the humble He will reign.

For that reign we should pray. In that wonderfully comprehensive prayer Jesus taught His disciples is this petition, "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven."

But the most important place in earth in which we should desire the will of God done is our own heart. And we never truly pray the prayer if that be not included. The dominant note of the Gospel—Jehovah reigneth—must be heard and received in our own lives or we can not sing the new song. Two things greatly desired by the whole human family are strength and beauty; but "strength and beauty are in His sanctuary," the very center of His Gospel service. The psalmist sings:

"He [Jehovah] brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay; And He set my feet upon a rock, and ESTABLISHED my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, And shall trust in Jehovah." "Say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth."

Only he can truly say it who knows the reigning power of God in his own life—God's Spirit and word dominant over sin and selfishness. As Jehovah conquered and reigned there, the glad soul knows that according to that same working God "is able even to subject all things unto Himself." Sinner, Jehovah would reign in your heart and life, and all that He asks of you is that you will open the door, bid Him welcome, and submit all to Him.

THE king of earth can reign only so long as they are supported by loyal souls. He must have their support, but even then of how little worth it is. For no king on earth, doubtless, do so many loyal hearts beat as for King Edward of England. They will give their life for him. Wherever the sun shines or ships sail will be found men who will join heartily in the cry, "God save the King." They know that great as is their combined strength, they are powerless to preserve his life. The executioner, who bears no respect for royalty, may enter the palace door past numerous guards and smite to the death the king on his throne. They have no power against the "King of Terrors." Yet are they loyal, and count it joy so to be. Look again at our picture. In letters of living men have they limned their sentiments against the black sides of the war monster. They have given themselves to establish his throne and power wherever his mighty navy sweeps the sea. Yet is their king at his best a poor, imperfect, sinful, dying man.

WHAT a contrast is presented in the gracious Gospel of God, in the eternal reign of Jehovah. We are not asked to serve a king whom we must pledge to support and save, so far as humans can, but we are asked to yield to a King who can and will save us from sin, from all evil, from death—save us forever. And saving us, He entreats us to join His army, not to establish it by force of arms, not by cruel warfare to spread it abroad over the face of the earth and conquer His foes in bloody conflicts; but we are invited to "say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth," and thus "show forth His salvation from day to day; declare His glory among the nations." This is our glad message, Jehovah reigns, Jehovah saves; and He would reign in every soul and save it forever.