Life Walk Lesson 3: God Reigns, and Covenant Keepers are Rewarded
It is made clear throughout Scripture, by every writer who records the activities and words of God, that God is Creator, and Ruler, of heaven and earth. The earth is the Lord's, even though He has given it to humans to take care of on His behalf. How humans care for earth, and one another, will determine their reward.
The Reward for Caring
Matthew 25:31-46 [AMP]
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory and majesty and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
32 All the nations will be gathered before Him [for judgment]; and He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats;
33 and He will put the sheep on His right [the place of honor], and the goats on His left [the place of rejection].
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God, appointed to eternal salvation], inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
36 I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me [with help and ministering care]; I was in prison, and you came to Me [ignoring personal danger].’
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
39 And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it for Me.’
41 “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Leave Me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels (demons);
42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me [with help and ministering care].’
44 Then they also [in their turn] will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
45 Then He will reply to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these [my followers], you did not do it for Me.’
46 Then these [unbelieving people] will go away into eternal (unending) punishment, but those who are righteous and in right standing with God [will go, by His remarkable grace] into eternal (unending) life.”
Throughout Canonized Scripture, and Un-canonized Apocryphal literature, it is made clear that the wicked will have no peace, and eventually be removed, and that the Lord is with the righteous, who are saved by His Grace.
The Reward for Wholehearted Obedience
2Peter 3
1 “Beloved, I am now writing you this second letter. In this [as in the first one], I am stirring up your untainted mind to remind you,
2 that you should remember the words spoken in the past [about the future] by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior given by your apostles [His personally chosen representatives].
3 First of all, know [without any doubt] that mockers will come in the last days with their mocking, following after their own human desires 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming [what has become of it]? For ever since the fathers fell asleep [in death], all things have continued [exactly] as they did from the beginning of creation.”
5 For they willingly forget [the fact] that the heavens existed long ago by the word of God, and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water.
7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people.
8 Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day.
9 The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish with a [mighty and thunderous] roar, and the [material] elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and the works that are on it will be burned up.
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be [in the meantime] in holy behavior [that is, in a pattern of daily life that sets you apart as a believer] and in godliness [displaying profound reverence toward our awesome God],
12 [while you earnestly] look for and await the coming of the day of God. For on this day the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the [material] elements will melt with intense heat!
13 But in accordance with His promise we expectantly await new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
14 So, beloved, since you are looking forward to these things, be diligent and make every effort to be found by Him [at His return] spotless and blameless, in peace [that is, inwardly calm with a sense of spiritual well-being and confidence, having lived a life of obedience to Him].
15 And consider the patience of our Lord [His delay in judging and avenging wrongs] as salvation [that is, allowing time for more to be saved]; just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him [by God],
16 speaking about these things as he does in all of his letters. In which there are some things that are difficult to understand, which the untaught and unstable [who have fallen into error] twist and misinterpret, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 Therefore, [let me warn you] beloved, knowing these things beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men [who distort doctrine] and fall from your own steadfastness [of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith],
18 but grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory (honor, majesty, splendor), both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Because everything God created came from Him, everything will again be consumed by the intense fire of His Being, which is greater than light or any other created matter. He will create from within Himself again the New Heavens and the New Earth, filled with His Righteousness and Holiness.
The Reward for Faithful Righteousness
Jude 14
14 “It was about these people that Enoch [the descendant of Seth, Genesis 5:18-24], in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, when he said, ‘Look, the Lord came with myriads [ten thousands] of His holy ones
15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly deeds they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh and cruel things ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’” [The full prophecy from which Jude quotes is in 1Enoch 1:1-9]
1Enoch 1:1-9
[The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, Volume 2 R.H. Charles Oxford: The Clarendon Press;]
“The words of the blessing of Enoch, wherewith he blessed the elect and righteous, who will be living in the day of tribulation, when all the wicked and godless are to be removed. And he took up his parable and said — Enoch a righteous man, whose eyes were opened by God, saw the vision of the Holy One in the heavens, which the angels showed me, and from them I heard everything, and from them I understood as I saw, but not for this generation, but for a remote one which is for to come. Concerning the elect I said, and took up my parable concerning them:
“The Holy Great One will come forth from His dwelling, and the eternal God will tread upon the earth, (even) on Mount Sinai, [and appear from His camp] and appear in the strength of His might from the heaven of heavens.
“And all shall be smitten with fear and the Watchers shall quake, and great fear and trembling shall seize them unto the ends of the earth.
“And the high mountains shall be shaken, and the high hills shall be made low, and shall melt like wax before the flame. And the earth shall be wholly rent in sunder, and all that is upon the earth shall perish, and there shall be a judgement upon all (men).
“But with the righteous He will make peace. And will protect the elect, and mercy shall be upon them. And they shall all belong to God, and they shall be prospered, and they shall all be blessed. And He will help them all, and light shall appear unto them, and He will make peace with them.
“And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute judgement upon all, and to destroy all the ungodly: and to convict all flesh of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” [Jude 14]
The Reward for Trusting in God
Psalm 23:1-6 Septuagint [LXX, English translation]
1 “The Lord tends me as a Shepherd, and I shall want nothing.
2 In a place of green grass, there He has made me dwell: He has nourished me by the waters of rest.
3 He has restored my soul: He has guided me into the paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake.
4 Yea, even if I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of evils: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, these have comforted me.
5 Thou hast prepared a table before me in presence of them that afflict me: Thou hast thoroughly anointed my head with oil: and Thy cup cheers me like the best wine.
6 Thy mercy also shall follow me all the days of my life: and my dwelling shall be in the house of the Lord for a very long time.”
A rod of iron is for the wicked, which will break their hold on, and oppression of, the righteous. For the righteous, the rod and staff are a means of guidance, comfort, and even rescue in times of trouble, as King David says, in Psalm 23:4 (NIV) “I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
The Septuagint translation gives the idea that the comfort David spoke of was a memory that kept him believing that God would do it again, and again, and always.
Revelation 2:26-29
26 “And he who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] and he who keeps My deeds [doing things that please Me] until the [very] end, to him I will give authority and power over the nations;
27 and he shall shepherd and rule them with a rod of iron, as the earthen pots are broken in pieces, as I also have received authority [and power to rule them] from My Father;
28 and I will give him the Morning Star.
29 He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you and to give you assurance of these things for the churches. I am the Root (the Source, the Life) and the Offspring of David, the radiant and bright Morning Star.”
God Reigns against the Wicked, and for the Righteous
The heart of God for all people is that they come to Him for their needs, both physical and Spiritual. Here God describes His journey and experiences with the ancient nation with whom He chose to walk, who did not choose to walk with Him wholeheartedly.
The principles are the same for us today as an individual, or as a nation. We look for what God is like, His ways, and how He likes to be treated, as we walk with Him through these Scripture passages.
Jeremiah 1:9-10 [NKJV]
9 “Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.’”
Jeremiah 18:1-17
1 “The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:
2 ‘Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.’
3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.
4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. [Jeremiah 30:14]
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
6 ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?’ says the Lord. ‘Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!
7 The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it,
8 if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.
9 And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it,
10 if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.
11 Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.” ’ ”
12 And they said, ‘That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates of his evil heart.’
13 Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Ask now among the Gentiles, who has heard such things? The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.
14 Will a man leave the snow water of Lebanon, which comes from the rock of the field? Will the cold flowing waters be forsaken for strange waters?
15 Because My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to worthless idols. And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in pathways and not on a highway,
16 to make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and shake his head.
17 I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back and not the face in the day of their calamity.”
Isaiah 30:1-26
1 “‘Woe to the rebellious children,’ says the Lord, ‘who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin;
2 who walk to go down to Egypt, and have not asked My advice, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame, and trust in the shadow of Egypt shall be your humiliation.
4 For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.
5 They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them, or be help or benefit, but a shame and also a reproach.’
6 The burden against the beasts of the South.
Through a land of trouble and anguish,
From which came the lioness and lion,
The viper and fiery flying serpent,
They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys,
And their treasures on the humps of camels,
To a people who shall not profit;
7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose.
Therefore I have called her Rahab-Hem-Shebeth [Literally: Rahab sits idle].
8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and note it on a scroll, that it may be for time to come, forever and ever:
9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord;
10 who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
11 Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.’
12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: ‘Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perversity, and rely on them,
13 therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.
14 And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter’s vessel, which is broken in pieces; He shall not spare. So there shall not be found among its fragments [a piece of broken pottery] a shard to take fire from the hearth, or to take water from the cistern.’
15 For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.’ But you would not,
16 And you said, ‘No, for we will flee on horses’—therefore you shall flee! And, ‘We will ride on swift horses’—therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!
17 One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, at the threat of five you shall flee, till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain and as a banner on a hill.
18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.
19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.
20 And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers.
21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ’This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.
22 You will also defile the covering of your images of silver, and the ornament of your molded images of gold. You will throw them away as an unclean thing; you will say to them, ‘Get away!’
23 Then He will give the rain for your seed with which you sow the ground, and bread of the increase of the earth; it will be fat [rich] and plentiful. In that day your cattle will feed in large pastures.
24 Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground will eat cured fodder, which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan.
25 There will be on every high mountain and on every high hill rivers and streams of waters, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.
26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people and heals the stroke of their wound.”
Psalm 2:1-12
1 “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 ‘Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.’
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 ‘Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, [embrace discipline, receive instruction] lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”
Psalm 149:5-9
5 “Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand,
7 To execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples;
8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
9 To execute on them the written judgment—this honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!”
We continue the Lesson with the concept of the Rulership of God, Who uses a rod of iron to remove the wicked, and bless the righteous, just as it was prophesied.
Isaiah 8:5-10
5 “The Lord also spoke to me again, saying:
6 ‘Inasmuch as these people refused the waters of Shiloah that flow softly, and rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son;
7 now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them the waters of the [Euphrates] River, strong and mighty—the king of Assyria and all his glory; he will go [overflow] up over all his channels and go over all his banks.
8 He will pass through Judah, he will overflow and pass over, he will reach up to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel [God with us].
9 Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.
10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak the word, but it will not stand, for God is with us.”
Matthew 1:21-23
21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus [Literally: Savior], for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”
Revelation 12:5
“She bore a male Child Who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.”
Cross References:
Matthew 1:18
18 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:9
“Now when He has spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”
Revelation 19:15
“Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and with of Almighty God.
Revelation 22:12-13
12 “‘And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.’”
