World Unyielding

The LORD was pleased, for His righteousness’ sake, to magnify His law and make it glorious.

Isaiah 42:21

If left to ourselves, none of us magnifies God’s law nor makes it glorious in any measure. Our habit to do the exact opposite is a living testimony to the rebellious, law-breaking nature of humanity. Since the Garden of Eden, humanity dived headfirst into sin and its consequences. What God declared to be good became twisted and fiercely defiant. Nobody born into this world was pleased to keep God’s law. Even religious people, who kept an outward appearance of order, inwardly harbored disorderly and sinful desires so that God’s righteousness’ sake was not first on their list. On the contrary, their own righteousness’ sake was a priority. So is the case today.

The LORD is a being who experiences pleasure. We, being image-bearers of God, have the capacity to experience pleasure too. What do you take pleasure in? Do you find pleasure in God and His perfect character, or do you opt for anything else? In looking elsewhere, a person makes a woeful decision. Though it may seem like an honorable endeavor in the eyes of others and may serve to grow your reputation, God, for His own righteousness’ sake, will expose you.

The word of God is a glorious thing, worthy of our delight and affection. Would the LORD be content for His word to be slighted and dishonored by our disobedience? No, He would send His own servant to vindicate His law through a life of obedience to Him. In this perfect servitude, honor is brought to His law. And where can we find such a faithful servant?

Behold Jesus, of whom the voice from heaven thunderously spoke, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’ What further testimony is needed? In Jesus Christ, God was well pleased, for His righteousness’ sake, to magnify His law and make it glorious. There was no better candidate for the task at hand. He not only magnified God’s law in conduct, but He is the fulfillment of all the prophetic utterances concerning the Messiah. In magnifying and promoting God’s law through word and action, Christ displayed its honor and made it glorious in an age of darkness. The very embodiment of the word of God, He readily displayed the will and character of God. Indeed, Christ is a light to the nations.

Ponder failure to see this momentous event: humanity made perfectly obedient to the law of the Creator in the person of Jesus Christ, the servant chosen by God, the perfect representative of the LORD to whom the four gospel accounts plainly bear witness. Unrestrained servitude to God is found in Christ alone, and His record of servitude to God in life and death upon the cross is enough to cover my record of servitude to sin. It takes but a look of faith, a glance at the promised Messiah, and He bestows favor upon unworthy persons who once spited Him and would not spare a look. God’s law magnified and made honorable in Christ, that even the blind may see. Praise His name!