Psalm 33:8-9 - April 4, 2009

Ps 33:8-9 "Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm." NIV

The glory of the prophetic word and the power of the word of God’s command, these things are tools for awakening divine awe! “Let all of earth fear; let all the people of the world revere him!” This is the fruit of God’s wisdom and way. In John 16:13-14 Jesus said “he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” Jesus trained his disciples in the understanding that it is God’s pleasure to bring glory to himself through the work of the Holy Spirit revealing those things that are to come in the individual, the church and the nation. As God announces the prophetic word to and through his servants it is intended to bring forth a spirit of holy fear and reverent wonder!
The context of this passage is specifically applied to the work of creation but its principle extends significantly farther. Throughout the Gospels and the book of Acts the power of prophetic proclamation is demonstrated with great authority as Jesus speaks time again to that which is yet to come with startling clarity. Again and again his declarations create a stunned silence in the hearts of his listeners as he tells them of personal, national and even global destiny. Jesus proclaimed his prophetic intention to make Peter and John into fishers of men, captured the heart of Nathaniel by speaking of that which he had seen in his life and foretelling that Nathaniel would witness habitual angelic ministry in the life of the Messiah. He prepared his disciples for the fact or Lazarus’ resurrection, the coming destiny of the temple, his own death and resurrection and the future outpouring of the Holy Spirit of the believers. In each case his listeners marveled at the words that were spoken and glory was given to God at the ultimate fulfillment of the prophetic words.
In contrast to the predictive dimension of the word of the Lord is the commanded declaration of God. From the beginnings of creation God has demonstrated the power and wonder of his spoken Word. He commanded and the worlds were created. In the same way his prophets spoke to nations and to created things releasing the work of God to bind and loose according to God’s design. Jesus himself demonstrated this in an even more manifest way throughout his entire span of earthly ministry as he spoke to bodies and commanded them to heal or live, spoke to bread and fish and it was multiplied, and to the fig tree and it was dried up. One of the greatest examples of the impact of the command of God in the Gospels was when Jesus spoke to the waves in the storm and they were stilled. Mk. 4:39-41 reports their reaction by saying simply, “They were terrified and asked themselves, ‘Who is this?’” The command of God is powerful and brings forth a reverent heart when it is spoken with authority and faith. Let the church arise and speak forth with the authority and faith of Jesus Christ and let the earth tremble at that Word!