I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place.

 

Tuesday, December 19, 2023


Psalm 18

Isaiah 22:15-23:7

Revelation 20:1-10


I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place.


The promises of God which concern our common destiny is awe-inspiring. Even more so as we sit in this time of Advent when we turn our prayers towards the expectation of Christ’s second coming.


Jesus gave us some very explicit descriptions of what the future holds in His parables about the kingdom of God. The smallest seed has been planted, and will grow into the largest tree. David sings today’s Psalm as a victory song; God has delivered him from his enemies. Isaiah calls out a corrupt court official, and prophecies a message directly from God that the official will be replaced by someone who walks in God’s ways.


And in John’s vision we are shown the grand scope of human history from God’s perspective in a mere ten verses. The dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan has been bound and thrown into the pit, and the pit has been locked and sealed. Now is the time of the reign of Christ, and it will be a very long time – Revelation is filled with symbolism, and a thousand is representative of a very big number. Just before the end, the devil will be released so that the final battle can be over and done with and Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur forever and ever. But that battle will only be for a little while. For now, we work here on earth as the saints rule with Christ in heaven.


We do not have to worry about that final battle. And we also do not have to worry about the serpent, bound and locked in that pit. What we do need to concern ourselves with is the work ahead of us: the work of trusting in God’s promises, and doing our part in bringing about the fulfilment of them.


The peg fastened in its secure place cannot be moved. Carpentry, to those unfamiliar with the techniques involved, can seem like engineering magic. With nothing but a trained eye and a steady hand, various pieces of timber can be fashioned into pieces that would never hold together normally. No glue, no nails – just the right pieces put together the right way. And this is how God is placing the righteous official into his position in court. So too have we been placed in our positions: God has fashioned us with His mighty power to be the right soul in the right place. Perfectly placed by the Master, fastened like a peg in a secure place. Your place is secure, Christian. Our Master has perfectly placed us.



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