Let Earth Receive Her King

As many times as I've sung this line, "Let earth receive her King!" from the infamous song "Joy to the World" during Christmas seasons past, somehow it hit me differently this year. I had already been reflecting on the idea of kindness, and specifically God's kindness towards us, when the word "earth" jumped out of the lyric in a whole new way one Sunday morning. Being an American, and a proud one at that (nod to you, Lee Greenwood), I have found myself guilty of subconsciously believing that God somehow favors America. On the surface I know this isn't true, but, we are the land of the free and home of the brave after all! We have baseball, apple pie and free enterprise. We have opportunities and choices galore. Leisure and excess are our best friends, but the ones that we take for granted because we see them so often. How in the world are we NOT considered special in God's eyes with all of this at our disposal?! Enter that little line, "Let EARTH receive her King!" and, oh boy, something went awry in my mind.

"The earth and everything in it,

the world and its inhabitants,

belong to the Lord;

for he laid its foundation on the seas

and established it on the rivers."

Psalm 24:1-2

I began asking myself, "Is God less kind to the remote tribes in Africa because they don't have Amazon Prime and Cheesecake Factory?" "Is God less kind to those in Central and South America who live in cinder block huts and eat beans and rice for every meal?" Where in the world did these types of thoughts originate and where is the nearest place to bend my knee and repent?

For starters, lots of the reading that I have been doing during this election season has had me reflecting on what many refer to as "American values." However, as it turns out, 50% of our country believes our values to be one set of ideals while the other 50% believes them to be a completely different set. That's so interesting to me because now I have to square this with my thought process that tells me America is more blessed than other nations. Now I have to ask, "Are we though? Are we really?" Now I have to confront, and repent of, my tendency to think of Jesus as a conservative American Patriot who flies an American flag in His room in heaven and plays Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, Jr. on His stereo system. Sheesh. Is anyone else tracking with me here? I hope I'm not the only one.

It was the following verse that really got me stirred up to read and study more on God's kindness in the first place:

"Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?"

Romans 2:4

I had been thinking and praying about repentance, yes for myself as always, but also as a corporate activity by a broader group of people. Then, being right in the middle of Christmas time, it somehow hit me afresh that the birth of Jesus was the greatest act of kindness that the world has ever known because it was (and still is) meant to lead us, corporately, into the repentance that leads to everlasting life. Jesus, who was literally God Himself born in human form, was the very embodiment of God's immeasurable kindness not to America... to the EARTH.

I know this kindness so personally it feels like an old friend. Do I grow selfish and forget about this friend at times? Absolutely. Do I also forget that this friend doesn’t belong to me and should be openly shared with others? Unfortunately yes. Sometimes we feel a hammer is necessary when all it takes is a soft word. If the Maker of the Universe sees fit to be kind to me in all of my blunders as a means to draw me back to righteousness, the very least I can do is imitate this behavior towards my fellow man in the hopes of winning someone back for their own good and for His ultimate glory. It’s reminiscent of this:

“The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19:11-13‬ 

The Lord wasn’t in the great and powerful wind, the earthquake or the fire. He was the gentle whisper speaking calm, clear instructions to Elijah. Is that too much to ask of us as we speak to one another? "A disciple is not above his teacher" (see Luke 6:40).

With this kindness in mind...

"Let every heart prepare Him room."

How? How does God invite every heart to prepare room for Jesus? Well, I think we have to start back at the beginning and try to gain understanding of the way God described His very own character. I am no biblical scholar, but wow, am I ever thankful that there are so many others who are.

The Hebrew word hesed is described here as:

"Many biblical words such as mercy, compassion, love, grace, and faithfulness relate to the Hebrew word hesed (חֶסֶד), but none of these completely summarize the concept. Hesed is not merely an emotion or feeling but involves action on behalf of someone who is in need. Hesed describes a sense of love and loyalty that inspires merciful and compassionate behavior toward another person."

And here as:

"It is tempting to say hesed is the most important word in the Hebrew Scriptures. Hesed occurs nearly 250 times in the Hebrew Bible throughout all of the three major divisions. Although it appears so often, it is a challenge for translators to give it a single word or phrase. The word is practically inexpressible. Most commonly, the word is translated as mercy, love, loving-kindness, steadfast love, faithful love, or unfailing love."

And lastly, here as:

"In the Old Testament, hesed is a central theological term. It is a key attribute in the Lord’s self-description in Exodus 34:6–7, as well as an obligation that is placed on all of His people in Micah 6:8. Yet because there is no exact English equivalent, it has proved hard for Bible translators to render it accurately. In various versions, it appears as “kindness,” “faithfulness,” “mercy,” “goodness,” “loyalty,” and “steadfast love."

Importantly, the first place we see hesed being used is in the following revelation of God's character by God Himself to Moses:

"The Lord, the Lord,

a God merciful and gracious,

slow to anger,

and abounding in steadfast love [hesed] and faithfulness,

keeping steadfast love [hesed] for the thousandth generation…"

Exodus 34:6-7

Although, as we've seen, the English translation of the word hesed seems difficult to completely pin down, something of paramount importance is the understanding that the word goes well beyond describing God's character. It is God's character in action. Hesed has legs and feet. It moves about and breathes. It takes measures that go far beyond just words. It sends a baby boy into the world for the express purpose of taking away sin and gives every last one of us the opportunity of a lifetime in simply believing it to be true.

God is so kind. He is so merciful. He is so faithful. He is so good. And to show us, he orchestrated the first Christmas as the beginning of the end of sin's control over our lives. The whole earth was to receive a brand new King by the name of Jesus Christ and every single heart was to prepare room for Him to move in. Every heart that did/does will receive it's future inheritance as a child of the King and will live peacefully together for all eternity. There is literally nothing that will ever top this act of pure loving-kindness, this hesed, and it is meant to draw the inhabitants of the earth into a repentant relationship with God the Father. Won't you answer Him this year and finally make room in your heart for Jesus?

"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;

let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,

he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

and the peoples in his faithfulness."

Psalm 96:11-13

Let the heavens rejoice that we do not have to be tethered to our American citizenship because our real citizenship lies elsewhere. Let the EARTH be glad that God's kindness transcends national boundaries. I thank God for the freedoms and liberties found in this great country of ours, but in these days of uncertainty, I have found this wise counsel of John Piper to be a great comfort:

"Freedom and life are precious. We all want to live and be free to pursue happiness. But if our freedoms, and even our lives, are threatened or taken, the essence of our identity in Christ, the certainty of our everlasting joy with Christ, and the holiness and love for which we have been saved by Christ — none of these is lost with the loss of life and freedom.

Have you inadvertently created the mindset that the greatest issue in life is saving America and its earthly benefits? Or have you shown your people that the greatest issue is exalting Christ with or without America? Have you shown them that the people who do the most good for the greatest number for the longest time (including America!) are people who have the aroma of another world with another King?"

America isn't going to last forever, so thank God my hope isn't in America! This isn't meant to be haughty or contentious, this is meant to bring blessed assurance. This Christmas, let's live as those who have the aroma of another world with another King! This earth, let alone this country, is not our true homeland and because of the baby born that night in Bethlehem, God gave us the greatest act of hesed He could have ever given us. Let God's kindness guide you to repentance, repentance guide you into deeper fellowship with Him, and deeper fellowship guide you to "go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!"

Love to you and a very Merry Christmas!