Day 321: Enlisted, not conscripted – Psalm 110 vs 1 – 3

1 The Lord says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. ’ 2-3 The Lord will extend your mighty sceptre from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of your enemies!’ Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendour, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb. Psalm 110:1-3 New International Version.

There's a big difference in being ‘conscripted’ into an army – i.e. having no choice in the matter – and voluntarily enlisting because it's what you want to do. Many people do that when they see their country under threat from a strong enemy. Verse 1 of this Psalm is about God's promise to the Messiah to subdue all His enemies. Verses 2-3 then describe not only the growth of Messiah's Kingdom, but also the eager willingness of those who love and serve Him. Christians through the years didn't follow Jesus, and even lay down their lives for Him, because they had to, or because they expected some reward for their sacrifice. They served because they they so loved the One who laid down His life for them.

We see this dedication to the Lord from the very start. In Acts Chapter 4 the apostles Peter and John had healed a crippled man and were preaching how the Messiah had been raised from the dead. They were arrested, threatened, and then commanded to stop preaching about Jesus. But we read: “Peter and John replied, 'Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than Him?  We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.'” (Acts 4:19-20)

After being released they kept on preaching about the Messiah and more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to His growing number of followers, just like vs 2-3 of our Psalm promised. So the leaders arrested the apostles again and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail, brought them out , and said: “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!” So, early the next day, they entered the temple courts and began again to teach the people about Jesus. (Acts 5:12-21) This time they were brought before the authorities and flogged, and ordered to never again speak in the name of Jesus. What was their response? “The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: 'Jesus is the Messiah.'” (Acts 5:41-42)

This willingness to go through sufferings in their Saviour's name was not just true of the apostles, it was true of believers in general. Writing to Jews who had become followers of the Messiah the writer of the New Testament book called Hebrews said: “Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” (Hebrews 10:32-35)

The 'reward' he speaks of there was not virgins in exchange for being a martyr, or riches of gold and silver, but rather the presence of God and seeing the Saviour who died for them, and entering into the eternal realm God has prepared for those who love Him. In John 13:1 we read: “Just before the Passover Festival (when He would give His life for sinners) Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. And having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” And in John 15:12-14 Jesus said: “My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” Christians are not conscripted – they joyfully enlist to serve the one who loved them, and who gave His life for them. Does that describe your heart today?