This time I will praise the Lord
Faustino de Jesús Zamora Vargas
SUMMARY: The story of Jacob, son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, is one of transformation by the power of God. His name, meaning "deceiver", was changed to Israel after being blessed by God with an extraordinary offspring that became the 12 Tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah came David and, ultimately, the Messiah. Judah means "praise" and the prophecy declares that the seed of Judah would be praised until the true king arrived over all nations, which was Jesus Christ. Our praise should be directed towards Him, who overcame death on the cross. Our purpose as God's people is to glorify and exalt Him in all His majesty and lordship. We need to be lions and lionesses who fight outside the walls of our churches to tear down the walls of insufficient and plastic evangelism. Spiritual Judah, the adoration and praise that pleases the Lord, must be our daily motivation until we reach our heavenly Canaan, which is the rest and peace we long for.
The drama of Jacob, son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, the three patriarchs of the people of Israel, is synonymous with a life transformed by the power of God. His name, which meant "deceiver", "usurper", was changed from the Angel of the Lord to that of Israel, because in such condition he was later blessed by God who gave him, through his wives Lea and Raquel and the Concubines of both, an extraordinary offspring, of eternal dimensions. The sons of Jacob with those women originated in the 12 Tribes of Israel. Raquel was José's mother. Leah, the mother of Judah, her fourth child. The Word of God says: "Leah became pregnant again, and gave birth to a fourth child, whom she named Judah because she said:" This time I will praise the Lord. " The meaning of Judah is Praise.
As he said goodbye to his sons before he died, Jacob blessed them and prophesied about their future. To Judah he said: You, Judah, will be praised by your brothers; you will dominate your enemies, and your own brothers will bow down to you. My son Judah is like a lion cub that has fed on its prey. It lurks like a lion,… The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff of command from between his feet, until the true king arrives, who deserves the obedience of the peoples. Gen 49: 8-10 (NIV).
From the tribe of Judah came David and from the lineage of David, the Messiah, our Lord and Savior, the only one worthy of praise and adoration. Christ is our praise. The prophecy declares that the seed of Judah would be praised until the true king came over all the nations. The age of the Christ was being announced. Praise from then on would fill our voids, feed the life of the faithful believer, and the lion cub would lay on his feet every enemy who tried to take his eternal promises from the King's children. Are we praising the anointed one who overcame death on Calvary's cross? Who are we praising in our daily devotion?
Jesus gave us an example of true praise when he prayed, when he gave himself compassionate and pious to feed the lost sheep of his time and call them to salvation. His adoration of the Almighty had no limits until the very moment of surrendering his spirit into the hands of the heavenly Father. The cub became a Lion in a sacrificial death for humanity and today our praise to Him should be the inscrutable door to enjoy as Christians a redemption that was won "by the edge of the sword." The Lion became the Lamb of redemption. The Lamb will once again be a Lion to the praise of his people. Isn't it a sacrifice of praise that the Lord asks of his people? The purpose of God's people is to publish his praises (Isaiah 43:21), glorify him, exalt him in all his majesty and lordship. Our world needs men and women who are lions and lionesses who fight outside the walls of our churches to tear down the walls of a "Babylonian" evangelism, plastic, insufficient and devoid of a single drop of blood of the slain Lamb.
Spiritual Judah, that is, the adoration and praise that pleases the Lord must be daily motivation until we reach our heavenly Canaan, which is the rest and peace we long for, the definitive homeland at the end of our pilgrimage as strangers on this earth. That Judah is the true vine that will sweeten all bitterness and will cause authentic praise to flow from our lips, anointed by the Spirit of a Lord who never tires of showing us his infinite love. If on any occasion, you have not been moved by praise to surrender at the feet of this Lion crowned with glory on the throne of authority, raise your hands and shout out loud as Leah said: "This time I will praise the Lord" .
God bless you!
As he said goodbye to his sons before he died, Jacob blessed them and prophesied about their future. To Judah he said: You, Judah, will be praised by your brothers; you will dominate your enemies, and your own brothers will bow down to you. My son Judah is like a lion cub that has fed on its prey. It lurks like a lion,… The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff of command from between his feet, until the true king arrives, who deserves the obedience of the peoples. Gen 49: 8-10 (NIV).
From the tribe of Judah came David and from the lineage of David, the Messiah, our Lord and Savior, the only one worthy of praise and adoration. Christ is our praise. The prophecy declares that the seed of Judah would be praised until the true king came over all the nations. The age of the Christ was being announced. Praise from then on would fill our voids, feed the life of the faithful believer, and the lion cub would lay on his feet every enemy who tried to take his eternal promises from the King's children. Are we praising the anointed one who overcame death on Calvary's cross? Who are we praising in our daily devotion?
Jesus gave us an example of true praise when he prayed, when he gave himself compassionate and pious to feed the lost sheep of his time and call them to salvation. His adoration of the Almighty had no limits until the very moment of surrendering his spirit into the hands of the heavenly Father. The cub became a Lion in a sacrificial death for humanity and today our praise to Him should be the inscrutable door to enjoy as Christians a redemption that was won "by the edge of the sword." The Lion became the Lamb of redemption. The Lamb will once again be a Lion to the praise of his people. Isn't it a sacrifice of praise that the Lord asks of his people? The purpose of God's people is to publish his praises (Isaiah 43:21), glorify him, exalt him in all his majesty and lordship. Our world needs men and women who are lions and lionesses who fight outside the walls of our churches to tear down the walls of a "Babylonian" evangelism, plastic, insufficient and devoid of a single drop of blood of the slain Lamb.
Spiritual Judah, that is, the adoration and praise that pleases the Lord must be daily motivation until we reach our heavenly Canaan, which is the rest and peace we long for, the definitive homeland at the end of our pilgrimage as strangers on this earth. That Judah is the true vine that will sweeten all bitterness and will cause authentic praise to flow from our lips, anointed by the Spirit of a Lord who never tires of showing us his infinite love. If on any occasion, you have not been moved by praise to surrender at the feet of this Lion crowned with glory on the throne of authority, raise your hands and shout out loud as Leah said: "This time I will praise the Lord" .
God bless you!
