God is the Eternally Enthroned

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One of the most challenging jobs I’ve ever had was the time I spent as a basketball referee. I know that sounds like an exaggeration because, for the most part, the actual mechanics of being a referee aren’t that difficult. But here’s what I ultimately learned in that line of work: being a fair and consistent judge is tough, even in a pretty straightforward game like basketball. Enforcing the rules moment by moment on people who intentionally or unintentionally choose to break them can be taxing, tiresome and a thankless job. 

Can you imagine how God must have felt as He called forth a good and glorifying creation, only for mankind to “break the rules” and initiate a cycle of sin and destruction? But God isn’t just a cosmic referee, blowing a whistle and doling out penalties or punishments. He’s the only enthroned King of eternity, established and wholly other. He’s not subjective in His judgment; He is objective in every aspect of His character. He is the law, the standard, the rule by which all creation must bend and bow.

In Genesis 3, the Serpent deceived Eve by asking the first question in all of Scripture: “Did God actually say?” Mere verses later, instead of rewriting the situation and starting over, God chooses to do something miraculous. He asks the second question, “Where are you?” In His righteousness, God established His throne for justice. The enemy would not get the final word. God would judge every sin and every deviation from His goodness through the eventuality of the Cross: the death of His Son and His resulting resurrection. Because of the second question, we can have confidence that He is a stronghold for us, a refuge for those who know His name and who put their trust in Him.