1 Peter 5:6-7 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
The
letter 1 Peter was written by the apostle Simon Peter, from Rome in
the late A.D. 50s or possibly early 60s to Christians in Asia Minor
who were under severe persecution (Douglas, 2011, p.1111). Peter was
assuring those under persecution to conduct themselves in a righteous
manner and to focus on the reward they'll have from God in the next
life (Douglas, 2011, p.1111). 1 Peter chapter 5 is in relation to
how to conduct oneself while suffering (Douglas, 2011, p.1111). 1
Peter 5:1-4 is a message to the elders of the various churches in
Asia Minor. In verse 5 young people are addressed, and then it's
clear that all the Christians among the churches of Asia Minor are
being addressed. In 1 Peter 5:5 we learn that God gives grace to the
humble. Verses 6 and 7 are in reference to God giving grace to the
humble as at the beginning of verse 6 is the word “therefore”
which points back to verse 5. Christians in Asia Minor are told in
verse 5 to be humble toward one another. In verse 6, they are told
to be humble under the mighty hand of God. This is a teaching to
understand that God is in charge and is still sovereign even during
times of persecution. Peter instructs the persecuted Christians to
cast their anxiety, their fear and apprehension onto God. Peter
encourages them saying that God cares for them and will give them
their reward in due time. Grace is the mechanism within the idea of
remaining humble, and later being exalted. The primary teaching is
on humbleness in persecution, the sovereignty of God, and praying
over anxieties.
Christians
in the United States today are becoming increasingly disheartened and
discouraged with the evil and sin around them. But Christians ought
to remain humble and understand that God is sovereign in all things.
The persecution will grow in the United States, as the secular world
casts aside Christian truth in favor of pluralism and sin. God has
not fallen off the throne, he was sovereign yesterday, he remains
sovereign today, and will be sovereign for all days ahead. Consider
how the Christians dispersed throughout Asia Minor were persecuted
and killed during the earliest days of Christianity. Peter
instructed them to remain humble, and to remain aware under times of
trouble and growing persecution. They were losing heart too! They
were becoming discouraged, and as a result beginning to give up
because they had no redress. What redress do we have in this
country? Christianity is openly mocked in the public square. God
has no place in public schools. Christians are mocked in the
mainstream media, and called intolerant and hateful toward
homosexuals. In the scientific community Christianity is openly
scorned, and the idea of God raises choruses of laughter. I strongly
doubt anyone will hear our redresses on these concerns either.
Never-the-less, God remains sovereign. But God does not simply sit
back on his throne watching idly. God cares.
Let me tell you now, he truly cares. So when these mounting
concerns have you filled with anxiety, I want you to go to God in
prayer. Tell him about what you're upset with, and why you're upset,
and I want you to turn those anxieties over to our God. Because he
does care. He does listen. He can carry those things, when we
can't. We can be fully assured in prayer that God cares, and we can
release our anxieties knowing for certain that God is sovereign over
all that happens in our country. Our reward, our exaltation awaits
us in the next left, where we will have happiness, honor, and dignity
as the children of God himself!
Bibliography
Douglas, J. D., Merrill C.
Tenney, and MoiseÌﾁs
Silva. Zondervan
illustrated Bible dictionary.
[Rev. ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2011.
Rapids, Mich. The
strongest NASB exhaustive concordance.
NASB updated ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2004.
The Holy Bible: New American
Standard Bible.. New
York: American Bible Society, 1991.
