EPH 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

>>The rebellion of man in the garden of Eden brought the wrath of God upon mankind, but the Father was so pleased that Christ "...humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." PHI 2:8.

>>It was through the obedience of Christ that the wrath of God was appeased and perfect obedience was again restored in our human nature and brought reconciliation between God and man.

>>The Father was so glorified by the perfect submission of Christ that as His reward the Father has now glorified His Son, "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church," EPH 1:22.

>>This great reward of honor which the Father Has given His Son now behooves His church to express their love to the Son by rendering obedience unto the Son, even as the Son rendered to the Father in dying for His church.

JOH 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

>>All authority has been given unto the Son for such submission unto His Fathers command to lay down His life and take it again.

PHI 2:9-12 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

>>Even as the Father was glorified by the submission and obedience of His Son, so the Son is glorified by the His church's conformity to His image.

MAT 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

>>Hearing and doing His sayings are building upon His example as our foundation, i.e., becoming conformed unto His image of submission and obedience.

>>Our text tells us that the object of this authority is "all things" are put under His feet. He rules from sea to sea.

JOH 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

>>As the ruler of "all things" He can say with authority, "...that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose," ROM 8:28.

>>"The world was made by him," JOH 1:10, and He rules and orders the Kingdom of providence by supporting, permitting, restraining, limiting, protecting, punishing and rewarding those over whom He reigns through providence.

JOH 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

COL 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

>>The Son is greatly honoured and glorified by the whole world and all creatures owing there very being and preservation to Him.

ISA 49:8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

>>The Son permits and suffers the worst of creatures to be, and act as they do for His glory.

ROM 9:17-18 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

JOB 12:16 With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

Even those who fight against Christ and His church receive their permission from Him.

JUD 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

>>Even though Christ is our Rock and His work is perfect, they have corrupted themselves.

DEU 32:4-5 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.

>>This King of Providence allows the wrath of man to accomplish His purposes, but they cannot accomplish all their wrath.

PSA 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

>>We see a good example of this with Laban in GEN 31:24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

>>The Lord also uses His restraining grace in the way of His providence to protect His own.

2KI 19:7-8 Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

>>Our Lovely Saviour also limits all the actions of the enemies of His church, and assigns them their boundaries which they cannot pass over.

REV 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Their enemies would have them cast into their graves, but our text says that our Heavenly Father "...hath put all things under [CHRIST'S] feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church."

>>This "tribulation of ten days," tell us that all appointments of time are in His hand.

>>Four hundred and thirty years were pre-determined upon His people that they might grow and multiply in Egypt, but in that very night God brought them forth.

ACT 7:17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

>>The Lord Jesus remembers His dear children amidst a world of enemies.

>>It was Christ that appeared to Moses in the midst of His Church which was typified by the burning bush, and preserved it from being consumed.

EXO 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

>>Our Saviour's protecting care is illustrated so beautifully in ISA 31:5 As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

>>As these birds fly toward their nests when their young cry for them out of danger, so is Christ's church so tenderly cared for and preserved in Christ.

JUD 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

>>Christ's church are preserved in Christ as Noah was "shut in," GEN 7:16, and preserved in the ark.

>>To this preservation which we have in Christ we owe all our salvation, which includes every safety and comfort of this life, PSA 57:4-6 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

>>How is it that such deliverance from evil men is designed?

PSA 58:6-7 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

>>Some He deprives of the instruments with which they work--some He cuts off and destroys--the attention of some are diverted to other objects--and often He causes them to destroy each other.

2CH 20:17, & 23-24 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

>>Christ is greatly glorified by being the salvation for His people in the way of providence.

PSA 104:24-31 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.

27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.

28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

31 The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.

>>Christ uses His providence to punish His enemies as with Sennacherib and Pharaoh as He rules in their midst.

PSA 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

>>Christ also rewards those who serve Him an hundred fold in this life.

MAT 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

>>Christ administers His kingdom by using both men and angels as His instruments.

HEB 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

>>Christ uses men, yes even wicked men as His servants in providence. They fulfill God's purposes while they accomplish God's designs.

>>The King of providence is supreme ruler and sovereign.

PSA 135:6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

REV 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

>>The greatest monarchs only rule by Christ's appointment, and under His restraint.

PRO 8:15-16 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

>>The providence of God is designed for the good of His saints.

1TI 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

>>If so, then we are indebted to Christ for our lives, liberty, comforts, and all that we enjoy in this life.

PRO 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

>>As we learn to see the goodness of God, we learn to see His glory in our salvation.

EXO 33:17-23 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.