21A23.   Isaiah 22:19-23.    Because Shebna, the Hebrew king’s prime minister, advised the king to go against God’s will, God replaced him with Eliakim.  Eliakim was to be obeyed because God gave him the authority to speak for God in God’s place.  When Eliakim spoke or commanded, it was as if God himself were speaking or commanding.

Matthew 16:13-20.     Jesus “asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’” They gave various answers but Peter, under the influence of God the Father, said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus then chose that moment to commission to Peter the authority to be the head or pope of his church here on earth.  “’Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’ Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.”  I believe that Jesus only wanted those who were open to accepting that he was the Messiah to hear that he laid claim to being the Messiah.  Those worthy of knowing that he was the Messiah were those who were willing to have an ear open to what God had to say and so were candidates to know divine truth.  They are people of faith.

Romans 11:33-36.  “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!”  God is infinitely beyond anything we humans can think or do.  In his generous love for us he gives us much.  However, we must always understand that no matter how much he gives us there is so much more that is not ours to have.  What we do have is from our glorious God, is wondrously magnificent!