In
her lesson on Tuesday, Janet opened with the words from Psalm 68:24 (NASB), “They have seen Thy procession, O God, The
procession of my God, my King into the sanctuary”. She explained that this
psalm reviews the works of God on behalf of His people and an anticipation of
the final victory of God over His enemies. Janet also pointed us to Psalm 5:1-3.
It says in verse 2, “Hear my cry for
help, my King and my God, for to you I pray”. She taught that this psalm is a prayer for
protection and guidance made to Jehovah
Melek.
Janet
asked us the question, ‘who is truly reigning on the throne of our hearts?’. It
should be the King of Kings, she stressed, not ourselves. Our perception of God
as King needs to go beyond an intellectual acknowledgement to the place where
we are experiencing God as King in our lives. As we pray to our King, we bow in
reverence. We approach Him with humility. Janet reminded us that we need to
make a conscious and deliberate action to turn from the pain in our lives and
look to the King.
In
the homework this week we learned about three aspects of God’s position as King.
We focused on His sovereignty, His statesmanship and His stewardship. (Please
note that in the Bible verses you will read, although they may not call God
‘King’, in the context of the verses the LORD is being described as King.)
The King is Sovereign
“…he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord
of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom
no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion.” (1
Timothy 6:15-16,ESV).
Some of the words I
found that describe sovereign are: a ruler having supreme rank, power, or authority: greatest in degree; utmost
or extreme; being above all others in character, importance,
or excellence. God is the ONLY Sovereign!
Let’s look at some of the things over which the King is sovereign:
Creation
& Nature:
“For in him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers
or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”
Col. 1:16
Earthly
Rule: “The king's heart
is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse
wherever he pleases.” (Proverbs
21:1)
There
is nothing created in heaven or earth, nothing visible or invisible, nor any
power, over which the King is not
sovereign. I don’t think any of us struggle with unbelief in this area. But
let’s make it a little more personal…
Circumstances
in the life of a believer: “In
him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him
who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order
that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise
of his glory.” (Eph. 1:11-12)
There
is so much in our lives that is uncertain. If we are not dealing with a
situation now, chances are we will be very soon. Every time we face uncertainty
it is an opportunity to trust our Sovereign King. As we trust Him, one step at
a time and one circumstance at a time, we build a walk of faith. He is the One
with the plan and He will work it out to the conformity of His will and in the
end, He will be glorified.
The
King is a Statesman
Not
only is Jehovah Melek a sovereign
king, but He is also a statesman. As it is in our government, in God’s kingdom laws
are made, obedience to these rules are judged, and justice is carried out. It
says in Isaiah 33:22. “For the LORD is
our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will
save us”. This verse tells us that the Lord
is our King but it also tells us that He is our judge and our lawgiver.
The
King as lawgiver:
“You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke
to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and
right, and decrees and commands that are good.” (Nehemiah 9:13)
This
year we have learned that obedience is very important to God. God’s laws are
just, right and good. God has given us His laws because they are good for us, not to burden us. When
the Israelites walked in disobedience they hurt themselves and others. When
they obeyed, not only were they blessed but, more importantly, there was peace
in their relationship with God. Many of us struggle with the idea of how we can
really love God in our relationship with Him, not just with feeling, but in
actions.
The
King as judge:
“The LORD reigns forever; he has established
his throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness and judges the
peoples with equity.” (Psalm 9:7-8)
The King is a Steward of
His People
All
kings have subjects over which they rule. It says in Psalm 100:3, “Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made
us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture”. Psalm 145
opens with David exalting his King. He praises our God, the King, for who He
is, His splendor and majesty, and all His mighty works. Not only does David
praise the King, but he tells us much about the King’s stewardship of His
people.
Psalm
145:9 “The LORD is good to all; He has
compassion on all He has made.”
Psalm
145:14 “The LORD upholds all who fall and
lifts up all who are bowed down.”
Psalm
145:16 “You open Your hand and satisfy
the desires of every living thing.”
Psalm
145:20a “The LORD watches over all who
love Him.”
Jehovak Melek is our Lord and our King. Earthly rulers will
come and go. Kingdoms will rise and fall. Our God and His kingdom are everlasting.
He is the King of Kings. No one comes close to comparing to Him, not in power,
not in authority, and not in love. He is the King who rules in every sense of
the word.
We
learned about the King’s sovereignty and rule. These aspects of who He is inspire
godly fear and reverence. But when we look at the stewardship of His people, we
see the evidence of His tender care.
"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted
as head over all.”
(1 Chronicles 29:11)
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