The Reigning God

If one lives in the United Kingdom which claims to have a monarchy, yet is actually governed by Parliament and the Prime Minister, an opinion on the throne is rather ceremonial.

If one lives in Thailand, the King is loved and adored without question.

If one lives in the Arab states like Jordan, Saudi Arabia or Syria, then the King has much more authority and is generally feared.

In our government a President serves no longer than 8 years and his authority is held in check by the legislative and judicial branches. Even this power is subject to impeachment if certain conditions are met.

In biblical times, however, there was no understanding of what we mean today by “constitutional monarch.” If you are a king, you reign! That is what kings do. You have the authority. The fact of the matter is that God is often presented in Scripture as the king. Even the great king Nebuchadnezzar confessed:

Daniel 4:34–35 ESV:2016

34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

This is another way of saying that his sovereignty covers absolutely every domain.[i]

God’s intent spelled out before any of the plagues or the Exodus from Egypt was that

Exodus 6:7 ESV:2016

7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

During the time after Joshua led the conquest of the Land, God provided Judges from time to time to help the people figure out what it meant to be the people of God.

The downward spirals in the book of Judges are so appalling that in the last two or three chapters it is really difficult to read them in public because they are so grotesque and barbaric. As the book progresses, you begin to hear a sad, repeated refrain: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25). This is the way the book ends: bloody mayhem.[ii]

Judges 21:25 ESV:2016

25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Transition: The condition at the end of Judges is not sustainable, something needs to change! God’s desire is that the people would repent of their arrogance and submit to Him, but they cry...

Give Us a King!

The People’s Choice - Saul (1 Samuel)

1. The people want to be like the neighboring countries.

2. God offers Saul and the people are pleased because of his appearance and stature.

3. Quickly he becomes corrupt, paranoid, fearful and brutal as evidenced by his contempt for the priesthood and wrath towards David.

One of the most known Bible stories is recorded in 1 Sam 17 about a battle with a man named Goliath. Most people believe that this story is all about how to gain victory over obstacles in your life. But the point of the David & Goliath story is given in the last paragraph of 1 Sam 16 which begins with:

1 Samuel 16:14 ESV:2016

14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him.

Transition: Everything that happens in 1 Sam 17-31 is the story of a man who held the title, but had lost the power because He turned his back on God.

God’s Choice - David (2 Samuel)

· But God says, “Now let me show you, at least in principle, what a good king would be like. Here is a man after my own heart.” Initially David turns out to be a very good king and able administrator. He secures the frontier; he unites the tribes; moves his capital from the little town of Hebron to Jerusalem; and brings a measure of order, peace, and prosperity that causes modern Israelis to still call David their greatest king. (see 1 Samuel 16; 2 Samuel 1–5).

Palaces, Temples and Dynasties (2 Samuel 7)

· Verses 1-2 seem to be a reasonable conclusion for a blessed King who wants to honor the God who has given Him success.

2 Samuel 7:1–2 ESV:2016

1 Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”

· It is about 1000 B.C. and the Tabernacle that I described last week is about 400 years old. You can imagine the condition of a tent that has been taken down, moved and set back up for 400 years—even under the most meticulous conditions.

· David compares his cedar paneled palace and the tabernacle covered in skins and concludes, “we can do better than this!”

2 Sam 7:3-29

2 Samuel 7:3–29 ESV:2016

3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” 4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. 18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. 25 And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

A King Restrained (vv.1-11)

1. God alone determines the turning points of the Plot.

a. God chose Noah, He could have chosen anyone a generation earlier or later.

b. God chose Abraham, when he could have chosen anyone.

c. God chose Moses, but He could have chosen another.

d. God would not bow to David’s initiative. God would initiate with David’s son.

A Dynasty Established (vv.11-17)

1. God is more interested in people than buildings. When David says “I will build you a house” God says I will establish your household.” (v.11c)

a. God reminds David of who he was before God chose him—a shepherd boy.

2. David is aware that Saul started well but Saul’s son never saw the throne. (v.14)

Every parent is aware that doing everything right is no guarantee that our children will follow hard after God.

a. David knows that he is responsible for his own heart (and there will be good and bad choices made by David).

b. David will have good and bad sons, but God promises that at least 1 son will be preserved in each generation. Until 1 special descendent will be the point of blessing for all of humanity in all places at all times.

c. Every parent is aware that doing everything right is no guarantee that our children will follow hard after God.

d. Father/Son (v.14) is more than DNA. In the ancient world identity and trade were passed down via family, not college or trade school diplomas.

Most of us are familiar with the expression, “The nut doesn’t fall far from the family tree.” We all know examples of a child who doesn’t replicate the family values. The Bible even gives the parable of a loving Father with 2 sons who chose very different paths. But generally, in ancient times, a son would learn lifeskills and a trade from His father; and a daughter would learn skills from her mother. If your father was a fisherman, most likely your would also fish. If your father was a priest, you would work in the temple. If your father was a carpenter, you would work with wood and stone.

i. God is saying “I will be the example/mentor and he will be my apprentice.”

ii. Jesus says that peacemakers are sons of God in Matt 5:9

iii. Jesus says in John 8:23, “You are from below, I am from above.” Jesus is not talking about genetics, He is talking about replication and behavior. This is what God is referring to in 2 Sam 7:14 – I will be the example, and you will learn by imitating me.

3. Established forever (v.16)

a. Such a promise could be fulfilled in only two ways. One is for every generation to produce a new Davidic heir so that the throne is passed to the next heir and the next heir and the next heir and the next heir, world without end. That’s one way this promise could be fulfilled. The only other possible way is not even mentioned here. In theory, however, if you could eventually have an heir in the Davidic line who himself lives forever, the promise could be fulfilled that way.[iii]

b. This is what happens when Jesus is born on earth as a descendent of David.

c. This prophecy is restated some 250 years later in Isaiah 9 in a passage that appears on Christmas Cards and is the basis for a great part of Handel’s Messiah.

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV:2016

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

A Monarch is Humbled (vv.18-27)

The chapter starts with a king with great initiative and ends with a king in great humility.

Transition: This chapter speaks of promises to one King that will be fulfilled by a future King.

From King David to King Jesus

Decline

1. 2 generations after David, his grandsons Rehoboam and Jeroboam) divided the kingdom into the Northern tribes of Israel and the Southern tribes of Judah.

2. The Monarchy ended in Israel in 724 BC when the Assyrians conquered Samaria.

3. The Monarchy ceased to rule in Judah in 587 BC when Zedekiah surrendered to the Babylonians. About 150 years later Nehemiah and Ezra rebuild the walls and re-establish temple worship, but no king is enthroned.

Restoration (Matthew 1:1)

1. The very first verse of our New Testament reads:

Matthew 1:1 ESV:2016

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2. 3 views of Kingdom

a. God’s rule over man – Wheat and weeds are now growing together (MT 13:24ff.) and will be separated at a future time.

Matthew 13:24–25 ESV:2016

24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.

b. A subset of the now kingdom that is only seen by those who are “born again” (Jn 3:3).

John 3:3 ESV:2016

3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

c. A future reality for those who are born again where the weeds/goats have been purged and Jesus reigns from the Davidic throne. (Jer 23:5, Matt 25:31-34)

Jeremiah 23:5 ESV:2016

5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

Jesus himself prophesied a future kingdom.

Matthew 25:31–34 ESV:2016

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

How many of you are familiar with the Texas holiday of Juneteenth? President Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation which became official on January 1, 1863. But it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 when General Granger’s first order of business was to read to the people. “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”

For 2 ½ years the slaves had no idea that they were free, and they continued to live under slave conditions. Some would say that some measures of that inequality exist to this day some 150 years later.

Transition: Slaves were declared free but actual equality would require a lot of time and change.

Conclusion:

Similarly, we now declare Christ as our king and submit to his Lordship, but the full expression of that authority is yet to come. In a real sense He is King already, but not yet. But a day is coming!!

My friend, if you have not yet done so, I invite you to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Turn from the selfish, self-serving priorities of sin, and turn to Him in faith as your Lord and Savior.

Closing Song #105................. “He is Lord”

Benediction: Ephesians 6:23–24 (ESV:2016) — Peace be to [you], and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

[i] D. A. Carson, The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2010), 72.

[ii] Ibid., 73.

[iii] Ibid., 80.

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