The Portrait of the Sovereign King
Notes
Transcript
Last time we talked about how out of God's many attributes that over-arching attribute, the one that governs all others is God's Holiness. This holiness has three main ways in which it is used;
Radiance and brilliance- the concept of "glory"/God's presence is often linked with radiance - note burning bush in Ex. 3:5; also Mt. Sinai in Ex. 19:16-23; God's presence in the temple - Ex. 40:34-38, II Chron. 7:1ff; the pillar of fire by day Ex. 14:24. See also Isa. 6:3; Lev. 10:3; Ex. 29:43.
Lessons: God's glory/radiance destroys and creates, is full of
mercy (Ex. 33:18) and punishment (Num. 14:10).
Separation- the idea is common to all occurrences of the word qadosh in the OT...separation from, separation to. Set apart for divine use or separated as/for deity. (see Ex. 19:3-6; Ex. 13:1-3)
Purity- ceremonial and also moral/ethical. (see Ez. 43:7-9)
Lessons: frequently found in the NT where holiness carries four meanings:
of things- to set aside for ritual purposes (Mt. 23:19)
of persons (I Pt. 1:15-16)
to treat with reverence (I Pt. 3:15)
to purify (Rom. 15:16; I Cor. 1:12; I Thess. 5:23)
The first passage in scripture we find that talks about the Holiness of God is found in Exodus 15:11
Exodus 15:11 (KJV)
11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
This song of Moses goes on to exclaim in verses 7 and 18 that "The LORD will reign for ever and ever." This holiness of God is shown in context of this reign or rule over his people in contrast to the rule of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. John shows us in Rev. 4:8 a very similar picture, where the Holy God is shown as King of All.
The thought of a Sovereign King speaks of royalty. "It is the language of kingship.
It describes God as the sovereign King over the universe in general and over people in particular as his subjects."
Allan Coppedge. Portraits of God: A Biblical Theology of Holiness (Kindle Locations 1488-1489). Kindle Edition.
We see the Father as: King over Israel. Israel at first was left without a monarch as God was to be the rule over it. He was the King.
Even when Israel made Saul king and used a wrong motive of wanting to be like other nations, there was still a distinction. The king of Israel was never to be an absolute sovereign. In 1 Samuel chapter 10 we find the prophet giving some very strict rules as to how the king and the people were to behave. They were all ultimately placed under the authority of God.
You can see this with King David and Bathseba - anywhere else the king would have taken any woman he wanted to be his queen, but David's kingdom was under the authority of another King.
I think this shows that kingship was really more theological than political, albeit plenty of political schemes took place, but if you look at the overall picture, Israel was granted a monarchy but it was all placed under the rule of God - the Sovereign Ruler.
The Character of the Sovering King - Isaiah's vision in chapter 6 shows us that when He really saw God high and lifted up, he really saw His holiness . I think along with Allan Coppedge that this is the key of Isaiah's vision, that as he put it, "when one, like the prophet, sees God as King and sees him as he really is, the overwhelming impact of his presence is tied to his holiness. God's role as King relates to what he does in ruling over Israel and the universe, but his holiness relates to what he is. The King's character and being are holy."
Allan Coppedge. Portraits of God: A Biblical Theology of Holiness (Kindle Locations 1539-1541). Kindle Edition.
It really is no surprise then when Isaiah refers to God as "the Holy One of Israel" The Psalms reiterate this profound truth over and over refering to the "Lord who sits enthroned on the Cheribum." or answering the question of what this "mighty King" is like, "Holy is He!" Phrases like, "The Lord our God is Holy!"
God himself in Isaiah 43:15 says, " I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, Your King"
The Scripture sometimes designates God's role as sovereign King with the term Lord or Master. In the Hebrew it is the words, "Adon, or Adoni" and it refers to God's kingship. Isaiah claimed, "I saw the Lord…" The Psalmist cries out, "Oh LORD our LORD how majestic is thy name in all the earth" and "The Lord reigns" le the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!... And, "The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth."
Isaiah is the one who makes the connection for us in Isiah 10:16-17 of the Holy One with The Lord..
It culiminates in a magnificent crescendo in Rev. 19 where the elders fall down crying, "The Lord our God the Almighty reigns."
Two words are used in the New Testament to discuss the Lordship of God translated, "Father or God the Father" the second word designates absolute ownership and uncontrolled power. John uses these in Rev. 6:10 when he says, "O Sovereign Lord, Holy and True."
Lord of Hosts - means the God of Israel's Armies - This has to do with both his holiness and his kingship. In Isaiah 6:5 he declares, "My eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" later in chapter 44 he talks about the "Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts." Malachi gives us an powerful declaration from God himself in Malachi 1:14 "…for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen."
God is like a warrior King - the word "hosts" means armies and can refer to a human army, the heavenly hosts of angelic beings, or even the celestial bodies like the stars the moon or sun.
Over all of these or commanding all of these hosts is God
He brings his people out of Egypt as his hosts (Ex. 6:26; 7:4; 12:17; 51) David decries Goliath as the one who "Defies the armies of the living God" (1 Sam. 17:26, 36) When he comes to fight him David understood ultimately it was God the warrior King who wins and cried during the confrontation, "I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied.," (1 Sam. 17:45) In Joshua 6:13-15 God sends his commander to lead the army of Israel
Joshua 5:13-15 (KJV) 13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 15 And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
Rev. 19:11-14 Jesus is seen as a warrior King who leads the armies of heaven on a white horse to smite his enemies. The Son
The idea that Jesus was going to be like a warrior King begin in the Old Testament with scriptures like
Zechariah 9:9-10 (KJV) 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. The very word Messiah - means "The Anointed One" carrying kingly connotations. - The use of the word "Messiah" or "Christ" is a continual reminder of Jesus' Kingship.
Matthew goes to great pains to show the Christ as the King
The question of the wise men, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?" The answer was from Micah 5:2 (KJV) 2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. In John's word he tells the story of when Nathanael comes to Jesus and he says, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel" John 1:49 Remember the triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The cry of the multitude - Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord By the end of the week he was being interrogated with the question, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He is mocked by the soldiers as a king He answer's Pilates question whether he is the King of the Jews John 18:36 (KJV) 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. The Terms Lord and "Head" also refer to Christ's authority and kingliness.
The Holy Spirit is also shown in scripture as authority and royalty. He is the seen as the Executive of the Godhead.
In an evangelistic view of this part of the Holiness of God, sin is seen as full head on rebellion against the Regime of Heaven.
Salvation is found in forgiveness and the joy it brings when one has come and repented to the King of Heaven's Armies..
Entire sanctification: Total consecration to will of God
Atonement: Governmental (justice)
Glorification King of Kings
Evangelistic
Question
:
Are you in rebellion
against God? Have
you done something
that you need
forgiveness for?
One day every knee will bow every tongue confess Jesus as King of kings and Lord of Lords.