08/21/2020
“But then they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you hey have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.’” (1st Samuel8:6–7)
The idea of God’s divine kingship is deeply rooted in the Old Testament. The rule of God over Israel in a theocratic nation was the ideal, in historical crisis, the people rejected God’s ideal and demanded an earthly king. The event of establishing a king over Israel was a crucial one in terms of kingdom history. The Sinai covenant established God and no one else as king over Israel. Israel’s demand for a king was a clear rejection of that covenant condition. So serious was this development that God made a new covenant with Israel, expressed in the promise later to David that a king of his lineage would reign forever.
The two covenants were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is not only divine but also a descendant of David. No other person who has ever lived or ever will live can fulfill these two covenants and bring them together into one new covenant. In God’s providence the less than ideal monarchy functioned as the earthly expression of God’s rule over His people.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY:
Precious Abba, this lesson from the writer of Samuel reminds us that the people rejected not Samuel, but You. In your wisdom, You offered them what they wanted in David, and also provided for them through Jesus, in David’s lineage, to be the king over Your people forever. Let this lesson always remind us, that no matter how we decide what is best for us, that You are always there to love us, to support us, and to look out for us in any situation, for You know what is best for us, in spite of what we may ask for. Today, this we pray in Jesus’ precious Name. Amen
THOUGHT OF THE DAY:
“Jesus lives in the community; He only visits the church!”
KNOWING GOD:
“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” (Daniel2:44)
This reference to a kingdom of the God of heaven that will never be destroyed but endure forever prophesies the New Testament kingdom of God and its ultimate coming in fullness. In times of oppression or difficulty the idea of God’s rule of Israel took on futuristic dimensions. The reality of oppressive kingdoms over which evil men ruled was made more bearable with the hope of a coming kingdom in which God would rule. The ultimate hope lay in a coming kingdom that would be everlasting and triumphant, bringing an end to all earthly kingdoms. The realization of this, everlasting kingdom would involve a direct intervention of God to set it up. The triumph of His kingdom over he kingdoms of the world is assured. The rule of God which Christ made possible in the lives of individual believes will one day be manifest in a realm over which Christ reigns in righteousness. God’s covenant with Old Testament Israel was to be King over the nation, but Israel violated the covenant. Jesus brought the new covenant and announced the kingdom to be near (Matthew 4:17). At His second coming in glory the kingdom will be fully established, never to be destroyed.
I AM:
“See to it you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned hem on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken—-that is, created things—-so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’” (Hebrews12:25–29)
The judgment of God upon the present world order will be as a shaking of he heavens and the earth. The purpose is to reveal the durable or eternal things that cannot be shaken. Chief among these is the coming kingdom of God. It will be eternal. The thought of he coming kingdom should lead people to grateful, reverent worship.
Second Thought of the Day:
“This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.” (2nd Peter1:10–11)
The issue is false teachers and their destruction. What is commonly misunderstood, though I don’t know why, is that there was a multitude of prophets and teachers at this time and even up to today, that do a disservice to people by giving them supposition instead of the Word of God. They mislead what they either don’t know or for personal reasons, they want to steer people in a direction not found in the Word of God. This happens much more than anyone wants to admit, both then and now.
Undisciplined human nature is like an animal who seeks to satisfy every basic urge with neither thought no care for consequences. Such animal behavior is a sure sign a person is not a Christian. Sadly, such people pose as Christian teachers and lead others astray, promising freedom but leading to addiction and slavery to sin! It really is this important, beloved.
Daily Meditation by Rev. Jerry 