Kingship

by T. Rylance | Category: Kingship | Jun 1963

The establishing of a king in Israel had a very humble beginning. The asses of Saul's father were lost. Saul, with a servant, was sent to search for them. He did not find the asses, but he found, shall we say, a kingdom. As a young man Saul seems to have been humble enough, yet he handled and valued lightly the things of God.

Samuel had much to do in the establishing of Saul as the first king of Israel. He was told by God that the people, in their desire for a king, had not rejected him (Samuel), but that it was God Himself whom they had rejected.

Few men have realized that they have held the office of kingship under God, as Nebuchadnezzar learned (Daniel 4.24, 25, 34-87). In the call of Saul to be king of the privileged nation of Israel, we read of three signs given to him by God, which should have had a voice to him (1 Samuel 10.2-9). They showed that he would be turned into another man, and that God was with him. As he turned from Samuel it is said that "God gave him another heart". Yet how miserably Saul failed in his responsible office! Instead of being a leader and a saviour of his people, he began his downward course by being disobedient to a command of God, and God forsook him. Much of his life was devoured by insane jealousy towards David. This resulted in much misery of spirit to Saul. He stooped to murder, to necromancy, and finally died by his own hand. His body and the bodies of his sons were fastened by the Philistines to the walls of Beth-shan. What an inglorious end for the first king of Israel!

We turn with relief to the time when God sent His only begotten Son into the world. "The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19. 10). The Lord, too, was to found a kingdom among those who believed in, and were obedient to, Him (Luke 22.29).

Pilate spoke of the Lord as the King of the Jews, and himself wrote the title over His thorn-crowned head on the Cross (John 19. 14-19).

It had been enjoined upon the people of Israel that, if ever they did choose to set a king over themselves, they should not choose a foreigner, but one from among their own brethren (Deuteronomy 17.15). Sad indeed was their choice outside Pilate's judgement hall (John 19. 15). They are still under Gentile dominion which they chose that day, without a king of their own.

Exalted though He is, and destined to be manifested as "King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6.15), yet we see in our Lord Jesus Christ that equally glorious subjection, that "when all things have been subjected unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subjected to Him that did subject all things unto Him, that God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) may be all in all" (1 Corinthians 15.28).

Kingship and Lordship converge in Him. "He must reign" (1 Corinthians 15.25).

"Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh,

0 mighty One,

Thy glory and Thy majesty.

And in Thy majesty ride on prosperously,

Because of truth and meekness and righteousness :

And Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things" (Psalm 45.8, 4).

T. Rylance | Jun 1963
Kingship