The King And His Kingdom

“And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.” - Acts 13:22-23

After the tyrannical reign of Great Britain, George Washington and others had the wisdom to organize the American nation under a democracy rather than a monarchy. Looking back, this decision is considered to be a key to America's rise to prominence.

While monarchies are very few in our world, we are tempted to think that the concept of a monarchy is old-fashioned, stale and fruitless. Of course, the key to a monarchy's success is the quality of king or queen that occupies the throne.

When Israel asked for a king, the request was met with opposition by its unofficial leader, Samuel. God reminded Samuel that their request was actually a rejection of deity. Israel's appeal for a king was a rejection of God Himself. Nevertheless, God permitted them to have a king. Their first king, Saul, started out with a great deal of success. However, as time went on, his reign turned into a disaster. Saul had rejected God and overstepped his authority. Saul ultimately rejected the word of the Lord through his disobedience. God finally rejected Saul and his reign.

In his place, the humble shepherd boy, David, was selected. David became the greatest king Israel would ever know. David was a difference maker. He was a valiant and victorious warrior. Under his leadership, Israel became a great nation. The impact of his reign is still respected by millions today.

Why was David such a great king?

1.  HIS HERITAGE

First of all, unlike his predecessor, David was from the tribe of Judah. God had already chosen the tribe of Judah to be the proper tribe for a king to come from. “The scepter shall not depart from Judah,” was the prophecy given by Jacob long before. You see, Saul was man's choice for king, but David was God's choice.

2.  HIS HUMIILITY

Next, David was noted to be “a man after God's own heart.” David had humility. He sought God. He worshiped God. He praised God. David was unashamed of his faith in the Lord. Often, He sought the Lord before going into battle. God was his delight.

3.  HIS HELP

David was a man of courage. He was the only Israelite that had the courage to stand before Goliath and win. But make no mistake about it. The victories that we attribute to David really should be credited to God. It was God who made David a mighty warrior. It was God who chose David as king. It was God that led him to victory after victory. To us, David seemed to be a great man, yet it was his God that truly was great.

David reigned as king. His kingdom was a successful kingdom. Yet his mighty reign was just a foreshadow of a King to come. Jesus Christ, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, came to earth to ransom fallen men. He was the One who was born, “King of the Jews.” Through faith in Christ, we enter His kingdom. Yet this King is coming again. One day, this King will establish an earthly kingdom. This kingdom is likened unto David's but will be far superior. Jesus Himself will reign as King of this kingdom. Unlike David's kingdom, our Lord's kingdom will be eternal.

Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” He told us, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” We should seek more than a conservative government.  Instead we are told to seek a kingdom to come. Jesus is the King of that kingdom.

At times, it seems this world is spiraling out of control. Yet we know that God is still in control. The King is coming soon! The old hymn summarizes it best:

The kingdom is coming, O tell ye the story,

God's banner exalted shall be!

The earth shall be full of His knowledge and glory,

As waters that cover the sea!