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TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 8: ; MARK 11: 7-9; REV.4:9-11
No event has captured the airwaves, the internet and the narrative in various places of the world like the death of Queen Elizabeth II……HELLO /WELCOME…. For more than a week after the Queen’s death the news headlines were dominated by the ceremonial events that took place after the passing of England’s longest serving Monarch. There is perhaps no other individual in recent times that has received as much coverage. Added to the fact that the queen was very beloved by many, it remains that perhaps there is something in all of us that is triggered by royalty, and all the things that pertain to their lives. During the speaker’s childhood, the Bahamas was under British rule, and children in the Bahamas grew up singing ‘God save our gracious Queen.’ Because of this, many of us feel a special connection to the UK, and Queen Elizabeth II. The writer confesses that in one way he was disappointed to see the British Monarchy go away, when the Nation obtained it’s independence from Britain in 1973. He also confesses of becoming teary eyed while watching the various proceedings in the wake of the Queen’s death.
Perhaps what the world feels about Royalty today is similar in some ways to what the Israelites felt when they saw the nations next door to them celebrating their king more than 2,000 years ago. As God’s chosen people of that day observed or heard about the Royal ceremonies with all the pomp and pageantry, they might have experienced a tinge of jealousy. Before coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ we are very fleshly, and strongly motivated by the desires of all things fleshly. As we draw closer, and closer to the Savior the things of the flesh lose their significance, and subsequently their powers over us. It is also possible that we are so moved by Royalty, and events centered around them because we were made in the image and the likeness of Royalty. In fact our great God, who is our Father is the King of the entire universe. He is a most lovable, King who is honored and revered like no other has ever been or ever will be. Yet we have never seen Him, and can only imagine what it would be like to be in His presence, where there is fullness of joy. We were designed to worship our holy God and King, and to be in awe of His Royal presence. Perhaps there’s a spillover effect that causes us to be tempted to worship earthly royalty, and give to them that which belongs only to God Himself!
The prophet Zechariah had prophesied about Jesus Christ calling Him Israel’s King, saying, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your king is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey(Zech.9:9).” And yes He did come to them in this manner around 33 AD. Every year, on the day that the Christian Church recognizes as Palm Sunday, we pay tribute to Him in a special way, as we call to mind his Royal march through the city of Jerusalem.
About that event, which occurred at the beginning of the Jewish festival of Passover, scripture says, “Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches (palm branches if you will) from the trees, and spread them on the road. And those who went before Him, and those who followed after cried out saying: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest (Mark 11:7-9)!” Clearly there were many on that day who praised and celebrated Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of lords. They hailed Him as Royalty, they bowed down before Him, and they worshiped Him. It is interesting that this day also coincided with the day that the Jews were to select the lamb that would be sacrificed for Passover. Jesus Christ was indeed that lamb, that had come to save us!
Unfortunately, like the Jewish people of that day, most of us prefer an earthly King to rule over us rather than a Heavenly King. It was because of this misplaced allegiance, that the Israelites had asked Samuel to give them a king a thousand years before Christ was born. At this time Samuel was very old, and his sons whom he had made judges were evil and wicked. It was under this pretext that the people told him to, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel was greatly displeased and prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told the great prophet that he should listen to the request of the people, and put aside his hurt feelings. For the Lord told Samuel, ‘They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me. They do not want Me to rule over them.’ In the same way when we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone we ought not to take offense, or take personally their resistance to the gospel. Even when they are rude and nasty toward us. We are to be mindful that they are not rejecting us, they are rejecting the Father himself. They are rejecting Jesus Christ, and the precious Spirit of the Living God. These persons like the Israelites, prefer an earthly King to rule over them!
However, the Lord told Samuel to warn the people of the harsh manner in which their king would rule over them. Samuel did as the Lord instructed him telling them, that if they were ruled by a king, he would take their sons and appoint them to his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some would run before his chariots. He would appoint captains over his thousands, and over his fifties. He would cause some to plow his ground, and reap his harvest for him. Others he would use to make weapons of war, and equipment for his chariots. This king, the Lord warned, would take the very best of their fields, vineyards, olive groves and give them to his servants. He would take the finest of everything, the young men and even the donkeys, and put them to do his work. In addition he would take a tenth of all they earned for himself. The Lord then promised them that once their king had enslaved them, they would then cry out to Him. And the Lord told Samuel to warn them that on that day when they cry out to Him, He will not hear them, He will not listen to their cries.
Nevertheless, they insisted that they wanted a king, and the Lord told Samuel to give them one. The very first king anointed by Samuel was King Saul. Saul was arrogant, self-serving and delusional, he did everything to them that the Lord had warned them about. But his greatest mistake was his disobedience to God. His disregard for the word of God caused him to commit suicide, after being wounded in a battle against the Philistines. His descendants were stripped of the Kingdom, which the Lord then passed on to David, a man after God’s own heart.
It Is in the book of Revelation that we see the most striking imagery of our God as King. The writer, who was John the Apostle, had been taken up into heaven, where he saw with his own eyes a most magnificent scene! There he saw worship in its purest form, which prompted him to write the following, “Whenever the living creatures give Glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created (Rev.4:9-11).” What is most outstanding about this scene in heaven is that, 24 Kings, called elders sat on 24 thrones before the throne of the great God. And yet they were falling down before this King of all kings, throwing their golden crowns on the ground before Him! In addition, scripture says, ‘lightnings, thunderings, and voices proceeded from the throne. And seven lamps of fire, which are the seven Spirits of God were burning before His great throne.’
They were saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Yes, there has been a great deal of fuss about Queen Elizabeth, and her 70-year reign as Queen of England and the British Commonwealth. But there was no outcry in the Earth when Jesus Christ was crucified, when He arose from the dead no trumpets sounded, and even when He ascended into heaven there was no great applause on the Earth. However, He will soon return and the trumpets will sound at that time. Very shortly after that, He will take up his millennial reign as King of kings, and Lord of lords over every nation under heaven!
