The King of Kings

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war” (Revelation 19:11 [NIV]).

We get to choose our king and where we place our allegiance.  We don’t, however, get to choose who will win when the kings finally go to war.

“His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God” (Revelation 19:12-13 [NIV]).

The Book of Revelation (the final book of the Bible) speaks of the battles that will take place at the end of this era.  At that time, the kings will line up against one another.  Only one, however, will be with God – it is His annointed one (the Christ).

“The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty” (Revelation 19:14-15 [NIV]).

God will work through His annointed one, the Messiah, to extract vengance, balance the scales of justice, and separate the sheep from the goats.  God will work through this chosen one to prepare people for their final spot for all eternity.  God will place this one on His throne as King.

“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16 [NIV]).

This King will be victorious over every other king in the world.  This Lord will be in charge of all other lords (leaders) in the world.  This chosen one will be the only remaining king.

“They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (Revelation 17:14 [NIV]).


So, how about you?  Do you allow the Lord of lords to be your Lord?  Do you allow the King of kings to be your King?  Are you His called, faithful, and chosen follower?

Choose Wisely

The people of Israel wanted a king.  Samuel took the request to God and the LORD told Samuel to warn them:  A king will take much away from them.

“But the people refused to listen to Samuel. ‘No!’ they said. ‘We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles’” (1 Samuel 8:19-20 [NIV]).

In the end, we get to choose our kings.  We decide to whom we give our allegiance.  We decide where we send our money.  We decide where we point our children.  We decide the focus of our time.  We decide who we will follow as king.

“When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD.  The LORD answered, ‘Listen to them and give them a king.’” (1 Samuel 8:21-22a [NIV]).

We get to choose our king, but we cannot control what the king demands.  When we choose money as our king, it demands greed that never obtains enough.  When we choose sex as our king, it seduces us with desires that are never completely quenched.  Power is no better as the leader is always subject to someone else.  The Israelites wanted a king.  So, God gave them a king.

“Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised” (Acts 13:21-23 [NIV]).

Saul led well for awhile, but then he broke down and focused his energy on chasing after his successor.  David was known as a man after God’s own heart, but he wasn’t thinking with his heart when he slept with another man’s wife, killed that man, and then took her for himself.  Solomon asked for wisdom and received it, but in using it he fulfilled all the worst predictions God announced to Israel through Samuel.  Israel wanted a king and the LORD gave them  a king.  Then, piece by piece, Israel gave away the best parts of themselves and their lives.  They didn’t choose wisely.


How about you?  Who is your king?  Have you chosen?  Are you thinking about choosing again?  Choose wisely.

We Serve a King

Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights" (1 Samuel 8:9 [NIV]).

The Israelites wanted a king just like all the other nations had.  It’s hard to fault them since, many times, we want a king, too.  We want someone to inspire us.  We want someone to protect us.  We want someone to make sure justice is served and everything stays fair.  We want a king to take care of us in ways we cannot take care of ourselves.

Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.” (1 Samuel 8:10-13 [NIV]).

The problem with a king, however, is that he will not just take care of, protect, and give.  Instead, a king will take from, enlist, and put to work.  A king demands allegiance.  That means he will take something from us.  That something might be a someone…like a son or a daughter.  We don’t just get a king.  We serve a king.

“He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves” (1 Samuel 8:14-17 [NIV]).

The Israelites learned this the hard way.  Their sons and daughters were pulled into service just as God warned them would happen.  The tenth of everything was not just a transfer of what they were already paying.  (Israelites already gave a tithe, which is 10% or a tenth, of their income to God.  They brought it to the tabernacle as an act of worship and to support God’s workers: the Levites.)  No, this did not transfer the money from God to the king.  It doubled the amount of money they would now pay.  A tithe would be brought to God and another tenth would be paid as a tax to the king.  Israel would learn that having a king came at a price.

“When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you in that day" (1 Samuel 8:18 [NIV]).


How about you?  Do you serve a king?  Do you serve more than one?  What does it cost you?

We Want a King

They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." (1 Samuel 8:5 NIV)

It may seem strage to us today to think about searching for God as a King.  Unless we live in England or another nation that has a king, we don’t even understand the concept.  In the United States, we live in a land ruled by a Democracy or Republic, depending on which part of the process draws our focus.  We don’t really think that we, like the Israelites, would want a King.

But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. (1 Samuel 8:6 NIV)

But, in reality, we have a lot in common with the Israelites of that day.  We look for someone to lead us – someone to inspire us.  We want someone who will pull the best out of us and drive us to be more than we are without leadership.  We seem to have a desire deep within us for this.  Even leaders seem to want a leader worth following.  We want a King.

And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. (1 Samuel 8:7-8 NIV)

The problem is that the God-given desire to follow a King can only be fulfilled by the One True King.  That open spot in our allegiance is reserved for God.  When we give it to anyone or anything else, the desire is not fulfilled.  We want a King, but we do not find Him.


So, how about you?  Do you desire a leader whom you can trust, who can inspire you to be your best you?  Do you look for a leader who has integrity, who you can count on, and who has your best interest in mind?  Do you want a King?

Searching for God in His Kingdom

When the Israelites were set free from Egypt, they were led by Moses who would go to the tent of meeting and speek with the LORD “face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11 [NIV]).  When Moses would say, “Hey, Let’s go this way,” they were not following Moses so much as they were following God.  That’s because Moses was walking together with God.

When they entered the Promised Land, Moses could not go with them.  Joshua, led the Israelites across the Jordan river into the land the LORD had promised their ancestor, Abraham.  When they followed him in, though, they were not really following Joshua.  He had a close relationship with the LORD as well, for “Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent” (Exodus 33:11 [NIV]). Joshua was also walking together with God.

After Joshua went home to be with the LORD, the Israelites went through a period of their history filled with ups and downs.  They would follow the LORD for awhile and things would go well for them.  Then, they would stray away and start following other gods.  They would start experiencing the consequences of their actions and then repent (turn around) from their sin.  The LORD, then, would send them a Judge to lead them once again in the ways of the LORD, bringing blessings once again to their lives.

Samuel was the last in this long line of Judges.  He was a Prophet of God who walked with the LORD. “But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have" (1 Samuel 8:3-5 [NIV]).

In thier lifetimes, Moses, Joshua, and the Judges were leaders.  The LORD was the King.  They were His subjects.  They were in His Kingdom.


How about you?  Who is your King?  Whom do you follow?  Do you see His Kingdom?