Bulletin Insert: Our Returning King (July 4, 2021)

 

Our Returning King

(Pastor Terry L. Reese, Valley GBC, Armagh, PA; 7/4/2021)

 

I. The Old Testament Kingly Office: its nature & history.

A. The King, as a mediator, had the authority to reign over the Israelite Kingdom on God’s behalf, enforcing God’s Torah Laws.

 

His powers included executive, judicial, & military functions.

>But he was NOT the Supreme Legislator. He was bound to observe & obey the Law of Moses—not be a law unto himself!

 

B. The Monarchy’s unfolding history & Constitutional basis.

1. The origins of the Monarchy.

Israel was initially a direct Theocracy, with God employing Judges & Priests—but the people desired a King (1 Sam. 8).

Earlier, Gideon had refused the crown (Judges 8) and Abimelech had briefly instituted a Canaanite-style monarchy (Judges 9).

 

Their request not intrinsically bad; the sin was in…

1) …dissatisfaction with God’s method of rule;

2) …their desire to be like the nations. 

 

2. The Monarchy was anticipated by the Law: Deut. 17:14-20.

The standards for the King, who was not to imitate the heathen:

 

i. He had to be Israelite (Deut. 17:15), a son of the Covenant.

 

ii. He must not place his trust in a large military organization and multiply horses (Deut. 17:16; cf., Ps. 20:7).

 

iii. He was not to multiply wives (Deut. 17:17; cf., 1 Kings 11:3) who would tend to turn his heart away from the LORD.

 

iv. He was not to amass great personal wealth (Deut. 17:17).

This would lead to a divided allegiance (Luke 16:13, Matt. 6:21).

 

v. He was to transcribe a personal copy of the Law (17:18).

This would promote thoughtful mental interaction with God's Law and revealed will for the nation that the king was to rule.  

 

vi. He was to read this law throughout his lifetime. As king, he

MUST know & meditate upon God’s word (Deut. 17:19-20)!

 

In short, the King was to serve as the model Israelite.

·         His power was limited; he was to avoid arbitrary tyranny.

·         He was to be a Law-keeping Israelite.

·         He was not to walk as the “god-kings” of the nations.

 

4. The House of David of the Tribe of Judah.

a. God allows the people to have a king—but warns them of the perils of kingship (1 Sam. 8).

 

b. Saul, a Benjamite donkey driver (1 Sam. 9), becomes Israel’s first king. He begins well, but ultimately is rejected (1 Sam. 15).

 

c. God chooses a Judahite (Gen. 49:10) shepherd, David—a man after His own heart—as the next king (1 Sam. 16).

 

d. The Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7).

God’s unconditional Covenant with the House of David:

i. Eternal (2Sam. 7:16, 2Chron. 13:4-5); fulfilled in Messiah.

ii. Not uninterrupted, however; God would discipline the

House of David (2 Sam. 7:14-15) with foreign incursion, leaving the throne temporarily and outwardly unoccupied.    

 

e. The Chronicler’s handling of the reigns of David & Solomon

as Types: David foreshadows the role of Christ as mighty Conqueror (Rev. 19); Solomon serves as a Type of Christ, foreshadowing His glorious Millennial Reign (Rev. 20).

 

f. The Failure of the Monarchy & the Times of the Gentiles.

The last two Davidic Kings, Jeconiah & Zedekiah, end up miserably in a Babylonian dungeon. The Times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24; pictured in Dan. 2 & 7) commence—and will continue until the glorious Second Appearing of our Lord and the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 19-20).

 

II. CHRIST is King—the prophesized Messiah, legal heir to David, King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Matt. 2:2, 21:5, 27:11).

 

A. He offered Himself unto the Hebrew Nation as King at the Triumphal Entry (Zech. 9), but was rejected (John 1:11), not meeting their limited and inaccurate expectations (Matt. 23:37-39).

 

B. The Present Church Age is an interregnum; the Church is NOT Israel, as does not constitute the Messianic Kingdom.

 

>BUT…it is a time of preparation (Acts 1:6-8); today’s Christians will be the Dignitaries of the future Kingdom (Rev. 20:4).

 

C. But a literal Kingdom is coming; Jesus will claim His Throne!

A Grace Brethren distinctive: Dispensational Premillennialism.

 

a. There must be a 1,000 year Kingdom centered in Jerusalem (Rev. 20)

b. It follows the Great Tribulation & precedes the Eternal State (Rev. 21-22)

c. There will be a rebuilt Temple with a functioning Levitical Priesthood (Ezek. 40-48).