The communist party once ruled Russia. The Chicago Bulls once ruled the NBA. Columbia Pictures was once a top movie production studio. AOL was once a leader in home internet service provision. Times change. Things change. No doubt if you were put in a time capsule and transported to Christmas 2110 (100 years from now), the world would be a very different place. If history has taught us anything, it is that there is almost always transition at the top.
I was thinking about this today as I read and reflected upon God’s promise to King David in 2 Samuel 7:13b when He says of David’s offspring, “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” What an amazing promise of God. In a world where everything changes, God was promising a permanence to David’s throne.
Imagine if you were David and you received this promise. David was better acquainted with the transience of power than maybe any of his contemporaries. David had made a career out of destroying surrounding nations in Israel’s quest to claim the promised land. David himself sat on a throne that he did not inherit. Given the instability that David had witnessed, what a contrast God’s promise must have been!
If you were to go to Israel today, however, you would not find a monarchy. You would not find David’s throne with one of his descendants sitting on it. Is God then a liar? Absolutely not! The promised One who would sit on an Eternal Throne was David’s descendant Jesus of Nazareth. Born in Bethlehem, the city of David. Our Savior. Christ the Lord. The King of Kings who now sits at God’s right hand reigning from on high.
As I pondered this today in my office I wept as I listened to Handel’s famous “Hallelujah Chorus.” Read the words to this awesome song below:
“Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
For ever and ever, forever and ever,King of kings, and Lord of lords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
And Lord of lords,
And He shall reign,
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever,
And Lord of lords,Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!”
In today’s world, much of what we know is transient as well. Wouldn’t you love to know something that will not change? Jesus reign will never end. He is our Rock and we can cling to Him in an otherwise shifting world. What a great truth! One day He will return to this planet and actually physically sit on David’s throne and further usher in the revolution He started in the manger two millenia ago. Hallelujah!
Hallelujah, indeed! I’m tempted to think that Christ is reigning ‘in absentia,’ but He is certainly not absent from us. He is living in us through the Holy Spirit, and we have free access to the Father through Him. What a wonderful and precious relationship He has given us!!
many of you know, I am a huge fan of Udi’s gluten-free prtcduos. I wrote about them here and here. Udi’s prtcduosa0are found at many places around town such as; Central Market, People’s