Dec. 9, 2014
by Bob Farrell
The Last Word
The Saviour Compassion Tour is underway - if you haven’t checked to see if we’re coming your way, please go to my page on FB and look at the tour schedule (last Sunday night in Tulsa was sold-out, as are the five shows this weekend in Akron - wow).
Now let’s get back to the Saviour story.
In our last episode of ‘The Story of God’s Passion For His People’ God delivered the people of Israel from the yoke of slavery under Pharaoh; and brought them into the Promised Land, fulfilling the promise he had made to their fathers; over the Jordan and into their own ‘land of milk and honey’, to live in fellowship with Him and at peace with their fellow-man - except that’s not how it played out.
Check out Samuel’s ‘farewell speech’ (I Sa 12), where he reminded the folks how God gave them Moses to lead their forefathers out of bondage, settled them into their new digs - and then they promptly ‘forgot the Lord their God’ and He ‘sold them into the hands of the Philistines’ - right back into slavery.
Ooo. Then, realizing their plight, the Israelites returned to form and ‘cried out to the Lord’: “We sinned - we worshipped Baal - we screwed up - we need deliverance - help us and we will serve you!” And God did. He raised up several prophet leaders - including Samuel. But the folks didn’t (serve Him, that is).
So that soon they were back in hot water with new enemies, only this time they begged God for something new: a king. “Put a king over us, then we’ll be like all the other nations - he’ll lead us and go out before us and fight our battles. Regrettably you, Samuel, are too old and your wayward sons aren’t qualified - so make it a good one - just not you.”
So Samuel took their request to God and He granted it: “Give them what they’re asking for - and don’t take it too hard, Sam - it’s Me they’re rejecting, not you - but warn them exactly what having a king means.” Which Samuel did, telling the folks: “A king will have you and your sons filling up his army - making weapons of war - farming his fields - he will make cooks, bakers, and concubines of your daughters - will confiscate your best fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his cronies - will steal your servants, cattle, and donkeys. You will be his slaves. And when that day comes you will cry out to the king you have chosen - and the Lord will not answer your cry for help in that day.”
But the folks insisted and Samuel annointed and crowned Saul, the first King of all Israel. And the rest is history - of the kings of the earth.
The kings of the earth and the kingdoms built by man
Rise up in their glory then go back to dust again
The kings of the earth who rule with might and power
Will bend their knee to God when time concludes
its final hour, that day will come
The kings of the earth and their power to rule the land
Was founded by the Lord in His covenant with man
But the kings of the earth would make their own decree
They set themselves above their God and His authority
They mock their God
Their empires feed upon the souls of men
And the lust for power becomes their sacrament
They rail the people with their cries of peace
But there is no peace
The sordid history of man - of despots, dictators, mass-murderers - of good kings/bad kings - some evil/ some beneficent (at times), but also capable of letting their crown slip and ruling wickedly (at times). For the seed of rebellion lurks in the heart every man - and every king - to mock God.
But there is hope for God’s children.
But there is hope for God’s children.
Take heart, ye children of the Promise
For God will not be mocked
For the Lord will repay, and His Kingdom remains
Blessed are His children - Blessed are His covenants
Blessed is His Kingdom and blessed is the name of the Lord
In power - In glory His Kingdom will come
Blessed the name of the Lord
His Promise is now and forever and ever Amen
Daniel the prophet tells us: ‘God sets up kings and deposes them’. Proverbs says: ‘the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord - He directs it like a river wherever He pleases’. The Psalmist proclaims: ‘the kings of the earth take their stand against the Lord, but they belong to God. He will crush kings on the day of His wrath - all kings will bow down to him’.
And Jesus told Governor Pilate: “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.”
The headline here? Rest assured that God will not be mocked. He is the sovereign Lord of the Universe and ultimately all the kings of the earth answer to Him - and to Him who sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
They will have the last word.
(Music and Lyrics from “The Kings of the Earth” from Saviour, by Bob Farrell and Greg Nelson, circa 1994)
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