Lesson in Proverbs - Jesus, The Ruling King

 

Jesus, The Ruling King

Proverbs 14:28-35

The kingdom of God right now is a celestial kingdom, but one day there will be a terrestrial kingdom where Jesus will reign from Jerusalem on Mount Zion during the millennium. And as Solomon was correct, a kingdom without people in it is not very glorious. Solomon had the largest land area in Israel history of all the kings and judges of Israel, and it was to God’s glory that this kingdom grew. But God, who knew the arrival of the Christ-child reign would be cut short for a time on earth, and all the universe will be ruled by Jesus, the risen King of kings and Lord of lords.

I would like again to apply the proverbs to the reality around the birth of Jesus and his adulthood. So let’s read the first portion of the text. “A growing population is a king’s glory; a prince without subjects has nothing. People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness. A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors him.”

Under the Solomonic’s united kingdom the population may have been 400 thousand at its peak. During the Herod-Roman occupation of Israel, Israel’s population hadn’t diminished but grown to nearly 900 thousand. Both kingships understood the need for the population to rise as the needs of modernization increased, and the increase of funds through taxation. This is an earthly and worldly look at glory through the eyes and heart of mankind. But with the temple in Jerusalem as the centerpiece of Glory in Israel, Solomon took great honor in building the first temple and its glory was God. As the restoration of Israel, Jerusalem, and the 2nd temple by Ezra and Nehemiah continued after the captivity of Israel to Babylon, the population of Israel grew, even with the occupations by the Medes and the Persians, the Greeks, then the Romans. Herod the Great, the Idumean implanted by the Roman government to be king, took great pride in his architectural designs and additions to the temple and its surrounding. Even the disciples of Jesus were impressed with its magnificence. Thus, “A growing population is a king’s glory; a prince without subjects has nothing.”

But during Jesus’ time, he came as the newborn King of the Jews. (Matt. 2:2) and as He grew up, he didn’t consider His royal lineage as something to hold over people as Herod and other kings, He realized and understood that His kingdom was not of this world yet. “Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’” (John 18:36 NIV) Jesus also understood the need for a growing population in His Kingdom, but as a spiritual kingdom and a spiritual population whose citizenship was spiritual. “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (Jn. 3:3)

Next, king Herod and the Roman Caesars and their government officials used their anger as a means of control over the people, and their tempers flared often and resulted in revolts and wars with their subjects and citizens. Time unmasks the foolishness and the blatant sin of this type of rule and the rampages and indignation towards the people. 

Jealousy was another driving factor in the house of king Herod, it was said by Emperor Augustus "It's better to be Herod's pig than his son," because he had killed his own sons in order to keep the kingship to himself. “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.” Thus the attack on the children in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus demonstrated the depravity of Herod’s anger. It was ironic that Solomon’s proverb spoke of a cancerous type of illness, For Josephus detailed Herod's suffering in death, as including painful intestinal issues, fever, edema (swelling), and genital gangrene. Again, God deals with sin and anger in His own way.

Third, peace of heart, amongst the people of Israel, the religious leadership of Israel, and the Roman cohortes and rulers, peace of heart was a foreign emotion to them. Peace of Heart and soul was why God sent his Son, the new king, the prince of peace to bring an everlasting peace to all mankind. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Luke 2:14; Isa. 9:6 NKJV)

And as David penned in the Psalms, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you ""For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” (Ps. 122:6,8 NKJV)

Last, the Israelites understood oppression for centuries. And God’s eyes were on His people, for throughout the Judges and the prophets God spoke of his vengeance against those who oppressed His chosen people, for He was their Maker, Savior, and God. “Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors him.” And all who helped the poor and assisted during the trek of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. They were honoring God as well.

Application - In a world today fixated on dominance by strength, we are seeing the need for a growing population that heeds the same values as its ruler. So the proverb stands true even today. But the interesting fact is that there has been a global directive from the oligarchs in the world to downsize the world’s population in order to control it. Again the glory was focused on man-kind not God. But in the near future, Jesus will again come back and His reign will be worldwide, and the city of Jerusalem will be the epicenter for all governance. Indeed, Jesus will receive the glory and the population of the world will grow during His millennial reign as King of kings. 

We will see His righteous rule as Isaiah wrote, “Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” “Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” ( Isa. 9:6; Ps. 2:8-11 NKJV)

The anger of selfish jealous and anger-driven rulers will no longer be tolerated for Jesus will rule in righteousness and all the glory will go to the Father, Jesus will reign in controlled righteousness and justice will be worldwide. “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.” (Isa. 32:1 NKJV)

It will be a godly reign where there will not be oppression or insult to anyone. "The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You, Lord, hear the cry of the afflicted; you strengthen their hearts, and your ear is ever open. You defend the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that mankind, the mortals from the earth, may terrify them no more." (Psalms 10:16-18 NIV)

Finally, Solomon refers to God as our refuge in life and death. So let’s read the final portion of the text. “The wicked are crushed by disaster, but the godly have a refuge when they die. Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart; wisdom is not found among fools. Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people. A king rejoices in wise servants but is angry with those who disgrace him.”

David had spoken of God’s presence and His power as the refuge of those who trust in Him. For there were and will always be trials, temptations, and tribulations in life, and for the godly they were secure, protected, and strengthened by God, whereas the wicked bore the blunt of the trials, temptations, and tribulations in whatever means they could find, which usually meant crushing disaster as Herod and the other wicked leaders experienced. For even in the godly’s death, God is their provision of a place of peace and security. Solomon stated in Ecclesiastes, wisdom is learned through sorrow. “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.” (Ecc.1:18 NIV) Wisdom for Joseph and Mary came at the intervention of God in their lives. They both believed, humbled themselves, and listened and obeyed His directions, and as we know there were trials and testing, and it was God’s presence and His provision that gave them refuge in these climatic times. They enshrined wisdom in their lives as each day brought a new test.

Last, the kingdom of Herod the Great and the Roman Empire looked to greatness through their strength and physical abilities at almost any cost, but God says that greatness comes through humility, wisdom, and understanding, and yielding and submission in servanthood to God. Solomon understood at the beginning that these characteristics and attributes were needed to reign as king in Israel, but later lapsed in the flesh. But Herod and the Caesars embraced sin and in many ways, it brought disgrace to their reigns and to their kingdoms.  

Jesus saw first hand the impact of sin upon a person, as he sought out the lost, the outsider, the outcast and pariah of societies and communities. Whereas the wicked see the lost, outcast, outsider, and pariah as burden and blemish, God saw His creation as His abused, scattered, and harassed sheep. God saw His children, the world saw deplorables who only brought disgrace to them and made them angrier.

Application - God is still our refuge in times of testing, trials, and tribulations. Whether from the hands of men, from the physical elements of the world, or through the wiles and schemes of Satan. God will always be our refuge in times of trouble. “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.” “ The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness, you restore him to full health." "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him"(Psalms 46:1-2;Ps. 41:3; Nahum 1:7 NLT)

Many will not realize the wisdom from God through the sorrow or trials, but God is there, he promised he would never leave us not forsake us. Just like Joseph and Mary, and the Christ-child, they experienced the grief, sorrows, and trials of life. They learned to ponder the acts of God and His promises to His chosen ones. In wisdom they learned to live in humility, listened to the messages from messengers of God, the Word of God, and obeyed God’s words to them and in this came wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of their God, Lord, and Savior.

Whereas, the foolish wicked faced crushing disasters and untimely deaths, for they forsook the Lord God and thus His wisdom, understanding, and guidance. They embraced the sin of selfishness, self-centeredness, and pride and arrogance. Their hubris would be their disgrace. In the end they knew not God, nor His Son, the Christ-child and coming King of kings and Lord of lords.

In conclusion, I pray that in the coming year, we will see the proverbs as a reflection of our reality today. God’s Word is alive and as Paul stated, “...the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim.3:15b-17 NIV)

As always, I want to conclude by presenting the gospel in the form of the basic principles of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ. For Jesus, God the Son, came into this world to save all who believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you; he is the light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and has given him all authority in heaven and on earth. He will answer you if you truly believe. If you haven't yet asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

First, A: Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a just God, and a change of heart takes place: we change our minds, and God changes our hearts and regenerates us inside and out. Romans 3:10: As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners, so we must be born spiritually to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.) Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death; in other words, our sin means we have been sentenced to death; we have the death penalty hanging over our heads; that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast. Secondly,

B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised him from the dead. This is trusting with all your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is righteous, and with the mouth confession is made and is saved. Third,

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every person who sees lThose who have lived since Adam will kneel andthey confessed with hismouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, Lord of lords, and King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: “As I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess to God.” Don’t wait, do it now. Romans 10:13 - For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” “O God, I am a sinner. I repent of my sin. I want to turn away from it. I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son; I believe that he died on the cross for my sins, that he was buried, and that you raised him from the dead. I have decided to put my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting in his shed blood alone as sufficient to save my soul and take me to heaven. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.”

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows we and they need it.

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Until next week, In Your Service Mike Davis

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