How would you answer the question, “Who is your king?” It is an interesting question, because thoughts of Kings and Kingdoms are no longer part of our vocabulary. The reality is that our answer to the question does reflect who the authority is in our lives. So, “Who is your king?”
I have been enjoying our study in our series on Biblical prophecy. We are currently working through the prophetic passages in the Bible book of Daniel. It was during my study in Daniel 8 that I came across a statement that prompted me to ask myself this question. I realized that while it may not be a question that we ask, it does need to be answered to truly understand who or what is driving our life decisions. The statement pointed out that God’s prophecy always focusses on a king and his kingdom. The description is synonymous with God’s Word. It is interesting is that I can only think of one situation, Pentecost, that appears to be related to a democratic structure of administration. What we find instead is the structure of king and kingdom and that applies to follower of Jesus, who is our King.
My thought migrated to the truth that someone or something is ruling us. It could be an external structure like government, it could be another person and many times it is self-governance. What stood out to me is that our particular loyalties determine our direction in life. Let me give you just two quick examples, one negative and one positive.
The first example reminds us of the dangers of placing ourselves on that throne. I need you to read what Paul has to say about the ruler of hearts in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1-9). It you stop to think about each description, it becomes apparent that the person in control is our self. All the attitudes, lovers of self, proud, arrogant, and others point to self rule of one’s life. The focus is on the kingdom of the here and now, this world. This challenging passage is a mirror for evaluating my own allegiance. The sad reality is that self-rule never fulfills the human heart. It instead leaves individuals crippled by the situations and circumstances of life.
The second example reminds me of the blessing of placing myself under the rule of my Creator. The writer of Hebrews, after reminding us of several great individuals of faith, states: “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13) We are reminded that Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Jacob gave their allegiance to the Lord and His Kingdom. It was this life focus that enabled them to really live life. They were looking forward to God’s city where the Lord Jesus Christ reigns. The focus is on the coming Kingdom, that awaits us in the future. The end result was these individuals were able to live with hope and courage by holding onto the unshakable promises of life each day.
So, I would ask you to consider, “Who is My King and Kingdom?” My studies in Daniel reminded me that God’s kingdom will replace all earthly kings and kingdoms. “And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’” (Daniel 7:27)
-Pastor Joe Parkinson