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| The Lord is my Good Shepherd (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
Psalm 145:13
New International Version (NIV)
The Israelites wanted a king such as the kings they saw ruling other nations. Somehow they couldn't seem to grasp the notion that God should be their king. They wanted a man to lead them. The Israelites got the kings they wanted and the kings they deserved.
Repeatedly kings failed them and their kingdom fell into ruin. The Jews went in and out of captivity over the centuries and no earthly king could save them. Their kings were men who were susceptible to sin and weakness. The Israelites sealed their fate by rejecting God as their king.
When Jesus came to them he initially provided hope to the masses. He performed miracles and spoke wise words. Many looked to him as the mighty king they had been waiting for. Their expectations of what a king should be were not what Jesus was offering. The Jews were looking for kingdom, but it was not God's Kingdom that they wanted.
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
New International Version (NIV)
H Arlee, Very timely piece.
ReplyDeleteJesus 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.”
Yes, Thy Kingdom Come!!
Have a Blessed Weekend
~Phil
It is interesting of all the kings Israel had, how many of them really were so evil. I can totally see why they needed to go into exile in Babylon for those 70 years; over the fall I spent a lot of time in 1/2 Kings; 1/2 Chronicles, keeping track of how long this king and that king reigned over Israel and Judah and whether they were evil or not. It was fascinating to take the time to really stop and study that.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Jesus' kingdom is not of this world. I know his kingdom is far better than anything this world has to offer.
betty