The King’s Sceptre
Introduction: God is the sovereign of all of creation, and to be a loyal subject under his rule is more desirable than any other position for man. Christ our Lord, through his death in the place of all his subjects, has deposed the ruler of darkness; and has brought all who believe in Jesus, into his eternal kingdom of light and life. I have selected only a few portions of scripture, beginning with the sceptre, for this brief study.
NOTE: Scriptures are from the KJV, unless initials in parentheses designate another version.
A — The Promise to Abraham Began to Unfold Through Jacob’s Descendants
Genesis 49 “10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”
1 Samuel 8 “7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”
Comments: As the promise to Abraham continued to develop, God set Israel apart from all other nations. He further set his affection on the line of Judah with a blessing from Jacob at the end of his life — giving the prophecy of the king’s sceptre. In a manner characteristic of Bible prophecy, the meaning was obscure until fulfillment. After some 400 years in the land with various judges, and the Lord as king over very disloyal subjects, the last judge appointed the king designated by the Lord, as Moses had written. God is always faithful, even when those who should trust him completely are not faithful.
B — The Line of Man That Would Bring the Eternal King from God
2 Samuel 7 “12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”
Comments: The first King of Israel was from the tribe of Benjamin, but Samuel then anointed David to become the king in Saul’s stead, and the line of David from the tribe of Judah was established by the Lord to eventually provide for an everlasting kingdom. David was God’s choice, revealed to Samuel, a man after God’s own heart to display the glory of God, not the glory of man. Solomon’s reign after his father David brought temporary peace to the nation. Christ Jesus the God-man, embodied God as the rightful king of his subjects, but also came as a descendant through a long line after Solomon.
C — God Never Abdicated His Eternal Throne to Mere Man
Psalm 97 “1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.”
Isaiah 33 “22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.”
Jeremiah 23 “5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.”
Comments: Israel could not remain faithful to their King in the wilderness, or in the land under judges, or during the period of many kings in Israel. The psalms make clear the identity of the true king of all the earth. Eventually God dispersed Israel among the nations, then returned a remnant under foreign domination for centuries; but God’s plan was never off course. Jesus is the righteous branch from David in his human nature, but he is God in flesh; and his kingdom has been established to continue throughout eternity.
D — Our King Has the Righteous Blend of Mercy and Judgment
Psalm 45 “6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.”
Hebrews 1 “8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”
Comments: All the myriad of human kings who corrupt the earth have inferior and defective sceptres destroyed by the superiority of Christ. “The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers” (Isaiah 14:5). The passage from Hebrews then helps us apply the verse from Psalm 45. Jesus the righteous Son is indeed God, who reigns from the throne which is reserved for God alone.
E — Would We Have Recognized the King at the Time of His Appearing?
John 18 “36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.”
Comments: God became a king in the flesh, and was rejected again, as when Israel preferred a man to be king in the time of Samuel. But then the God-man willingly submitted himself to be put to death by men, to secure a place for us in his everlasting kingdom. Jesus did not fail to confess himself as King; but he is king far more so than any mere man could ever be. God caused a non-believing gentile (Pilate) to declare the truth on the cross, even as he spited the Jews: “JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
F — The King Who Is, Who Was, and Who Is to Come
1 Timothy 6 “15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”
Revelation 11 “15 The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
Comments: Our King holds the power over death, as proved by his own resurrection, and thus assures our confidence that we too shall be raised to an eternal kingdom! Because our King’s sceptre is a rod of righteousness, we must flee that which dishonors him, and pursue that righteousness of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Our hope is a sure hope in our creator, redeemer King — and again we offer praise for his title which none else can hold: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Reflections in Prayer
Lord you began to show through Abraham that the heirs to your kingdom would not be by the decision of any man, but by your sovereign choice. You set your affection on a people you separated, and all people inside and outside of that nation could see the work of your electing love through that nation. Though a chosen people, they continually showed themselves unfaithful; but you continually showed yourself faithful. You brought them out of the land of slavery, and you continue to bring out from the slavery of sin those who place their trust in you. You preserved the line of David until the time was full, and the nation had no strength of their own. Wonder of wonders, God became flesh and dwelt among us, and you tolerated the rejection of your kingship once again in your unfailing love. I praise you Lord for your marvelous work within me, and I glory in The King who is! — who was! — and who is to come! Amen.
Published 29 April 2004; revised 8 April 2011