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. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness (Jer 23:5-6). These verses identify the connection between Jesus the King and the kings of Judah. Jesus is the final great king of Judah who will fulfill and supersede the mission of the kings of Judah. I want to reveal the greatness of Jesus’ kingship by comparing it to the kingship of the kings of Judah that He fulfilled. 

       The role of king required involvement in several different areas. One of them was the worship of God. People in America tend to think that the government should not get involved in religion. This perspective on government would be foreign to most people in history. 

       The kings of Judah were heavily involved in the religious practices of their kingdom. Second Chronicles 8:15-16 records that David appointed the priests to their jobs. He also appointed some Levites to sing, some to serve the priests, and some to be porters at the temple gates. Various kings throughout Judah’s history revived David’s order of the offices of the priests and Levites after it had been destroyed. The kings also organized religious events. David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah all called the people together to worship the Lord in some type of event. Finally, the king decided what the religious direction of the country would be. In 2 Chronicles 15:16, King Asa is recorded as destroying his mother’s idol and removing her from her position. In 2 Chronicles 28:2, King Ahaz led his people into greater idolatry. The kings, however, were not allowed to offer sacrifices to God, as Uzziah's story illustrates well. When he tried to offer sacrifices in the temple, the priests confronted him, and God struck him with leprosy. 

       Like the kings of Judah, Jesus is heavily involved in worship in His kingdom, but His role goes far beyond that of the kings of Judah. As the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 7:25-26 makes clear, Jesus is our High Priest. On top of that, those verses also state that Jesus is the sacrifice that cleanses from sin. As the kings of Judah could, Jesus calls people to righteousness, but Judah’s kings never could remove the sins of the people. Jesus can. The kings of Judah could organize temple worship, but they couldn’t offer sacrifices. They certainly couldn’t be the object of worship. Jesus is not only the sacrifice, High Priest, and King but also divine. He deserves all the worship we can give him. 

       There were several qualifications and responsibilities the kings of Judah were expected to meet as rulers of their kingdom. The kings had to be sons of David. Also, as the story of Rehoboam illustrates, some level of recognition of the people’s desires was important. One of the king’s major responsibilities was the army. The Bible lists the mighty men of different kings and often records the number of men the king could command. There were times when the army was strong compared to its neighbors, but Judah was small and usually no match for the enemy. The kings also appointed men to serve in different functions in the government. They needed administrators, governors, architects, and judges. The king also needed to appoint a successor. Often a father would rule the final years of his reign alongside his son to give the son experience. 

       Another of the kings’ responsibilities was to make wise decisions. To judge well, they had to know God’s law. The king was commanded to copy the law of God in Deuteronomy 17:18. There is no record of that ever happening, but when Jehoiada crowned Joash king in 2 Chronicles 23:11, the verse states that Jehoiada gave Joash a copy of the testimony, which most likely refers to God’s law. The kings could not judge all the cases in the kingdom. As mentioned before, they had a system of judges throughout Judah. Jehoshaphat seems to have reformed the judicial system by appointing Levites, priests, and elders to a high court in Jerusalem. He also appointed judges throughout Israel. Unfortunately, the kings of Judah did abuse their power frequently by making unjust decisions. The kings also had to make many decisions when dealing with domestic and foreign affairs. In 2 Chronicles 25:16,17, there is a record of the king’s counsel. The kings also would consult a prophet or prophets. 

       Jesus’ rule is different from that of the kings of Judah. Psalm 2 records Jesus’ power and authority over the heathen. In Revelations 1:5 and 17:14, John describes Jesus as King over other kings. No one can challenge Jesus’ power and authority. Jesus’ power and authority are not currently expressed like that of the kings of Judah. They ruled over a set amount of territory, did their best to protect their people from invasion, and enforced justice according to their desires and abilities. According to the parable of the tares, however, Jesus’ kingdom currently lacks territory. It is set up in the hearts of believers spread throughout the earth among unbelievers. Jesus intercedes on behalf of His people and ensures they are not tested beyond their ability, but He does not protect them from all evil. 

       I believe, however, that one day Jesus’ full power and authority over the earth will be revealed. According to Daniel 7:18, 22, 27, and 2 Timothy 2:8. He will set up his kingdom and allow the saints to rule with Him. What will that be like? Like the kings of Judah, Jesus’ capital will be Jerusalem, but the borders of His kingdom will not be restricted to Judah’s borders. Jesus’ kingdom will stretch over the whole earth. Nothing will destroy Jesus’ kingdom, and He will rule over it forever. Jesus will end all wars. His judgments will be perfect, and He will bring peace and security to His subjects. 

       Jesus not only rules as a mighty king but also as a caring one. He leads His people like a shepherd leads his sheep. He will punish the wicked, but he must do that to defend truth, meekness, and righteousness. Jesus is not content to punish the wicked. He works to change them from wicked to righteous. According to Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 61, Jesus brings sight to the blind, freedom to the prisoner, good news to the poor, comfort to the sad, and gladness to the mourning. 

       In 2 Chronicles 1:12, God promised Solomon riches, wealth, and honor that would supersede that of other kings. The next few chapters describe the glory of the temple he built for God and the glory of the house he built for himself. The chronicler describes Solomon’s throne in 2 Chronicles 9:17-19. Workmen crafted it out of ivory and overlaid it with gold. It sat at the top of six steps, and twelve carved lions guarded them. 

       First Timothy 6:15-16 and Revelations 1:16-17 and other passages describe Jesus’ presence. Jesus lives in light that no man can approach. His presence causes people to fall to their faces before Him. Jesus is building the New Jerusalem for us. It contains the light of the glory of God. It is made with jasper and other precious stones and covered in gold. It is enormous, equal to or over 1400 miles square. Only the pure will enter there. When compared to Jesus’ splendor and glory, the glory of the greatest of Judah’s kings seems unattractive. 

       I am thankful I can be a servant of Jesus, the great King. I will worship Him because of what He has done for me. I will work in his kingdom now in anticipation of reigning with Him in glory. And when I finally do enter His presence, I will fall at his feet in wonder at his majesty, power, and love. 

Pensacola, FL