King of kings

Holy to the LORD

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16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. 17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. 19 This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.

20 And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the LORD.” And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. 21 And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day. – Zechariah 14:16-21 ESV

In the closing verses of his book, Zechariah describes a coming day when Jesus the Messiah will reign on earth from His throne in Jerusalem. This will be in fulfillment of the promise God made to King David.

“Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.Your throne shall be established forever.’”– 2 Samuel 7:11-16 ESV

While this promise was partially fulfilled when David’s son Solomon inherited his throne and kingdom, Jesus, “the Son of David,” will establish the everlasting Davidic Kingdom. The apostle Paul declares, “In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line” (Romans 1:3 NLT). The gospel of Matthew records Jesus’ genealogy through His stepfather Joseph, tracing His roots all the way back to David, making Him a legally certified descendant of the great king. Luke also traces the genealogy of Jesus but does so through the line of Mary, ensuring that He is of the bloodline of David.

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and made his shocking announcement about God’s plan for her, he reaffirmed the promise God made to David.

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” – Luke 1:31-33 ESV

Jesus will be “the King, the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 14:16 ESV) who will receive worship from all the nations that survive the great final battle. Zechariah recorded Yahweh’s earlier promise concerning this great day.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem. The people of one city will say to the people of another, ‘Come with us to Jerusalem to ask the Lord to bless us. Let’s worship the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I’m determined to go.’ Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing.” – Zechariah 8:20-22 NLT

This picture of worldwide peace and prosperity under Messiah’s reign was a common theme for Isaiah as well.

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
will be the highest of all—
the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
his word will go out from Jerusalem.
The Lord will mediate between nations
and will settle international disputes.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,
nor train for war anymore.– Isaiah 2:2-4 NLT

Your eyes will shine,
and your heart will thrill with joy,
for merchants from around the world will come to you.
They will bring you the wealth of many lands.
Vast caravans of camels will converge on you,
the camels of Midian and Ephah.
The people of Sheba will bring gold and frankincense
and will come worshiping the Lord.
The flocks of Kedar will be given to you,
and the rams of Nebaioth will be brought for my altars.
I will accept their offerings,
and I will make my Temple glorious.– Isaiah 60:5-7 NLT

Zechariah describes the Gentile nations taking part in the annual feasts of Israel, particularly the Feast of Booths. This news must have surprised Zechariah because observance of the feasts and festivals had always been reserved for the chosen people of God. The Feast of Booths was an annual commemoration of the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites after their deliverance from Egypt. The details of this feast are provided in the Book of Leviticus.

“And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”– Leviticus 23:40-43 ESV

The Jews associated the Feast of Booths with the coming of Messiah and the establishment of His Kingdom. This is evident in Peter’s response to seeing Jesus in His transfigured form accompanied by Elijah and Moses. He believed this spectacular event to be a sign of the Kingdom’s coming, and responded, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Luke 9:33 NLT). The text states that Peter spoke without knowing what he was saying. He was completely unaware that his words were prophetic.

But the worship of Christ in His Millennial Kingdom will be voluntary and not coerced. The nations will choose to journey to Jerusalem to worship and seek His favor. But all those who refuse to honor Him as King and participate in the celebration of the Feast of Booths will suffer the consequences.

…the Lord will punish them with the same plague that he sends on the other nations who refuse to go.  Egypt and the other nations will all be punished if they don’t go to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. – Zechariah 14:18-19 NLT

The psalmist wrote of this coming day when the nations will have to willingly pledge allegiance to the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Now then, you kings, act wisely!
Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry,
and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—
for his anger flares up in an instant.
But what joy for all who take refuge in him!– Psalm 2:10-12 NLT

Drought, famine, and plagues symbolize the withholding of spiritual blessings. The nations of the earth depend upon rain for their crops to grow. When it is withheld, hunger, thirst, and death are the necessary consequences. For the Egyptians, rain was less of a necessity because of the abundant water supplied by the Nile. So, their punishment would be plagues that destroyed their crops and polluted their water supply, just as God had done in the days of Moses and the exodus.

Failure to worship the Messiah will be costly in those days. But these punishments will have a purpose; they are intended to produce a hunger and thirst for the things of God. The prophet Isaiah records the LORD’s plea for all who thirst to come to Him.

“Is anyone thirsty?
    Come and drink—
    even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
    it’s all free!
Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
    Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
    You will enjoy the finest food.

“Come to me with your ears wide open.
    Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
    I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
    I made him a leader among the nations.
You also will command nations you do not know,
    and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.” – Isaiah 55:1-5 NLT

This invitation to come and eat was issued by Jesus Himself on the final day of the Feast of Booths. John records it in his gospel account.

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand.…On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” – John 7:1-2, 37-38 ESV

The withholding of rain and the sending of plagues will be intended to produce hunger and thirst for righteousness. Jesus spoke of this in His Sermon on the Mount.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” – Matthew 5:6 ESV

Jesus would later proclaim, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst” (John 6:34 BSB). In His Millennial Kingdom, He will remain the source of all sustenance but everyone will have to decide to seek Him. In the Book of Revelation, John records the incredible benefits of honoring Jesus as King and Lord.

“They will never again be hungry or thirsty;
    they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.
For the Lamb on the throne
    will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
    And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” – Revelation 7:16-17 NLT

The closing verses of the Book of Zechariah declare that Christ’s Millennial Kingdom will be marked by holiness. Everything and everyone will be set apart for God’s glory, from the bells on the horse’s bridle to the pots used for cooking in the Temple. The holiness of the Messiah will permeate every aspect of life, transforming all that was once considered common into that which is consecrated for God. At one time, the priests had been responsible for differentiating between the common and the holy.

“They will teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is common, what is ceremonially clean and unclean.” – Ezekiel 44:23 NLT

In the Millennial Kingdom, that aspect of their role will no longer be necessary. The presence of the Messiah will eliminate the need for differentiation. As a final emphasis on the transformative nature of Christ’s coming Kingdom, Yahweh states that no Canaanites will be “in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day” (Zechariah 14:21 ESV). The Hebrew word translated “traders” is kᵊnaʿănî and while it can refer to a “merchant,” it is most commonly translated as “Canaanite.” The Canaanites were perennial enemies of Israel and came to represent all that was wicked and reprehensible to Yahweh. It became an all-inclusive term used to speak of the enemies of God. So, when God states that no Canaanite will enter the house of the LORD of Hosts on that day, it may simply mean that no unclean or unrepentant person

“No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh may enter My sanctuary—not even a foreigner who lives among the Israelites.” – Ezekiel 44:9 BSB

But there may be more to this statement than meets the eye. It makes even more sense to consider that this verse is a promise that no foreigner will ever enter the Temple to desecrate and destroy it again. Never again will “Canaanites” like the Babylonians or Romans invade the city of Jerusalem and profane God’s holiness with their presence. The Messiah will preserve and protect the holiness of His Father and the sanctity of His house.

As Zechariah completed his book and considered the unfinished work of completing the Temple, he must have been encouraged by all he had seen and heard. Yahweh was in control and had a plan that was far greater than anything Zechariah could have ever imagined. The future of Israel was secure because Israel’s God was sovereign. The days ahead would be difficult but the Yahweh would be with them and had His best in store for them.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

On That Day…

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1 The oracle of the word of the LORD concerning Israel: Thus declares the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: 2 “Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. 3 On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. 4 On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts, their God.’

6 “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem.

7 “And the LORD will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. 8 On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, going before them. 9 And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” – Zechariah 12:1-9 ESV

Zechariah receives yet another oracle from Yahweh, providing further insights into the future day of Israel’s redemption and restoration. Yahweh introduces Himself as the Creator God “who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit” (Zechariah 12:1 NLT). This reference to His creation of the universe is meant to remind Zechariah and the people of Judah that His power to re-create them is beyond measure. But His description of their future transformation is couched in very negative terms. It begins with the description of another siege against the city of Jerusalem. While few in Zechariah’s audience had been alive when the first siege of Jerusalem occurred, they would have heard the graphic stories of its devastating impact.

During the Babylonian invasion of Judah, there were actually two sieges, ten years apart. The first was in 597 B.C. and resulted in the city’s capture and the deportation of around 10,000 of its occupants. Ten years later, Nebuchadnezzar ordered a second siege because of the continued rebellion of its puppet king. The city endured great deprivation during the siege, and the Temple of Solomon was burned to the ground. Long before it happened, Yahweh provided Jeremiah the prophet with a graphic depiction of Jerusalem’s fall.

“I will reduce Jerusalem to ruins, making it a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and will gasp at the destruction they see there. I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.’

“As these men watch you, Jeremiah, smash the jar you brought. Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: As this jar lies shattered, so I will shatter the people of Judah and Jerusalem beyond all hope of repair. They will bury the bodies here in Topheth, the garbage dump, until there is no more room for them. This is what I will do to this place and its people, says the Lord. I will cause this city to become defiled like Topheth. Yes, all the houses in Jerusalem, including the palace of Judah’s kings, will become like Topheth—all the houses where you burned incense on the rooftops to your star gods, and where liquid offerings were poured out to your idols.’” – Jeremiah 19:8-13 NLT

So, Yahweh’s mention of another siege would have stunned Zechariah and his fellow Judahites. They were still trying to rebuild the Temple and the thought of the city falling yet again would have been unfathomable. Yet, Yahweh softens the blow of this bad news with an important disclosure.

“I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves.” – Zechariah 12:2-3 NLT

While the news of another siege was shocking, Yahweh described a completely different outcome that was meant to provide encouragement to His beleaguered people. Six different times, Yahweh uses the phrase, “On that day” to let them know that this event lies in the distant future. It will feature a battle of epic proportions that will mirror the fall of Jerusalem but without the deaths and destruction. On that day, Jerusalem will be like a rock that cannot be moved. Its walls will not fall. Its enemies will be deprived of victory. In fact, the nations that come against Jerusalem will end up drinking the cup of God’s wrath. This will be a radical departure from the days when God poured out His wrath on the people of Israel.

“Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem!
    You have drunk the cup of the Lord’s fury.
You have drunk the cup of terror,
    tipping out its last drops.
Not one of your children is left alive
    to take your hand and guide you.
These two calamities have fallen on you:
    desolation and destruction, famine and war.
And who is left to sympathize with you?
    Who is left to comfort you?
For your children have fainted and lie in the streets,
    helpless as antelopes caught in a net.
The Lord has poured out his fury;
    God has rebuked them.” – Isaiah 51:17-20 NLT

In that same passage, Yahweh goes on to predict the same future day that Zechariah is hearing about.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord,
    your God and Defender, says:
“See, I have taken the terrible cup from your hands.
    You will drink no more of my fury.
Instead, I will hand that cup to your tormentors,
    those who said, ‘We will trample you into the dust
    and walk on your backs.’” – Jeremiah 51:22-23 NLT

On that day, the attackers will discover that Yahweh the God of Israel is too powerful to overcome. He will fight on Israel’s behalf and miraculously thwart their armies and negate the impact of their weapons. They will be powerless before Yahweh Sabaoth, the LORD of Hosts. The future residents of Jerusalem and the citizens of Judah will respond to this miraculous event with wonder, recognizing Yahweh’s hand in it all. They will express their amazement with words that acknowledge Yahweh’s deliverance.

“The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts, their God.” – Zechariah 12:5 ESV

The resilience of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the remarkable nature of their defiant stance against their enemies will light a fire in the rest of the nation. They will respond with God-empowered zeal that turns them into an unstoppable force.

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure.” – Zechariah 12:6 NLT

Yahweh announces that victory over the enemies of Israel will first take place outside the walls of Jerusalem. As the city remains under siege, the clans of Judah will rout the combined forces of their adversaries and completely destroy them. The city will be saved because the enemy is eradicated. This order of events is important because it lets the people of Judah know that the city itself is not the focus of Yahweh’s love and attention. Yahweh makes it clear that He will “give victory to the rest of Judah first, before Jerusalem, so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David will not have greater honor than the rest of Judah” (Zechariah 12:7 ESV). Yahweh’s love extends to all His people, not just those who live in Jerusalem or those who belong to David’s line. In fact, Yahweh describes a day when all will stand as equals before Him.

“On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the LORD who goes before them!” – Zechariah 12:8 NLT

They will all “be like God” because they will be embued with His power and fight in His name, just as King David had done. They will share the same attribute that David had: A heart for God that expressed itself in faithful obedience (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). What is being described here is the fulfillment of the promise that Yahweh made to Ezekiel.

“I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” –  Ezekiel 36:26-27 NLT

With this oracle, Yahweh announces that the future of Israel will feature continued opposition and warfare. The rebuilding and repopulation of Jerusalem would not eliminate all threats of future difficulty. Reconstructing the city’s walls would not eliminate the threat of future enemy attacks. Completing the Temple would not innoculate the people from further rebellion and apostasy. This was not about a city, a building, or even a nation. It was about Yahweh and His chosen people. In 70 A.D., the city would fall again and the Temple that Zechariah helped to build would be destroyed. To this date, there is no Temple in Jerusalem. But the day will come when Yahweh orchestrates its reconstruction one last time. The prophet Daniel was given a vision of this end times event.

“A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times.” – Daniel 9:24-25 NLT

After the Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), the seven-year-long period known as the Tribulation will begin. The first half of this future era features the rise of a charismatic leader who will rule over a global empire. He will negotiate a peace treaty with the people of Israel, giving them permission to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. But midway through the seven years of the Tribulation, He will turn on them, ordering an end to all sacrifices and demanding that they worship him alone. He will also desecrate the Temple by erecting an idol of himself in the Holy of Holies. This will usher in the last half of the seven years, commonly referred to as the Great Tribulation. Jerusalem and the Jews will come under constant opposition from the Antichrist and his forces. Tens of thousands will suffer martyrdom at his hands.

But Zechariah is told of a day when God will “destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9 NLT). Antichrist and his global empire will fall to the King of kings and LORD of lords, an event described by John in the Book of Revelation.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.” – Revelation 19:12-16 NLT

John goes on to describe the outcome of this epic conflict.

I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies. – Revelation 19:19-21 NLT

On that day, Yahweh will fulfill the promises He has made by sending His Son to complete the mission He began with His incarnation. The King will return to right all wrongs, put an end to sin and death, restore righteousness, and establish His earthly Kingdom. It will be a day reserved for praise, joy, and celebration.

“Praise the Lord!
    Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.
His judgments are true and just.
    He has punished the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality.
    He has avenged the murder of his servants.” – Revelation 19:1-2 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Little Is Much When God Is In It

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8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

“These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.” 11 Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?” 13 He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” – Zechariah 4:8-14 ESV

In 538 B.C., Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest had led the first wave of exiles who returned to Judah from Babylon. Their primary responsibility was to rebuild the Temple that had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar’s forces when Jerusalem had fallen. The Persian king, Cyrus, had issued a decree ordering the Temple’s

“The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.” – Ezra 1:2-4 NLT

However, after arriving in Judah, they made little progress on the Temple. It took two years just to lay the foundation and then opposition from the Samaritans led to another delay (Ezra 4:1-4). So, 18 years after Cyrus issued his decree, Zerubbabel received a message from Yahweh declaring His dissatisfaction with the unfinished state of the House of God.

“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”– Haggai 1:7-11 NLT

During that same time, Yahweh provided Zechariah with a more positive message to deliver to Zerubbabel.

“Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.” – Zechariah 4:9 NLT

Yahweh wanted Zerubbabel to know that his efforts would produce positive results. The “mountainous” task of rebuilding the Temple would be accomplished with the LORD’s help. Zerubbabel, who had laid the cornerstone of the Temple, would also lay the capstone. At that momentous occasion, the people would recognize the sovereign hand of God and shout, “Grace, grace to it!” (Zechariah 4:7 ESV). The grace of God would make the Temple’s construction possible and from this House of God, more grace would flow for generations to come.

Yahweh reminded Zerubbabel not to “despise these small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT). Yes, the work would be difficult and the Samaritan resistance would continue, but if the people of God remained faithful and completed their task, they would one day rejoice.

“For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” – Zechariah 4:10 NLT

The Hebrew word translated as “plumbline” could also refer to a “large stone.” The people will have the privilege and joy of seeing Zerubbabel lay the final capstone for the completed project. Four years later, the people got to experience what God predicted.

The Temple of God was then dedicated with great joy by the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the people who had returned from exile. During the dedication ceremony for the Temple of God, 100 young bulls, 200 rams, and 400 male lambs were sacrificed. And 12 male goats were presented as a sin offering for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then the priests and Levites were divided into their various divisions to serve at the Temple of God in Jerusalem, as prescribed in the Book of Moses. – Ezra 6:16-18 NLT

As Zechariah listened to God’s encouraging message of future success, the angel provided a rather out-of-place explanation for the earlier vision. He states, “These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth” (Zechariah 4:10 ESV). This refers to the seven lamps surrounding the bowl on the top of the golden lampstand. Zechariah had wanted to know what the vision meant, and now the angel explains that the lamps symbolize God’s insight into all things. Seven is the number of perfection and God knows and sees all perfectly and clearly. He can see the past and the future simultaneously. Nothing is hidden from His sight, so He can assure Zechariah that the Temple will be completed.

But now, Zechariah’s curiosity has peaked. He wants to know more, so he peppers the angel with questions.

“What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand, and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?”– Zechariah 4:11-12 NLT

The angel expresses surprise at Zechariah’s line of questioning, asking, “Do you not know what these are?” (Zechariah 4:13 ESV). The angel considers the meaning to be so obvious that he is shocked at Zechariah’s confusion. But he refuses to make it easy for the perplexed prophet.

“These are the two anointed ones who stand by the LORD of the whole earth.” – Zechariah 4:14 ESV

It’s almost as if the angel is waiting for the lightbulb to illuminate over Zechariah’s head. In effect, the angel doesn’t answer Zechariah’s question directly. He describes the two trees as “the two anointed ones,” but this answer doesn’t provide Zechariah with much clarity. It simply begs another question: Who are the two anointed ones? But the angel believes Zechariah should be able to discern the answer to his own question. He and Joshua are the two olive trees that stand on either side of the golden lampstand. Zechariah is the God-appointed governor of Judah, while Joshua serves as the God-anointed high priest. Together they represent the offices of priest and king. In a sense, these two men are branches in their respective trees, pouring out the oil of the Spirit of God into the bowl on top of the lampstand of God. These two men had been divinely ordained to serve the people of God by carrying out His will.

Zerubbabel and Joshua serve as representatives of the kingly and priestly roles that will one day be combined in the reign of Christ. In chapter 3, God told Joshua that he and his fellow priests were signs of a greater priest to come.

“Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.” – Zechariah 3:8 ESV

The author of Hebrews revealed Jesus to be the fulfillment of this promise.

…we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. – Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT

According to the message the angel Gabriel delivered to Mary, Jesus would also become a king in the line of David.

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”– Luke 1:32-33 ESV

Zerubbabel and Joshua represented the King-Priest who was to come. In their respective roles, they foreshadowed the coming of Messiah. The Book of Hebrews points to Jesus’ role as the priest-king when it compares Him to the Old Testament character, Melchizedek, who was “king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High” (Hebrews 7:1 NLT). The author describes Jesus as “a different priest, who is like Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:15 NLT). With His appearance, “Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed” (Hebrews 7:16 NLT).

Jesus combined the offices of priest and king so that He might provide atonement for the sins of humanity and rule over them in righteousness and, “because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf” (Hebrews 7:24-25 NLT).

He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. – Hebrews 7:26 NLT

In this place of honor, Jesus is also recognized as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the perfect High Priest and all-powerful King.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11 NLT

Through their obedience to God, Zechariah and Joshua foreshadowed the Branch to come, who would pour out the oil of God’s grace and mercy on undeserving sinners. Zechariah did not grasp the full significance of what he had seen and heard. The angel’s explanation must have seemed cryptic and obscure to the curious and confused prophet. But this message points to the future when God will fulfill all His promises through Jesus Christ, the Prophet, Priest, and King.

Zechariah was not to despise “the day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10 ESV). He and Joshua were to fulfill their respective roles with faithfulness and diligence, and not according to their own strength. If they were obedient and carried out their divine commissions, God would do His part and carry out His will for the people of Israel and the nations of the world. One day, He would send His Son to complete His grand plan of redemption and set up His Kingdom on earth – all in keeping with God’s promises.

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” – Revelation 11:15 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I Will Make All Things New

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1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD was standing by.

6 And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. 8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. 9 For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10 In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” – Zechariah 3:1-10 ESV

In this fourth vision, Zechariah is shown what appears to be a trial in the throne room of heaven. He sees Joshua (Jeshua) the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD as Satan levels accusations against him. This fits the description of Satan found the Book of Revelation.

This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,

“It has come at last—
    salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
    has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
    before our God day and night.” – Revelation 12:9110 NLT

Zechariah does not divulge the nature of Satan’s accusations against Joshua, but he reveals that the high priest is wearing filthy garments. His priestly robes are in a state of impurity, a sign of his sinfulness. But as Zechariah looks on, he hears the voice of Yahweh (the LORD) speaking on Joshua’s defense.

“I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” – Zechariah 3:2 NLT

Joshua, whose name means “Yahweh saves,” is in a disheveled state, but Yahweh orders his garments to be removed and replaced with new ones. Despite Satan’s declarations of Joshua’s guilt and demands for punishment, God offers the high priest undeserved mercy and grace.

“See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.” – Zechariah 3:4 NLT

This imagery of new clothes for old is found throughout the Scriptures.

I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. – Isaiah 61:10 NLT

So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.…Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. – Romans 13:12, 14 NLT

…for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. – Colossians 3:9-10 NLT

Joshua’s condition symbolizes that of the nation of Judah. As the high priest, he is their God-appointed representative. The priestly cast was to set the standard of behavior for the rest of the nation. But over the centuries, they had failed at their primary responsibility.

“When the people bring their sin offerings, the priests get fed.
    So the priests are glad when the people sin!
 ‘And what the priests do, the people also do.’
    So now I will punish both priests and people
    for their wicked deeds.” – Hosea 4:8-9 NLT

Their far-from-holy behavior left the entire nation in an unacceptable state before the LORD. Joshua’s condition mirrored that of the people.

We are constant sinners;
    how can people like us be saved?
We are all infected and impure with sin.
    When we display our righteous deeds,
    they are nothing but filthy rags. – Isaiah 64:5-6 NLT

Yet, Yahweh saves. He graciously declares Joshua free from sin and, by extension, the people were also the beneficiaries of God’s abundant grace. God orders Joshua to be dressed in new, pristine priestly robes. His righteousness or right standing before the LORD is restored. The new garments Joshua receives are meant to symbolize his set-apart status as God’s servant. The Book of Exodus describes the one-of-a-kind nature of the priestly robes.

“Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service. These are the garments they are to make: a chestpiece, an ephod, a robe, a patterned tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother, Aaron, and his sons to wear when they serve me as priests. So give them fine linen cloth, gold thread, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread.” – Exodus 28:2-5 NLT

Robed in righteousness provided by Yahweh, Joshua is given a solemn charge from his gracious benefactor.

“If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here.” – Zechariah 3:7 NLT

God is demanding that Joshua change his behavior. As the high priest, he had an obligation to live in a way that glorified God. He had been set apart for a higher calling and was expected to conduct himself in a selfless and God-honoring way. In this vision, Joshua serves as a stand-in for all the Levitical priests who ever served. As a priest, he held to a higher standard.

“The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin.” – Malachi 2:5-6 NLT

God made His expectations clear.

“The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Malachi 2:7 NLT

But somewhere along the way, the priests had lost their way.

“But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown favoritism in the way you carry out my instructions.” – Malachi 2:8-9 NLT

Now, God was purifying His priests and calling them back to a life of obedience and faithful service. In the vision, the LORD tells Joshua that his restoration points to another renewal that will take place in the distant future.

“You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.” – Zechariah 3:8-9 NLT

These two verses point to a future time when God will send another servant to bring about another cleansing that will be even greater in scope and significance. The use of the term “branch” points to the coming Messiah, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
    yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
He will delight in obeying the Lord. – Isaiah 11:1-3 NLT

“For the time is coming,”
    says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant
    from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
    He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
And this will be his name:
    ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’
In that day Judah will be saved,
    and Israel will live in safety.” – IJeremiah 23:5-6 NLT

In this vision, Joshua the high priest also symbolizes Jesus, the Great High Priest.

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. – Hebrews 4:14-15 NLT

But Jesus is also “the Branch” and “the stone” that will restore righteousness to the world. The Psalms speak of a stone that was rejected by men but became a vital building block in God’s redemptive plan.

The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
    and it is wonderful to see. – Psalm 118:22-23 NLT

Jesus quoted this verse when addressing the unrighteous religious leaders of His day.

Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
    and it is wonderful to see.’

“I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” – Matthew 21:42-44 NLT

Jesus came to be the broken branch that brought life to sinful mankind. The branch likely represents Christ’s first advent, when He offered up His life as payment for the sins of humanity. The stone symbolizes His triumphant return when He appears as the King of kings and the LORD of lords (Revelation 19:6). All the symbolism associated with the stone in Zechariah’s vision is unclear and unexplained. The number seven represents perfection, so the seven eyes mostly likely symbolize Jesus’s perfect wisdom and knowledge. As the Son of God, He is infinitely wise and all-knowing. Unlike Joshua and his high priestly predecessors, Jesus will be the sinless, omniscient, omnipotent high priest who serves in perfect righteousness. And when He comes, He will restore righteousness to the earth, making all things new.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” – Revelation 21:1-7 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Jehovah-Gibbor Milchamah

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1 The earth is the Lord‘s and the fullness thereof,
    the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has founded it upon the seas
    and established it upon the rivers.

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord
    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord of hosts,
    he is the King of glory! – Psalm 24:1-10 ESV

YHWH–gibôr milḥāmâ – “The LORD Mighty in Battle.” It would be easy to view this name of God as less applicable to us because we don’t face physical battles that involve warfare and the genuine threat of loss of life. However, for David, this name held special meaning and significance. As the warrior-king, David had led and fought in many battles. He had faced well-armed enemies whose sole intent was to destroy him and the people of Israel.

David knew a thing or two about might and could recognize it when he saw it. In 2 Samuel 23, Samuel refers to “the mighty [gibôr] men whom David had” (2 Samuel 23:8 ESV and uses the same word found in Psalm 24: gibôr. These were proven warriors who fought alongside David and exhibited the characteristics of valor, strength, and bravery in battle. Samuel describes how these men exemplified their “might” in real terms.

…they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle… – 2 Samuel 23:9 ESV

Eleazer…rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. 2 Samuel 23:10 ESV

Shammah…took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory. – 2 Samuel 23:12 ESV

…three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. – 2 Samuel 23:16 ESV

Abishai…wielded his spear against three hundred men[and killed them… – 2 Samuel 23:18 ESV

Benaiah…struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. – 2 Samuel 23:20 ESV

These men had proven their bona fides. They weren’t posers or wannabes, they were certifiable, time-tested, sword-wielding men of might and valor. They had earned David’s full trust and support. He knew he could rely on them to come through in any and all situations. He never had to question their bravery or loyalty. They had his back and he knew it.

So, when David wrote this Psalm, he didn’t have to search very far to find a word to describe Yahweh. He describes Him as “the LORD, strong and mighty [gibôr], the LORD, mighty [gibôr] in battle!” (Psalm 24:8 ESV). And it’s interesting to note that David, a king himself, declared Yahweh to be “the King of glory” (Psalm 24:7 ESV). He considered Yahweh to be a warrior-king just like himself but with one glaring difference: Yahweh was glorious. He was the creator of heaven and earth. Only those with “clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:4 ESV) could enter His glorious presence. This King was powerful enough to have formed the universe out of nothing. His sovereignty had no bounds or limits. His throne room was a place of holiness and righteousness completely free from the vice and corruption that mar all earthly kingdoms. 

David’s God was a King worthy of glory because His power was unsurpassed and His authority was unequaled. His royal rule was not symbolic or ceremonial. His was not a faux monarchy marked by pomp and circumstance but void of any real influence. As far as David was concerned, His God was Jehovah-Gibbor Milchamah, the LORD Mighty in Battle. He wasn’t a puppet king. He wasn’t a roaring, toothless lion. He was the all-powerful King of Glory who used His unsurpassed might to wage war against all His enemies, including all those who stand opposed to His chosen people.

The prophet Isaiah uses the same language when describing the LORD.

Let them give glory to the LORD,
    and declare his praise in the coastlands.
The LORD goes out like a mighty [gibôr] man,
    like a man of war [milḥāmâ] he stirs up his zeal;
he cries out, he shouts aloud,
    he shows himself mighty against his foes. – Isaiah 42:12-13 ESV

What is interesting is how Isaiah uses both words associated with the name Jehovah-Gibbor Milchamah. He also refers to Yahweh as a “mighty [gibôr] man” but he adds a note that illustrates how His might is revealed. He describes Yahweh as “a man of war.” The Hebrew word used there is milḥāmâ and it carries the idea of someone who engages in battle as a “fighting man.” God doesn’t posture and pose. He didn’t just reveal His strength through the act of creation and His ongoing maintenance of all He made. God does battle. He wages war. He fights on behalf of His people. And He is always victorious.

The Psalmist describes Yahweh’s sovereign control over all He has made, including the kings of the earth.

Why are the nations so angry?
    Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepare for battle;
    the rulers plot together
against the LORD
    and against his anointed one.
“Let us break their chains,” they cry,
“and free ourselves from slavery to God.” – Psalm 2:1-4

These earthly monarchs align themselves against Yahweh and fail to realize that their petty kingdoms are no match for the King of Glory. His might is unstoppable and their feeble attempts to overthrow His sovereign rule are doomed to futility and failure.

But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
    The LORD scoffs at them.
Then in anger he rebukes them,
    terrifying them with his fierce fury. – Psalm 2:4

David rested in the knowledge that the LORD Mighty in Battle was on his side and capable of delivering him from all his enemies. There was no situation David could face that would cause him to doubt God’s presence or power. The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle was in his corner and he had nothing to fear. The apostle Paul shared David’s confidence in Yahweh.

If God is for us, who can be against us? – Romans 8:31 ESV

Paul was echoing the sentiments of David found in Psalm 56.

…my enemies will turn back
    in the day when I call.
    This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me? – Psalm 56:9-11 ESV

The author of Hebrews also drew inspiration from the Psalm of David.

…we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” – Hebrews 13:6 ESV

But there is more to the name Jehovah-Gibbor Milchamah than meets the eye. The prophet Isaiah adds another level of significance when he describes the birth of a future child who will serve as a king over Israel.

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God [el gibbor],
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6 ESV

This “son’s” many names will include “Mighty God” [el gibbor]. He will be a fighting man, a Warrior-King who will rule with justice and righteousness over an eternal kingdom. Isaiah goes on to describe this heir to the throne of David who will establish a perfect and permanent Kingdom that has no equal and ushers in a period of endless peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. – Isaiah 9:7 ESV

The Book of Revelation reveals that this King, who will be the Son of David and the Son of God, will one day come to earth to conquer all the enemies of God and establish His matchless and glorious Kingdom on earth.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Jehovah-Elyon

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1 The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
    let the many coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
    and burns up his adversaries all around.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
    before the LORD of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all the peoples see his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame,
    who make their boast in worthless idols;
    worship him, all you gods!

8 Zion hears and is glad,
    and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
    because of your judgments, O LORD.
9 For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods. – Psalm 97:1-9 ESV

YHWH–ʿelyôn – “The LORD Most High.” Here, the Psalmist combines two names for God designed to set Him apart from all the other “gods” (‘ĕlōhîm). This is not an admission of the existence of other gods, but a declaration that there is only one true God. All other gods are imposters, the fabrication of men’s fertile imaginations.

The ancient Hebrews used one word, ‘ĕlōhîm,  to refer to all gods, but they also used it to refer to their own deity, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The ubiquitous nature of this name could make things confusing because the different variations of the word ‘ĕlōhîm were widely used to refer to any and all gods. The name ‘ĕlōhîm is the plural form of ‘ĕlôha, which was commonly abbreviated to ‘ēl. Each of these names originates from the Hebrew root ‘ālā, which can be translated as “exalted one.” Two of these words are used in verse 9 alongside the personal name of Israel’s God, Yahweh or Jehovah. There is one other designation for God in this verse; elyôn or “the most high.”

For you, O LORD (Yahweh), are most high (ʿelyôn) over all the earth;
    you are exalted (‘ālā) far above all gods (‘ĕlōhîm). – Psalm 97:9 ESV

The first use of this name for God is found in Genesis 14, where Abram encounters  Melchizedek, the king of Salem. The text refers to him as a “priest of God (‘ēl) Most High (ʿelyôn). This priest-king ended up pronouncing a blessing on Abram in the name of ‘ēl ʿelyôn – God Most High.

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Possessor of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
    who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” – Genesis 14:19-20 ESV

Melchizedek was affirming the superiority of the God who had called Abram out of Ur and led him to the land of Canaan. Prior to Abram’s first encounter with this ‘ĕlōhîm, he had worshiped other ‘ĕlōhîm. Now, Melchizedek was letting Abram know that this deity was ʿelyôn – the supreme ‘ĕlōhîm who had no equal and was worthy of Abram’s worship. According to Melchizedek, it was ‘ēl elyôn who had given Abram the victory over Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. In a sense, Melchizedek was declaring that ‘ēl elyôn had defeated the ‘ĕlōhîm of these pagan kings. Their gods had been no match for God Most High.

The Psalmist picks up on this name for God but adds another important distinction. He adds the name Yahweh. Five times in nine verses, he uses the personal name of Israel’s God, the name God used to refer to Himself when He spoke to Moses from the burning bush. On this momentous occasion, Moses received a commission from God, commanding him to return to Egypt and deliver the Israelites from their captivity and lead them to the land of Canaan. Upon hearing the details of this assignment, Moses replied, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13 ESV). Moses knew that the Israelites had long ago turned their backs on the ‘ĕlōhîm of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They had been in Egypt for four centuries and had gradually adopted the ‘ĕlōhîm of their masters. Now, Moses was expected to show up and inform the Israelites that the ‘ĕlōhîm of their fathers expected him to lead them out of Egypt and back to Canaan. So, he asked God for a name. If he simply used the term, ‘ĕlōhîm, the Israelites might become confused and assume that he is talking about one of the many Egyptian gods they worshiped.

God’s response was simple but not exactly clear. He told Moses, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14 ESV). In Hebrew it reads, hāyâ ‘ăšer hāyâ. The word, “hāyâ” is where the name Yahweh comes from. The Hebrews did not include vowels when putting their language in writing. So, the name Yahweh became YHWH. The Latinized version became JHVH, from which the name Jehovah is derived.

When God called Himself, “I am,” He spoke of the nature of His being or existence. He is the “existing one,” which refers to His eternal, non-created state. God is, was, and ever shall be. He is self-existent, having no predecessor or creator. He is self-sufficient and dependent upon no one.

To further clarify His identity, God told Moses to inform the people of Israel, “The LORD (Yᵊhōvâ), the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of your fathers, the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of Abraham, the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of Isaac, and the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of Jacob, has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:15 ESV). In other words, this wasn’t just any ‘ĕlōhîm, it was Jehovah-God, the one true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was the intimate and personal God who had heard their cries and responded to their suffering by providing a means of deliverance.

This was the same God the Psalmist wrote about and each time He mentioned this God, he used the name Yᵊhōvâ or Yahweh.

The LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) reigns – vs 1

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ),
    before the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) of all the earth. – vs 5

Zion hears and is glad,
    and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
    because of your judgments, O LORD (Yᵊhōvâ).
For you, O LORD (Yᵊhōvâ), are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods. – vs 8-9

Yahweh is superior and supreme. He rules over all, and He does so with righteousness and justice (vs 2). The very heavens which He created declare His righteousness (vs 6). Yahweh is elevated high above all the gods (‘ĕlōhîm) of the earth. These man-made gods are impotent and no match for YHWH–ʿelyôn – The LORD Most High. They stand no chance against the God of Israel, the ‘ĕlōhîm of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore, they are unworthy of man’s adoration and attention. That’s why the Psalmist closes with a call to worship.

O you who love the LORD, hate evil!
    He preserves the lives of his saints;
    he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
    and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
    and give thanks to his holy name! – Psalm 97:10-11 ESV

He is exalted. He is high and lifted up. He is superior and without equal. And He is worthy of honor, reverence, and worship.

In his gospel account, the apostle John records a heated exchange between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders. It began with a simple statement that Jesus delivered to a group of Jews who had “believed in Him” (John 8:30 ESV).

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32 ESV

This led them to respond, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” (John 8:33 ESV). Jesus, knowing that the Jewish religious leaders were in the crowd and sensing their growing animosity, responded, “I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father” (John 8:37-38 ESV).

His words hit their mark, incensing His adversaries and sparking a heated interchange. What they didn’t know was that Jesus’ use of the term “father” was a reference to Satan. He was accusing them of being in league with the enemy and not with Yahweh. Unaware of His slight, they declared their status as the sons of Abraham; he was their “father.” By declaring their descendence from Abraham, they claimed their status as heirs to the promises God made to Abraham’s seed. But that’s when Jesus dropped the bombshell that left them reeling and enraged.

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.” – John 8:44-45 ESV

Angered by His words, the religious leaders declared him to be demon-possessed. In doing so, they not only rejected His words but defamed His ministry. Yet Jesus calmly replied, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad” (John 8:56 ESV). This made no sense to them. Jesus was a young man and had not lived long enough to see or be seen by Abraham, who was long dead. 

This is when Jesus shocked them by making a claim that they would view as blasphemy and worthy of death.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” – John 8:58 ESV

It’s clear how angry this statement made them because they immediately attempted to stone Him to death. But what did Jesus say that escalated their anger to such a high degree? Why were they intent on killing Him? The answer is found in those two simple words: “I am.”

They knew exactly what Jesus was saying and claiming. He used the very words that God spoke to Moses at the burning bush. He claimed to be Yahweh and, in so doing, set Himself up as YHWH–ʿelyôn – The LORD Most High. He wasn’t just a man, an itinerant rabbi from the backwater village of Nazareth. He was Jehovah God, the self-existent one and the most high (‘ĕlōhîm) of all.

Just minutes earlier, Jesus had made the claim, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’” (John 8:54 ESV). With this statement, Jesus claimed His divine sonship and declared that God considered Him glorious and worthy of worship, honor, and obedience.

Everything the Psalmist said about Jehovah was true of Jesus.

…you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods. – Psalm 97:9 ESV

When John the Baptist was preparing the Israelites for the coming of Jesus, he told them, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the LORD,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (John 1:23 ESV). He claimed to be fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah recorded in Isaiah 40:3-5.

A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ);
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God (‘ĕlōhîm).
Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) has spoken.” – Isaiah 40:3-5 ESV

Jesus was the Son of God and the Lord Most High, and after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, He returned to His Father’s side where He sits enthroned and awaits His return. The Book of Revelation contains a vivid description of that day when Jesus, the LORD Most High, will make His appearance and set up His Kingdom on earth.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Jehovah-Go’el

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24 Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior?
    Who can demand that a tyrant let his captives go?
25 But the Lord says,
“The captives of warriors will be released,
    and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved.
For I will fight those who fight you,
    and I will save your children.
26 I will feed your enemies with their own flesh.
    They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood.
All the world will know that I, the Lord,
    am your Savior and your Redeemer,
    the Mighty One of Israel.” – Isaiah 49:24-26 NLT

YHWH–Gā’al – The LORD Your Redeemer.” These verses are part of an extended section within the Book of Isaiah that reveals God’s plan to return Israel from their captivity in Babylon and restore them to the land of Canaan. Their exile as slaves in a foreign land had been the result of God’s judgment for their apostasy and spiritual adultery. He had warned them repeatedly, using prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah to carry His message of repentance. But His chosen people had proved too stubborn and unwilling to give up their love affair with false gods and the pleasures of this world. Over the centuries, they had compromised their convictions and grown complacent regarding their status as God’s treasured possession. They had violated their covenant commitment to Him and, as a result, had suffered the consequences of their disobedience.

God had made clear His intentions to bless them if they obeyed.

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God…” – Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NLT

But He had also warned them of the dire consequences of their disobedience.

“But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you…” – Deuteronomy 28:15 NLT

God provided a list of devastating outcomes for their refusal to live according to His will and in keeping with His commands, including their defeat at the hands of a foreign power and their forced removal from the Land of Promise.

“The Lord will exile you and your king to a nation unknown to you and your ancestors. There in exile you will worship gods of wood and stone! You will become an object of horror, ridicule, and mockery among all the nations to which the Lord sends you.” – Deuteronomy 28:36-37 NLT

By the time Isaiah penned the words found in Isaiah 49, the Babylonians had already defeated the Israelites living in the southern kingdom of Judah, destroying the capital city of Jerusalem and its glorious Temple.

But in chapters 49-52, God reveals His plans for Israel’s future redemption and restoration, and declares His intentions to do so through the aid of His “Servant.” First, He promises a day when He, Jehovah-Go’el will transform Israel’s fate.

The LORD, the Redeemer
    and Holy One of Israel,
says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations,
    to the one who is the servant of rulers:
“Kings will stand at attention when you pass by.
    Princes will also bow low
because of the Lord, the faithful one,
    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” – Isaiah 49:7 NLT

Despite Israel’s rebellion and refusal to keep their covenant commitments, God would reject those He had chosen as His own. He had punished them justly and appropriately, but He would also restore them graciously and mercifully. They did not deserve to be saved. In fact, the prophet Ezekiel records God’s indictment of their unfaithfulness even while in exile.

“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.” – Ezekiel 36:22-24 NLT

Yet, God was determined to keep His covenant promises and see that His people were restored to the land He had given them as their inheritance. For anyone familiar with the history of Israel, it would be easy to assume that the Isaiah 49 passage addresses Israel’s return from captivity under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. As God had promised, the exiled Israelites began returning to Judah in 538 B.C.E. Through a series of God-ordained events, a remnant of the Israelites were given permission to make the long journey home so that they might restore Jerusalem, rebuild the Temple, and repopulate the land of Judah.

But Isaiah seems to have something far more significant in mind. In chapters 49-52, he describes a restoration that exceeds anything Israel experienced under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. In chapter 52, he writes of a day when only the pure and godly will enter the gates of Jerusalem.

Wake up, wake up, O Zion!
Clothe yourself with strength.
Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem,
for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer.
Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem.
Sit in a place of honor.
Remove the chains of slavery from your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.
For this is what the Lord says:
“When I sold you into exile,
I received no payment.
Now I can redeem you
without having to pay for you.” – Isaiah 52:1-3 NLT

These verses describe a different restoration with far-reaching implications for Israel and the world. Isaiah describes a far-distant day when God will redeem and restore Israel once and for all.

Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song,
    for the Lord has comforted his people.
    He has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has demonstrated his holy power
    before the eyes of all the nations.
All the ends of the earth will see
    the victory of our God. – Isaiah 52:9-10 NLT

What Ezra and Nehemiah accomplished in leading the exiles back to the land of Judah cannot be overlooked. They took on the gargantuan task of rebuilding the ruins of Jerusalem under great duress and significant opposition. However, their efforts, while ultimately successful, do not match what Isaiah describes.

After their return to Judah, the Israelites were surrounded by enemies and under constant threat of annihilation. They had no king and no standing army, making them an easy target for any nation that coveted their fertile and well-watered land. It would not be long before they found themselves under the thumb of yet another world power when the Romans invaded the land and became their overlords. Their occupation began in 68 B.C.E. and was still going on when Jesus appeared on the scene.

But Jesus’ arrival adds another important element to the prophecies of Isaiah because He is the “servant” of whom Isaiah wrote. The descriptions of this coming servant mirror the life of Jesus, both in His incarnation but also in His future return.

“The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
    so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
    and opens my understanding to his will.
The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me,
    and I have listened.
    I have not rebelled or turned away.
I offered my back to those who beat me
    and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.
I did not hide my face
    from mockery and spitting.

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
    I will not be disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a stone,
    determined to do his will.
    And I know that I will not be put to shame.” – Isaiah 50:4-7 NLT

These verses are mirrored by the gospel writers when they describe the abuse Jesus suffered during His trials before the Sanhedrin and the Roman governor Pilate. Jesus confessed His unflinching determination to do His Father’s will when He said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38 ESV). Though He knew what would happen when He arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus set His face like a stone and made the journey anyway (Luke 9:51).

Jesus was the servant whom God promised to send. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He came to redeem all those who were enslaved to sin and condemned to death. He was Jehovah-Go’el, the LORD Our Redeemer. According the Isaiah, it was always God’s plan to send His Servant to redeem what was lost and, as Paul states, “because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30 ESV).

But Jesus is not yet done. While He has finished His atoning work on the cross, He has not completed the mission God gave Him. He will one day return and fulfill His role as Jehovah-Go’el. the Savior and Redeemer of God’s chosen people, the Israelites. Every covenant promise God made to them will be fulfilled – in Christ.

”For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

“And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God.” – Ezekiel 36:24-28 NLT

God is a redeeming God. From the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed His divine directive in the garden, He has been on a relentless quest to restore what was damaged by the fall. But this quest is not some sort of Don Quixote-esque ill-fated hope for a non-existent future; it is based on a pre-ordained outcome that was established before the foundation of the world. In other words, the fall was not a fly in the ointment for God. It did not come as a surprise to God or require Him to formulate a Plan B to replace His obviously flawed and failed Plan A.

No, the redemption of Israel and the redemption of sinful humanity was always a part of God’s strategic plan, and you see it mapped out in these chapters of Isaiah. Redemption has always been part of God’s sovereign, providential will. Israel’s rebellion and subsequent punishment was not an unscheduled detour in God’s road map of redemption; it was a pre-planned, pre-scheduled stop along the way. God had always planned to redeem Israel because He had always intended for His “Servant” to be an Israelite. He had to be born of the seed of Abraham and come from the lineage of David so that He could one day sit on the throne of David and rule over the redeemed and restored nation of Israel. As Isaiah wrote in an earlier portion of his book, Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a redeemer for His rebellious people, including both Jews and Gentiles.

For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will make this happen! – Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Do As You Have Spoken

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16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 17 And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O Lord God! 18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. 19 For your servant’s sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? 22 And you made your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God. 23 And now, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken, 24 and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 25 For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. 26 And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 27 Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for it is you, O Lord, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.” – 1 Chronicles 17:16-27 ESV

One of the keys to understanding David’s lasting legacy as Israel’s greatest king is found in this marvelous prayer he offers to God. As the Scriptures make painfully clear, David was far from perfect. Yes, according to God’s own estimation, David was a man after His own heart, but he also had a heart that was strongly attracted to the opposite sex and led him to violate God’s command against multiplying wives for himself. David had an impulsive streak that continually got him into trouble and an equal predisposition toward inaction that caused him great difficulty. But when all is said and done, and the evaluation of David’s life is complete, it is difficult not to conclude that he was a man who loved God and understood the unique nature of their relationship.

In this prayer, David repeatedly refers to himself as the servant of God and another eight times he calls God his master. This speaks volumes regarding David’s comprehension of his role and God’s rule. David may have been the king of Israel but God was the King of the universe. David understood that he served at the behest of the sovereign Lord and he had been the unworthy recipient of God’s grace and mercy. His rise from a lowly shepherd boy to the most powerful position in the land had been totally undeserved and David acknowledged that fact. His humility shines through as he expresses his amazement that God had chosen to use him.

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” – 1 Chronicles 17:16 NLT

As David reflected on the charmed nature of his current life and considered the implications of God’s promise of an everlasting dynasty, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the fact that none of it had been his own doing. He was not responsible for his own success.

“For the sake of your servant, O Lord, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.” – 1 Chronicles 17:19 NLT

David didn’t see his elevation to the throne as something he deserved or had earned. It had been in fulfillment of God’s promise and was an outward demonstration of God’s faithfulness and sovereign power. He had been the recipient of God’s unmerited love and favor, and David’s past experience confirmed that the Almighty always fulfills what He promises because He is the faithful, covenant-keeping God.

As king, David enjoyed all the benefits that came with the job. He was a man who wielded great power and influence. He was revered by his own people and feared by the enemies of Israel. He possessed great wealth and a reputation as a mighty warrior. But David was far more impressed with the greatness of God.

“O Lord, there is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!” – 1 Chronicles 17:21 NLT

This man who helped put Israel on the map militarily and politically knew that God was ultimately responsible for its existence. It had all been according to His sovereign will. David understood that the only reason he had a nation over which to rule and reign was because God had ordained it. There would have been no Israel had God not chosen an obscure pagan named Abraham to whom He promised to form a great nation. There would have been no exodus unless God had chosen to step in and rescue His people from their slavery in Egypt.

“What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt.” – 1 Chronicles 17:21 NLT

David knew that God had been the one to lead the people of Israel out of bondage, across the wilderness, and into the land of Canaan. It was God who had performed miracles along the way and provided victories over the inhabitants of Canaan.

“You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations that stood in their way.” – 1 Chronicles 17:21 NLT

It is easy to understand why the chronicler included this prayer in his message to the returned remnant of Israel. He wanted them to hear the words of David himself as he praised the greatness and goodness of God. Growing up in Babylon, they had heard the stories of David’s exploits. They were familiar with his feats of greatness and longed for the day when they too would have a king as powerful and successful as David. But as they heard the humble and reverent words of David reflected in this prayer, they would have been encouraged to trust the God who made his reign and their existence as a people possible.

“You chose Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.” – 1 Chronicles 17:22 NLT

It did not escape David that there would have been no land for him to rule over had God not made it possible, and he was blown away by it all. To top it all off, God promised to “build a house” for him. This wasn’t about a residential upgrade; God wasn’t guaranteeing David the promise of a grand palace made with great stones, massive wooden beams, precious metals, and rare jewels. No, God was promising to expand David’s kingdom and extend his dynasty for generations to come. His would not be a one-and-done reign like that of Saul, whose dynasty died with him. David would see his kingdom thrive and flourish under the leadership of his own son, Solomon. And while David’s reign would eventually come to an end, God promised that his fame and renown would long outlast him.

“Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!” – 1 Chronicles 17:8 NLT

“I declare that the Lord will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and join your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong.” – 1 Chronicles 17:10-11 NLT

What an amazing promise. The staggering significance of those words did not escape David because he knew just how fleeting a king’s reign could be. He had personally watched his predecessor’s reign whither and die and knew that kingdoms could end just as easily as they began. David understood that the key to his kingdom’s longevity was tied directly to God’s sovereignty. So David asked God to graciously extend his kingdom forever. 

“…now, it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, so that it will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing, O Lord, it is an eternal blessing!” – 1 Chronicles 17:27 NLT

God made the promise and now David was humbly asking Him to graciously fulfill it. This was not an expression of doubt on David’s part. He was not questioning the faithfulness of God but was simply acknowledging his fear of doing anything that might jeopardize its outcome.  He knew that the length of his legacy was tied directly to the depth of his dependency upon God. As long as he recognized God as the ultimate King of Israel, his kingdom would flourish and his legacy would last. David knew that the blessings of God were bound to his own obedience as king. He stood as the representative for God’s people, serving as their proxy or stand-in. His faithfulness was to reflect the hearts of the people; his leadership would inform and influence the entire nation.

And this message would not have been lost on the audience to whom the chronicler addressed his letter. Centuries after the reign of David ended, this small rag-tag group of Israelites had returned to the land of promise and to the city of Jerusalem where David had prayed these words. By including David’s prayer in his record, the chronicler was recalling their rich heritage while, at the same time, reminding them of God’s faithful promises.

“For you are God, O Lord. And you have promised these good things to your servant.” – 1 Chronicles 17:26 NLT

There is an old proverb that says, “As the king, so are the subjects.” The truth of this statement is reflected in the lives of Israel’s kings. The record of their reigns is recorded in the books of First and Second Kings. In these ancient texts, a repeated pattern emerges that chronicles the disobedience and unfaithfulness of Israel’s kings. Time and time again, these men chose to worship false gods and, in so doing, they led their subjects away from the one true God. They sacrificed their dependence upon God in exchange for the false assurances of idols and unreliable alliances with foreign nations. They turned their backs on God and, eventually, God was forced to turn His back on them. Despite His repeated calls to repent, the kings refused to obey. Their stubborn resistance to His will resulted in the northern kingdom of Judah being conquered and enslaved by the Assyrians. Hundreds of years later, the southern kingdom of Judah suffered a similar fate, falling to the Babylonians and having to endure seven decades of enslavement and subjugation.

The readers of 1 Chronicles were very familiar with the last part of this story because they had lived it. They were the generation that had been born in exile in Babylon. But they had recently returned to the land of promise and needed to be reminded that, despite all the unfaithfulness of their forefathers, their God was faithful to keep His covenant promise to David. The throne of David may have been unoccupied and they were longing for a king to rule over them. But they needed to know that they still had the King of the universe on their side and operating on their behalf. He had not forgotten them.

This same message applies to all of us living millennia after this book was written. At this moment, Israel still has no king sitting on the throne of David. But God is not done. Every promise He made to David will be fulfilled and the King who will reign has come and will come again. One day, Jesus Christ, the Messiah and descendant of David will return to claim His rightful place as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will establish His throne in Jerusalem, ruling as the rightful heir of David the King, and His reign will be an everlasting one. Not only that, but His rule will be marked by righteousness, justice, and holiness. When that day comes, there will be no other kings and no other kingdoms to stand against His because there is no God beside Him. Jesus Christ will be the final fulfillment of God’s promise to David.

“I will never take my favor from him as I took it from the one who ruled before you. I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever.” – 1 Chronicles 17:13-14 NLT

The greatest news is that David’s kingdom did not end with his death or that of his son Solomon. It didn’t end with the captivities of Judah or Israel. It didn’t end with the fall of Jerusalem or the destruction of the Temple. There is a day coming when God will fulfill His covenant with David. He will send His Son back to earth to take His rightful position as the heir to David’s throne, where He will rule and reign in righteousness. And it is to the promise of that day God’s people look and hope.

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. – Daniel 7:13-14 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Well Worth the Wait

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7 Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, 8 and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 9 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, 10 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house. 11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, 14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’” 15 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. – 1 Chronicles 17:7-15 ESV

Once again, the chronicler borrows from the writings of the prophet Samuel, copying virtually verbatim, the words found in 2 Samuel 7:4-17. In verse 1 of that same chapter, Samuel provides an important detail that sheds light on where this event takes place on the timeline of David’s life.

Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies… – 2 Samuel 7:1 ESV

The chronicler chose to place this watershed moment at this point in the narrative, not because it fits in chronologically, but because it laid the foundation for the rest of the book. It helps explain the future reign of Solomon and explains why God remained committed to the kingdom of Israel, even though the majority of their kings failed to remain faithful to Him.

The covenant outlined in this chapter, known as the Davidic Covenant, was actually a type of treaty, commonly referred to as a grant treaty. In this form of treaty, the sovereign makes a commitment to his servant that is typically unconditional. In the case of chapter 17 of 1 Chronicles, God the King is making a promise or covenant with His servant, David, and it is not contingent upon David’s actions or require him to hold up his end of the bargain. It is what is known as a unilateral covenant, not a bilateral one. God is promising to do something for David that has no basis in David’s obedience or faithfulness. A close examination of God’s words reveals the one-sided aspect of this treaty. Eleven different times God states His intention to act unilaterally and with no expectation of reciprocation on David’s part.

“I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth…”  – vs 8

“I will appoint a place for my people Israel…” – vs 9

“[I] will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more.” – vs 9

“I will subdue all your enemies” – vs 10

“I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house…” – vs 10

“I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons” – vs 11

“I will establish his kingdom” – vs 11

“I will establish his throne forever.” – vs 12

“I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son… – vs 13

“I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you…” – vs 13

“I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever…” – vs 14

This covenant was dependent solely on God and required nothing of David. It provides a vivid picture of God’s faithfulness and love but says nothing of David’s worthiness or obedience. David had done nothing to earn or deserve this covenant from God. Even his desire to build a house for God had been flatly rejected. God never asked David to build Him a Temple because He didn’t need one. While David’s heart was in the right place, his intentions were misguided. He desired to make God’s name great by constructing a Temple worthy of His glory. But why had David waited so long to come up with a plan to upgrade God’s dwelling place? He had enjoyed years living in the luxury of his royal palace while the Ark of the Covenant sat in a tent.

Again, verse 1 of 1 Samuel 7 sheds some light on this situation. Samuel indicates that “the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies” (2 Samuel 7:1 ESV). This would seem to indicate that Israel was enjoying an extended period of national peace. This would not have been the case early in David’s reign because he faced constant threats from the Philistines. So, it would seem that the ratification of this covenant came much later in David’s life. That would mean his decision to build a house for God came near the end of his reign.

It seems David’s change of heart was motivated more by embarrassment than a divinely inspired epiphany. He came to the sudden realization that he had prioritized his own needs over those of God. This led him to confess, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!” (2 Samuel 7:2 NLT).

But God had other plans of which David and Nathan the prophet were both ignorant. When David first ran his idea by Nathan, the prophet had given him the go-ahead. It sounded like a great idea to him and he gave his hearty approval, even suggesting that God was fully behind the project. But Nathan soon discovered that God had something else in mind. His plans for David did not include the construction of a temple. In fact, God turned the tables and informed David that it was He who would do the house-building.

“I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house.” – 1 Chronicles 17:10 ESV

God didn’t need David to build Him a house. But David needed God’s help in building a kingdom. Basking in the peace and prosperity that marked the latter days of his reign, David decided it was time to shift his focus from warfare to worship. He was convicted over his neglect of the ark and wanted to do something to remedy the problem. He dreamed of erecting a magnificent building that would reflect the glory of God. But God had never commissioned David to be a construction manager. He reminds David of his primary role as king: “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel” (1 Chronicles 17:7 ESV). He was to lead and care for the people of God.

It was God who would do the building and it was not a temple or a palace He had in mind. God promised to give David a legacy that would last long after his death. His son, Solomon, would follow him as king, and his reign would be marked by unprecedented peace and prosperity. It would be Solomon who would build a magnificent temple for God. The son would fulfill the father’s dream.

Yet, the sad reality is that Solomon’s reign would not end well. He would prove to be disobedient to God, having married hundreds of foreign wives and worshiping their false gods. As a result, God would split the kingdom in half. While descendants of David would continue to rule over Judah from his throne in Jerusalem, another line of kings would reign over the northern kingdom of Israel. Then the time would come when both kingdoms would end up in captivity, the direct result of their stubborn disobedience and unfaithfulness to God. From that point forward, no kings would rule over Israel or Judah.

The chronicler recorded this covenant agreement so that the remnant of Israelites who had returned from captivity in Babylon would be reminded of their history but, more importantly, that they would trust the promise of God. As they heard the words of this covenant, they must have wondered when it would be fulfilled. What did God mean when He told David, “I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever” (1 Chronicles 17:14 NLT)? There was no throne in Jerusalem and, even if there was, there was no king to sit on it. There was no descendant of David to rule and reign over God’s chosen people.

From their perspective, it appeared as if God had broken His end of the agreement. The line of David had ended. The dynasty had come to an abrupt and ignominious end. But what they failed to understand was that God had a plan that included the fulfillment of His covenant promises. Every “I will” statement that God made to David would come about just as He said. A descendant of David would sit on the throne in Jerusalem. The dynasty of David did not end with the Babylonian captivity.

This passage points to Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who will one day return to earth and reclaim the throne of David. Centuries after David received this covenant commitment from God, an angel would appear to a young virgin, telling her, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:31-33 NLT).

The prophet Isaiah foretold of the coming of this King when he wrote, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity” (Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT).

Daniel also told of a kingdom to come: “…the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever” (Daniel 2:44 NLT).

The apostle John, in the vision given to him while exiled on the island of Patmos, saw this coming King in all His glory.

“…and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads…the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, ‘You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.’” – Revelation 4:2-4, 10-11 ESV

The Davidic covenant is a watershed moment in the story of David’s life. God was letting David know that his kingdom would be far greater and far more impactful than anything he could ever imagine. God’s plans for David went well beyond his reign or that of his son, and while the descendants of David proved unfaithful and unreliable, God remained committed to His covenant and faithful to fulfill what He has promised. The apostle John concludes his great book of Revelation with the stirring image of Christ’s reign on the throne of David:

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:2-4 ESV

The remnant wanted an immediate solution to their problem. Their expectations were for a king who would lead them to victory and prosperity. They wanted a short-term solution to a long-term problem. But God had bigger plans that involved far more than their finite minds could grasp. They had been set free from captivity, but they were still slaves to sin. They had returned to the land of promise but little did they know that they were waiting for the child of the promise. God was playing the long game. He had King in mind who would fulfill every promise He had made to David and, while the years would pass before His arrival, the wait would be well worth it.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Lord Reigns

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1 And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord 3 and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.

4 Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. 7 Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers.

8 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
10 Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
11 Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of Israel his servant,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

14 He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
17 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
    as your portion for an inheritance.”

19 When you were few in number,
    of little account, and sojourners in it,
20 wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
21 he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
22 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
    Tell of his salvation from day to day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!
25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and joy are in his place.

28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
30     tremble before him, all the earth;
    yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
    and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    let the field exult, and everything in it!
33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
    before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

35 Say also:

“Save us, O God of our salvation,
    and gather and deliver us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
    and glory in your praise.
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!”

Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. – 1 Chronicles 16:1-36 ESV

This passage provides evidence for why God considered David to be a man after His own heart. Despite his flaws, David was deeply committed to God and fully aware of his dependence upon the Lord’s love, mercy, and grace. Since his anointing by Samuel as a young boy, David had learned to rely upon the presence and power of God in his life. His journey from the sheepfold to the palace had not been an easy one, but God had been with him all along the way. He had experienced periods of extreme difficulty and moments of exhilarating victory. He had been able to survive the former and rejoice in the latter because of the sovereign hand of God.

As he celebrated his consolidated kingship and the successful placement of the Ark of the Covenant within the walls of Jerusalem, David expressed his immense gratitude to God for all He had done. By transferring the ark to his newly established capital city, David was reminding the people of Israel that God was going to be at the center of his reign. In fact, he wanted every Israelite to understand that it was God who was their true King.

“Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!'” ­– 1 Chronicles 16:31 NLT

This entire ceremony was intended to elevate Yahweh among the people by making Him the center of attention. The ark was nothing more than a symbol of God’s abiding presence. It possessed no magical powers and, on its own, could provide no benefits to the people of Israel. But it had been designed by God and deemed the seat on which His glory would descend and rest. When God gave Moses the plans for constructing the Tabernacle, He included the specifications for the ark and the Mercy Seat that served as its cover or lid.

“Then make the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold. It must be 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover. Mold the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they will protect it. Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.” – Exodus 25:17-22 NLT

In essence, the Mercy Seat served as God’s earthly throne. It was from there that He ruled and reigned over His chosen people during their days of wandering in the wilderness. David wanted his new subjects to understand that their allegiance was to be to God Almighty, not him. David served as a vice-regent under the one true King. It was God who was worthy of worship and reverence. Despite his crowning as king, David knew that his role was still that of a shepherd tasked with shepherding the flock of God. David had been chosen to care for sheep of God’s pasture, but they had proved to be particularly wayward and stubborn.

…he [God] led his own people like a flock of sheep,
    guiding them safely through the wilderness.
He kept them safe so they were not afraid;
    but the sea covered their enemies.
He brought them to the border of his holy land,
    to this land of hills he had won for them.
He drove out the nations before them;
    he gave them their inheritance by lot.
    He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.

But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High.
    They did not obey his laws. – Psalm 78:52-56 NLT

Over the years, the Israelites displayed a stubborn rebellious streak that repeatedly tested God’s patience. Their demand for a king had resulted in the appointment of Saul, who proved to be a bitter disappointment. But God graciously provided a replacement who would shepherd His flock well.

He chose his servant David,
    calling him from the sheep pens.
He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
    and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
    God’s own people, Israel.
He cared for them with a true heart
    and led them with skillful hands. – Psalm 78:70-72 NLT

The chronicler knew that his audience of returned exiles longed for the day when God would give them a king like David. They suffered from the-good-old-days syndrome, dreaming of the moment when they would have their own king who would shepherd them with a true heart and lead them with skillful hands. But the chronicler wanted them to understand that God was their King and he still ruled and reigned among them.

By including David’s song of thanksgiving, the chronicler drove home the message that Yahweh sits on His throne ruling over all mankind and accomplishing His divine will as He sees fit. As David began his long-awaited reign as the king of Israel, he reminded his subjects that God was the ultimate king of their nation. David set up the ark in the capital city of Jerusalem to assure his subjects that this kingdom was a theocracy first and a monarchy second. David reigned on God’s behalf and at His bequest. God had put him on the throne and God could just as easily remove him. Both David and the people were obligated to treat God with the dignity, honor, and reverence He deserved.

David led the people in a celebration of God’s goodness and grace. The arrival of the Ark in the city of Jerusalem was a reminder that God was intimately involved in their lives. For that reason, He deserved their praise, worship, allegiance, and thanksgiving. David reminded them of all that God has done on their behalf. He recalled God’s faithfulness and redemptive work in their lives over the years.

Remember the wonders he has performed,
    his miracles, and the rulings he has given… – 1 Chronicles 16:12 NLT

He wanted them to know that their God was good and worthy of praise.

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
    Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
    Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! – 1 Chronicles 16:23-25 NLT

It was the Israelites’ relationship with God that set them apart from all the other nations. He was the difference maker. It was their status as God’s chosen people that made them unique among all the other people groups that populated the planet at that time. God was real and not an idol. He was powerful and not just a figment of someone’s fertile imagination, and He had been intimately involved in every aspect of their daily lives for generations.

They wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
    He warned kings on their behalf:
“Do not touch my chosen people,
    and do not hurt my prophets.” – 1 Chronicles 16:20-22 NLT

For all that, He is to be worshiped, praised and obeyed.

Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
    Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
   Let all the earth tremble before him.
    The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. – 1 Chronicles 16:29-30 NLT

The chronicler used these powerful words of David to remind the remnant of returned exiles that their God was still powerful and fully capable of meeting their needs. He knew that they were demoralized and doubting the goodness and greatness of God. As they surveyed the state of the city of Jerusalem, they saw its broken-down walls, its dilapidated houses, and the hastily restored Temple that was a sad shadow of the grand house that Solomon had built. To make matters worse, the Holy of Holies of this Temple was missing the Ark of the Covenant. The chronicler knew that they were questioning the presence and power of God, so he used this historical moment from the life of David to restore their confidence and trust in their ever-present, all-powerful God.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation!
    Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
    and rejoice and praise you.”

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who lives from everlasting to everlasting! – 1 Chronicles 16:34-36 NLT

This passage also serves as a timely reminder to all those who call themselves the people of God. The words of David should convict us of the many times we doubt and become disillusioned with God’s seeming absence or apathy toward our circumstances. Both David and the chronicler would have us recall that our God is just as powerful today as He was then. He is timeless and tireless when it comes to His providential care for His people. He deserves our praise as much as He did theirs. He is worthy of our thanks, praise, honor, and obedience – because He alone is God and it is He alone who is to reign in the lives of His people.

Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
    Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. – 1 Chronicles 16:29 NLT

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT

God is worthy of worship, deserving of praise, and fully owed our thanksgiving and honor for all that He has done for us.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.