"The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God; yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although He make it not to grow." [2 Sam 23:3-5]
Living in this world, we have no doubt seen the corruption that exists in judgment and leadership. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, “I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.” [Ecc 3:16] In His wisdom, The LORD ordains leaders and judges for the ideal purpose of upholding that which is good and right. Speaking of the man who is in authority, Paul wrote,
“For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” [Rom 13:4]
Leadership was ordained of The LORD to uphold good and punish evil, to establish and maintain an environment for the people which is conducive to seeking after God. However, this is not always the case in practice, for men, of their own free will, grow lusty for power and control and often abuse those whom God has placed under them. Jesus knew this, and told us, saying, “ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.” [Mt 20:25] But regardless of what the world does, The Lord expects us to behave ourselves differently. Regarding leadership, we read again what God spoke to David,
“The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.” [2 Sam 23:3-4]
If we are in a position of leadership, we ought to fear God; for it is written, “The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.” [Dan 4:25] It is a grave responsibility given of God to rule over men, men that He has created and which He loves. And to that man The LORD speaks, saying, “he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” The man who rules in the fear of God, recognizing the position he holds and the gravity of God’s intentions for him, will, The LORD says, “be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds.” That man shall rule with such a good disposition and form, fearing God, that he shall be like the pleasant, morning sun and fresh, dewy grass, even as it says of Christ’s rule, who is the ultimate King, “He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. In His days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.” [Psa 72:6-7] This is the ideal: that whomever The LORD so chooses to appoint as a ruler would steward that position in such a God-fearing way as to be a great and righteous light, one that promotes peace and growth. As Solomon says in Proverbs, and as is true of Christ, “in the light of the king’s countenance is life; and His favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.” [Prov 16:15]
However, though God’s intentions are so, and His laws of rule tending toward such a good conclusion, the reality of the matter is that few kings obey these directions. Instead, most men do what is right in their own eyes, exercising undue harshness and ruling in a way that promotes self-will instead of God’s will. Even David was not perfect, as he says in our passage for today, “…my house be not so with God…” But even though David’s house was not according to God’s ideal; though it was not in perfect accordance with just rulership as defined by God – a standard which glorifies the True King, one Christ Jesus – yet, David gloriously said,
“Yet [The God of Israel] hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although He maketh it not to grow.” [2 Sam 23:5]
Despite David’s sinful deeds, despite his failures, despite his disobediences, still God made with him “an everlasting covenant.” God is filled with such grace, such wonderful grace, that He, despite our shortcomings and failures and sin, still chooses to love us and bless us. And here, David shows us that The LORD goes so far as to promise the Messiah, The Seed of David and of The Woman, in whose blood this everlasting covenant would be written, to come from his household. As The LORD said earlier in the book,
“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.I will be his father, and he shall be my son…” [2 Sam 7:12-14]
And again, in Psalms,
“The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.” [Psa 132:11]
To the man who murdered and committed adultery; to the man who lacked strength to discipline his children; who became unduly angry; who despaired of life in deep sorrow; who fled to the enemy and played the fool – yes, to this man, whom God loves with an everlasting love, was the promise made and secured, as David said, “ordered in all things, and sure.” May this be eternally comforting to us, who also sin as David, who also fail time and time again. May this provoke us to love and adoration of our Great King, Jesus, who affords us such glorious and unending mercy at the foot of God’s throne, that beautiful “throne of Grace.” [Heb 4:16]
It is not of our works for which God blesses us, for it says of Christ, “men shall be blessed in Him.” [Psa 72:17] And again, “He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.” [Eph 1:6] It is not through our righteousness and goodness that we are blessed or accepted of God, just as it was not through David’s that this promise was made to him. But it is through Jesus’ righteousness and life we are accepted and blessed, both now and eternally, for remember that God.
“Hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” [Eph 2:6-8]
So praise be to our God and King who though we do not always behave ourselves in perfect alignment with His will, yet chooses to bless us in His Son, Jesus Christ, and shall forevermore.
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