The concept of kingship in the Bible is deeply intertwined with the sovereignty and ordination of God. Throughout the Scriptures, God is depicted as the ultimate authority who establishes and deposes kings according to His divine will and purpose. This entry explores the biblical understanding of kingship, focusing on the notion that God ordains rulers to fulfill His plans.

Divine Sovereignty and Kingship

The Bible consistently affirms that God is the supreme ruler over all creation, including human governments. In the Old Testament, the establishment of kingship in Israel is portrayed as a response to the people's demand for a human king, akin to the nations around them. Despite this request, God remains the ultimate King, as seen in 1 Samuel 8:7, where the LORD tells Samuel, "It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king."

God's Selection of Kings

God's ordination of kings is evident in His selection of Saul, David, and Solomon as the first monarchs of Israel. In 1 Samuel 9:16, God reveals to Samuel that He has chosen Saul to be the ruler over His people: "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over My people Israel." Similarly, David is chosen by God to succeed Saul, as described in 1 Samuel 16:12-13: "Then the LORD said, 'Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.' So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward."

The Role of Kings in God's Plan

Kings in the Bible are often seen as instruments through which God accomplishes His purposes. This is evident in the reign of King David, who, despite his flaws, is described as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). David's kingship is pivotal in establishing Jerusalem as the political and spiritual center of Israel and in preparing the way for the Messiah, who would come from his lineage.

Solomon, David's son, is also ordained by God to build the temple in Jerusalem, a central place of worship for the Israelites. In 1 Kings 5:5, Solomon declares, "Behold, I intend to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, saying, 'Your son, whom I will put on the throne in your place, will build the house for My Name.'"

God's Judgment and the Removal of Kings

While God ordains kings, He also holds them accountable for their actions. The Bible records instances where God removes kings due to their disobedience and failure to uphold His commandments. Saul's rejection as king is a prime example, as seen in 1 Samuel 15:26, where Samuel tells Saul, "You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel."

The Babylonian exile serves as a broader illustration of God's judgment on the kings of Judah and Israel for their persistent idolatry and injustice. Despite the fall of these kingdoms, God's sovereignty remains, and He promises restoration through a future King, the Messiah.

The Messianic King

The ultimate fulfillment of God's ordination of kings is found in Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah and eternal King. The New Testament presents Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, whose reign is established forever. In Revelation 19:16, it is declared, "And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

Through Jesus, the divine purpose of kingship is fully realized, as He embodies perfect justice, righteousness, and peace. His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), yet it encompasses all creation, fulfilling God's sovereign plan for humanity and the world.Romans 13:1
Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Providence of God
... God's decree ordains things that shall fall out, God's providence orders ... us, but
it is ordered by a providence of God. ... a clear instance of this in I Kings 22:24 ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/14 the providence of god.htm

God's Providence
... of our race, the crimes of nations, the iniquities of kings, the cruelties ... Providence
says, Whatever God ordains must be; but the wisdom of God never ordains ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 54 1908/gods providence.htm

Of the Conformity of Our Will to that Will of God which is ...
... such sort as God desires, nor does God desire that ... retiring into a monastery, for
charity ordains that you ... and servants: as also it commands kings and princes ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter vi of the conformity.htm

On the Presentation of the Blessed virgin, or on the Octave of Her ...
... To this he added that which is written in the third of Kings. ... to most men, because
their God hung on the Cross for their sakes, therefore God ordains that man ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon xiv on the presentation.htm

Chapter xvi
... For yishma'e'l means "God hears." When God ordains this name, He ... call upon Him, stamps
Him as truly a Living God and not a ... 1:10; Psalm 42:2; 84:2; 2 Kings 19:4 ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xvi.htm

The Work of Our Sanctification.
... Would to God that kings, and their ministers, princes of ... use of the means that God,
the sovereign ... lovingly whatever this paternal Providence ordains that we ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/section iii the work of our.htm

The World, Created by God, Still Cherished and Protected by Him. ...
... to Hezekiah, its shadow receded ten degrees (2 Kings 20:11 ... God made the bones of
his Son frangible, though he ... is to say, he not only sees, but ordains what he ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 16 the world created.htm

The Inexhaustible Barrel
... If God would choose kings and princes, then would men admire his choice. ... without
knowledge, without wit, these are the very ones that God ordains to save. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/the inexhaustible barrel.htm

The Axe at the Root --A Testimony against Puseyite Idolatry
... together, the worship under the Christian dispensation which God ordains, and which ...
the common people, for ye are made priests and kings unto God to offer ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 12 1866/the axe at the roota.htm

Whether for the Justification of the Ungodly is Required a ...
... wisdom when asleep, as related in 3 Kings 3 and ... previous desire wisdom would be infused
into him by God. ... the gift of justifying grace especially ordains a man ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether for the justification of.htm

What does it mean that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords? | GotQuestions.org

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