By Shirley Rosemarie Evans
“This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.
The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use.
1 Samuel 8:11-16 NLT
About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.
Acts 12:1-3
Growing up in the UK, I have seen firsthand what it looks like to have a Queen now King and the attendant peerage with so many titles- Duke, Marquis, Earl, Baroness, etc. Each member of the peerage receives vast land rights so that these select few own much of the land, generating huge sums in private income. Historically there were battles over the rights to the throne, lives lost or imprisoned in the famous Tower of London. Wars for land also took place; with each successful campaign, more land was acquired, creating vast estates that needed large numbers of people to run and maintain them. This created tension as workers were all but enslaved to what were often very unfair owners who exacted work and enforced loyalty with unfair practices. Today, workers receive fairer treatment, but the truth still stands that an unequal society is divided by class, wealth, titles, privilege, etc.
As we look across our world, we must know that even without a monarch, all societies are divided, and those who rule will often exploit and make unjust laws. Current conflicts over land rights and who rules include Russia & Ukraine, Palestine & Israel, Afghanistan, and Yemen, to name but a few. And where there is no outright war, there are continuous power struggles with questionable tactics, such as the current US electoral campaign and instability in UK politics.
But our God is a different type of King; He invites everyone to be a part of His Kingdom and become joint heirs with Jesus, joint heirs to all the riches of heaven, which look vastly different to the riches of this life. In this life, riches are those things that are often gained by the exploitation of others held by a few and may be lost in a moment – the stock market crashes, companies going bankrupt, divorce, war, natural disasters. Fragile indeed. But in God’s economy, riches are eternal. In Christ, God “has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3). We are called, chosen, forgiven, adopted into a new family, made joint heirs, declared to be a royal priesthood, empowered by His Holy Spirit, sent out to the world as Christ’s Ambassadors to reconcile others, we live new lives in Christ now and promised eternal life with Him for eternity. And then there is the love, the joy, the peace, the limitless grace and the overwhelming mercy; I could go on, but the point is clear: the riches we enjoy in and through Christ Jesus are the things least valued in this earthly kingdom.
Of course, God’s people may likewise be blessed with material wealth, but the issue will always be where our hearts are. When God is king, even our acquisition of wealth is not merely for selfish ambition; we contribute to building the Kingdom so that others may know that life can be oh so different when we serve the King.
Ask: Why do you think nations are constantly at war over land?
Seek: Reflect on your life; is your focus on seeking first the kingdom of God or are you distracted by the temporary treasures that this world has to offer? What will you do to keep focus or refocus where needed?
Knock: Dear God, we thank you for being a different kind of King, and the treasures of your Kingdom are eternal. Help us to have a made-up mind to forsake the things of this life that do not satisfy, and are so easily lost and to seek first Your Kingdom and your righteousness. Help us to be good stewards of all that you bless us with, using all for Your glory. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen
