Royal history is fascinating. The impact on and the role of women in actual patriarchal societies is so telling. The strategic and manipulative methods women had to use to attain some autonomy were always creative and sometimes sinister. Reading about their issues is intriguing and helps us put our craziness in perspective. God uses kings, their kingdoms, and their rule in parables to teach us about Him and His kingdom. When we see the word “kings” in the Bible, we can substitute the word for president or anyone with a lot of power over a group of people. This could be a president, another leader, a celebrity, an influencer, or even someone we love.
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
1 Samuel 8:19-20
Be Careful What You Wish For
Initially, God ruled Israel only through His prophets and priests. Israel was the only society that didn’t have a king to rule them. Instead of celebrating their differences or embracing the beauty of having a mighty and powerful God rule them, they wanted what everyone else had. Doesn’t that sound familiar? God gives us something supreme, but we get it in our head that we want something different, even though it’s substandard. That thought process began in the garden and continues until now. In verses 10-16, God gave them an accurate and detailed list of what they were giving the king power to do, but they insisted. God, like parents, will sometimes allow us to have what we want, even though it’s not the best.
“It is He (God) who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise And [greater] knowledge to those who have understanding!”
Daniel 2:21
Justifying Abuse
Many Eastern and Western European kings, Pharos, Roman, and Asian emperors insisted they were gods. This enabled them to gain complete control over their subjects and justify living in extreme wealth while their subjects were impoverished. Some queens wielded power, but most were pawns forced to play specific roles in the fleshly games of kings. The book of Romans 1:24 tells us that God is. different kind of king. He doesn’t force us to do anything; He doesn’t take from us but gives sacrificially. God allows us to make independent decisions and suffer the consequences. That’s the hardest thing to do when you love someone and see them doing something harmful to themselves or others. I know God feels that way when we sit on it or put other things or people on the throne.
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Lord Acton
Preventable Pain
Believing themselves to be gods, many Kings began to engage in incest to keep the royal bloodline “pure.” This also served the greedy purpose of maintaining the power and money in the family. Engaging in incest is a direct violation of God’s specific law. The resulting congenital disabilities aren’t God’s punishment; they are a scientific consequence of prideful behavior, putting oneself above God’s commands. These incestuous offspring suffered from insanity (this also came from STDs from all the affairs), health problems, and physical deformities, and many children were miscarried or died in infancy. Women were often the victim’s of this act of idol worship. All of this was preventable. (Click here for photo evidence and a shortlist of 16 royal issues from this pompous and greedy violation of God’s law.)
All of us like sheep have gone astray, We have turned, each one, to his own way;
Isaiah 53:6
But the Lord has caused the wickedness of us all [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]
To fall on Him [instead of us].
Before We Judge
Before we judge kings too harshly, let’s ask what we may have done to elevate ourselves in a way that caused our own pain. Have we crossd the boundary of putting ourselves on the throne or have we worshipped others? Would we temper our speech and our actions if we had ultimate power? God didn’t design human beings to handle worship, nor did He design us to be at the mercy of evil men and women. We are corruptible since we have a venom of sin running through our veins from that garden bite. Let’s ask God to show us any corrputed areas imposed on us (like queens) or that we have done. It takes humility, but He will help us and as we continue in Him, before we know it, those things are in our distant past.
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9
Prayer
Thank you, God, for loving me completely, sin and all. Nothing is hidden from You and I sit in stillness before You. I lift to You the areas on my mind where I’ve put a king, a loved one, a celebrity, or myself on the throne where You belong. Please forgive me. You know it already; I will give it to You, and I choose to put You in its place. Lord, show me these areas that hold me back or cause preventable pain. You forgive me as I lift them to You. Thank You for Your faithfulness, kindness, and goodness! There is no one like You.
Poem
God provides us with little reminders of wisdom. This poem, “Winter,” is about the wisdom we can gain when we see things differently, like the changes in the seasons. God is willing to do new things in our lives when we step off the throne.
