Christ the King Sunday
Bob Wickizer
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Since it is ''Christ the King'' Sunday, I thought we might start off with some facts about kings.
Which of Henry VIII's wives was a decent golf player?
Catherine Par
What did Anne Boleyn's mother say when Anne told her that she was in love with Henry VIII?
''Don't get too serious. The man's not worth losing your head over.''
Getting more personal, I have no male children so what do Henry VIII and I have in common?
Receding heir lines
The political form of a monarchy can be the most efficient form of government OR it can be the most dangerous and susceptible to corruption. Efficient because a king whose heart is for the people and who ''gathers and tends'' as Jeremiah suggests; that kind of benevolent king can really get things done. On the other hand, absolute power corrupts absolutely so that of the 23 kings of Israel, 8 of them were assassinated or died due to political problems.
It wasn't always that way. When Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, God told him that if the Jews would follow in God's ways, they would be ''a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'' If they would serve the one true King, and they would have no need for an earthly king. But they insisted on having an earthly king and in many respects, they got exactly what they deserved.
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses lays down the requirements for a Jewish monarch. Under that formulation, the king's materialistic pursuits were limited. He was to be humble above all things and follow God in all things. The king idea remained on hold with Israel for about 400 years when prophets and judges maintained political order. Finally, the prophet Samuel gives in to the will of the people who clamor for a king ''like all the other nations.'' Before anointing Saul as the first king, Samuel warns Israel about the dangers in having an absolute monarch.
After a terrific start, King Saul loses favor with God. God tells Sa ...
Bob Wickizer
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Since it is ''Christ the King'' Sunday, I thought we might start off with some facts about kings.
Which of Henry VIII's wives was a decent golf player?
Catherine Par
What did Anne Boleyn's mother say when Anne told her that she was in love with Henry VIII?
''Don't get too serious. The man's not worth losing your head over.''
Getting more personal, I have no male children so what do Henry VIII and I have in common?
Receding heir lines
The political form of a monarchy can be the most efficient form of government OR it can be the most dangerous and susceptible to corruption. Efficient because a king whose heart is for the people and who ''gathers and tends'' as Jeremiah suggests; that kind of benevolent king can really get things done. On the other hand, absolute power corrupts absolutely so that of the 23 kings of Israel, 8 of them were assassinated or died due to political problems.
It wasn't always that way. When Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, God told him that if the Jews would follow in God's ways, they would be ''a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'' If they would serve the one true King, and they would have no need for an earthly king. But they insisted on having an earthly king and in many respects, they got exactly what they deserved.
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses lays down the requirements for a Jewish monarch. Under that formulation, the king's materialistic pursuits were limited. He was to be humble above all things and follow God in all things. The king idea remained on hold with Israel for about 400 years when prophets and judges maintained political order. Finally, the prophet Samuel gives in to the will of the people who clamor for a king ''like all the other nations.'' Before anointing Saul as the first king, Samuel warns Israel about the dangers in having an absolute monarch.
After a terrific start, King Saul loses favor with God. God tells Sa ...
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