King and Subjects

God expresses His love for His people through many pictures. One of those pictures is the relationship between a king and his subjects. While the Bible may not explicitly connect this relationship with the concept of love, nevertheless it does present aspects of a loving God. Stories of harsh and cruel kings abound, but both history and fiction are also filled with the accounts of good kings who truly loved their people. God takes that concept to its highest possible level. As a benevolent monarch, God provides for and protects His subjects; He lovingly rules over their world and their lives.

One important aspect of the loving King is His power. This is vitally important, as it allows the King to carry out what His heart desires to do. "Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle" (Psalm 24:8). The Bible reveals that "His eyes keep watch on the nations" (Psalm 66:7) and that "His sovereignty rules over all" (Psalm 103:19). God the King is paying attention to everything that happens. He has the power to control, restrict, direct, and override the actions of men. Because He knows what is happening in the lives of His subjects, and because He has all power to control what happens, the King is able to act properly toward those He loves.

A second important aspect of the loving King is His righteousness. It would matter very little that He is able to do anything if He did not choose to do the right thing. There is no such fear regarding the actions of God, because He always does what is right. "With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the LORD. . . . for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity" (Psalm 98:6,9). God's decisions are right and fair. He does what is right because it is part of His character and because righteousness is so important to Him. "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness" (Psalm 45:6-7). Righteousness is so inherent in this King that He cannot choose any other verdict.

A third important aspect regarding this loving King is that He is divine. "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever" (I Timothy 1:17). I have heard the evaluation that the best form of human government would be a monarchy - provided the monarch is a good one. Sadly, citizens could prosper under such a ruler only to have him die and be succeeded by a scoundrel. There is no such fear with God. He is an eternal King, existing before the creation of the world and lasting past the destruction of the world. He is immortal; He cannot die. This King will always rule. He will always be in control. There will never be a time that the believer's benevolent monarch is replaced with any other ruler.

Fourth, this loving King is helpful. Yes, He does deliver His people and make righteous judgments as noted above, but He also interacts positively in the lives of His citizens. Beyond being merely a wall of defense or a righteous judge, He is a King who provides blessing for His subjects. "The LORD sat as King at the flood; yes, the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace" (Psalm 29:10-11). This loving King helps His people in the living of daily life by giving them strength and enabling them to do the mundane or ordinary tasks that fill their days. Wonderfully, He also gives the blessing of peace, providing a beneficial atmosphere in which His citizens can live their lives.

Fifth, there is the very precious truth that this loving King is compassionate. He takes a special interest and shows a special care for those who are most needy. There are people who fall through the cracks in society, and who do not have anyone to advocate on their behalf or provide for them. The King claims these needy subjects as His own personal responsibility. "The LORD is King forever and ever: nations have perished from His land. O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror" (Psalm 10:16-18).

Psalm 145 offers praise to this kind and compassionate King. "I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever" (v. 1). The passage recalls the King's power and mighty works (vs. 3-6, 10-12). It speaks of His blessings and goodness (vs. 7-9). Then comes a beautiful description of how this King interacts with the neediest of His subjects. "The LORD sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous is all His ways and kind in all His deeds. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. The LORD keeps all who love Him" (vs. 14-20). This King knows who really needs help, and He graciously draws from His infinite resources to lovingly minister to them.

What a wonder that the Almighty God would allow such needy and sinful people to be part of His kingdom! Not only does He claim as citizens those who have trusted in Him, but He goes beyond that to give them a share in the riches of His kingdom. "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world'" (Matthew 25:34).

"There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore." Isaiah 9:7 (NASB)