A King Worth Waiting for

Our church read through the Bible together last year. It was a great experience and provided for a lot of good questions and discussions. We followed Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s Bible reading plan. It was good to feed  on the same pastures together at the same time.


One of the portions of Scripture that really drew a considerable amount of interest with our people was the period of the kings.  I was surprised that portion of Old Testament Scripture drew so much dialog. 


What we see over and over again in Israel’s history with their kings is that they always left you wanting.  Israel, both northern and southern kingdoms, went through many different rulers. Some were truly terrible, evil, and despicable. Others were just “meh”. They have some good qualities and some bad.  There were a few who started off good and ended badly.  Still others started bad and finished well.  Even their best kings (i.e., David and Solomon) had major issues and blemishes on their resumes. 


After discussing these ups and downs amongst ourselves,  and questioning the effects of these kings and their decisions on the common people of Israel, we were left craving a true king.  The reader is left with a thirst, or a desire to see a King come and rule in righteousness.  You want a King who will be mighty, fearless, and will care for the poor and weak.   These failing kings of the O.T. are the salt that make you thirsty for the Living Water.  They prepare us to seek a true King. 


In God’s perfect timing, in the fullness of time, God sent His only Begotten Son into this world to fulfill that very role. In Jesus we have a true King.  We have a king who is righteous.  We have a King who is truly fearless.  We have a King who looks to serve others, especially the poor and lowly. He is a King who would take our place and bear our wrath. Jesus is the King that these royal failures of the Old Testament make us hungry for. And King Jesus does not disappoint  in anyway. He is truly a King worth waiting for.