LEADER AND COMMANDER

When God formed the descendents of Abraham into a nation, and redeemed them out of Egypt, it was ever His intention that He would lead and guide them according to His own purposes, and for their blessing.

He wrought mighty miracles on their behalf, and brought them into the land of promise, with cities, vineyards and wells ready provided. It must have grieved His heart when they demanded a king to rule them ‘like all the nations’, 1 Sam. 8. 5. Sadly, He would say to Samuel, ‘they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me’, 1 Sam. 8. 7.

For many generations they suffered the consequences of their choice. God, in mercy, raised up faithful leaders from time to time, but the heart of the nation was set on idolatry which finally brought them into captivity. For a brief time, under Nehemiah, there was a measure of recovery. Yet, by the time the Lord Jesus came, the nation was ready to cry, ‘We have no king but Caesar’, John 19.15.

The prophet Hosea foresaw the present situation; ‘the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince’, Hos. 3. 4. But the Scripture makes it abundantly clear that this will not be their final state!

In anticipation of the coming Millennial reign, the voice of Jehovah is heard through the Psalmist, ‘Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion’, Ps. 2. 5. The nation at large said, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us’, Luke 19. 14. Yet a redeemed, restored, regathered nation will welcome this same One as both ‘leader and commander’.

After the rapture of the church, the world will readily give allegiance to the men energised by Satan. They, however, will be overthrown by the glorious return of the ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’, Rev. 19. 20. Then, as ‘leader’ in his actions and as ‘commander’ in His words, He will rule with absolute authority. And rule, not only over the nation of Israel, but over all ‘peoples’ Isa. 55. 4 RV, ‘from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth’, Ps. 72. 8. This will be perfect, just and equitable government, such as earth has never experienced before.