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The Lord is our Judge, Lawgiver and King!
“For the LORD is our Judge, The LORD is our Lawgiver,
The LORD is our King; He will save us” (Isaiah 33:22).
As is true of every effective government, God's kingdom
has judicial, legislative and executive powers.
Because in worldly governments, people in power tend to
misuse their power, the judicial and the executive powers are
separated in democracies. Sometimes the legislative and
executive powers are also separated.
God does not misuse His power. He knows everything,
including “the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews
4:12). Because of His holiness, justice, knowledge, wisdom,
love, goodness, mercy and power, the Lord is infinitely qualified
to serve as Judge, Lawgiver and King.
The Lord is our Judge.
A judge is someone who is authorized to decide questions
brought before a court of justice. A judge makes his decision
after evaluating the facts and applying the law.
God is “the Judge of all the earth” (Genesis 18:25). “He is
coming to judge the earth” (1 Chronicles 16:32). “God is a just
judge” (Psalm 7:11). “The Lord shall endure forever; He has
prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in
righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the
peoples in uprightness” (Psalm 9:7, 8).
The heavenly Father has appointed His Son, Jesus Christ,
to “judge the living and the dead at His appearing” (2 Timothy
4:1). “They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge
the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5).
God “has appointed a day on which He will judge the world
in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has
given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead”
(Acts 17:31).
On your calendar you have no doubt noted important
appointments. What could be more important than our
appointment with God on Judgment Day? “Therefore we make
it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to
Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
that each one may receive the things done in the body,
according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2
Corinthians 5:9, 10).
Judgment Day is drawing near. It is extremely important
that we know the basis upon which we will be judged.
The Lord is our Lawgiver.
A lawgiver is someone who is authorized to draft and
enact laws. A law is a rule of conduct imposed by authority,
which one is obligated to obey, usually with a designated
punishment for violation.
“There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to
destroy” (James 4:12).
It is extremely important that we know the law of the Lord
because compliance or non-compliance will determine whether
we spend eternity in heaven or in hell. And eternity is a long,
long time.
The law of the Lord must be learned. The Lord was well-disposed
towards king Jehoshaphat of Judah because “his heart
took delight in the ways of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 17:6). He
sent leaders throughout the country to teach the law: “So they
taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the Lord with
them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught
the people” (2 Chronicles 17:9).
Ezra the priest “had prepared his heart to seek the Law of
the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in
Israel” (Ezra 7:10).
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The
testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm
19:7).
Of “the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2) Paul wrote, “I delight
in the law of God” and “I serve the law of God” (Romans 7:22,
26). He also explained that “the carnal mind is enmity against
God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be”
(Romans 8:7).
Of the Messianic reign it was predicted, “Many people shall
come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the
Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His
ways, And we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go
forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah
2:3).
Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My
words, has that which judges him - the word that I have spoken
will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).
The Lord has given us His law. By learning and obeying His
law we are getting ready for the day of judgment.
The Lord is our King.
A king is the sovereign ruler of a kingdom, the highest
authority over a realm.
“The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the
everlasting King” (Jeremiah 10:10).
“I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your
name forever and ever” (Psalm 145:1).
“Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our
King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing
praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God
sits on His holy throne” (Psalm 47:6-8).
The armed forces of a king support his authority. Our King
is Yahweh Zebaoth, Lord of hosts, Lord of heavenly forces.
“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you
everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is
this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD
mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you
everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is
this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory”
(Psalm 24:7-10).
When the king of Syria wanted to capture Elisha, “he sent
horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by
night and surrounded the city. And when the servant of the
man of God arose early and went out, there was an army,
surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant
said to him, 'Alas, my master! What shall we do?' So he
answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more
than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, and said,
'LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.' Then the LORD
opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold,
the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around
Elisha” (2 Kings 6:14-17).
At various times God's people were rebuked when they
sought help from the Egyptian army, rather than placing their
confidence in the power of God: “Woe to those who go down to
Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots
because they are many, And in horsemen because they are
very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor
seek the LORD!” (Isaiah 31:1).
Our King has all authority in heaven and on earth
(Matthew 28:18). “He is Lord of lords and King of kings”
(Revelation 17:14).
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer,
the Lord of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me
there is no God'” (Isaiah 44:6).
To Jesus, who is called 'the First and the Last' in
Revelation 2:8, Nathanael said, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God!
You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49).
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who
alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen”
(1 Timothy 1:17).
“They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the
song of the Lamb, saying: 'Great and marvelous are Your
works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King
of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your
name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and
worship before You, For Your judgments have been
manifested'” (Revelation 15:3, 4).
“The LORD shall reign forever and ever” (Exodus 15:18).
When the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, John heard
loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdoms of this world have
become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He
shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15).
And the most wonderful thing about all of this is, that our
Judge, Lawgiver and King is also our Savior! “For the LORD is
our Judge, The LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He
will save us” (Isaiah 33:22). Amen.
Roy Davison
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc.,
Publishers.
Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)