"And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah”

1 Samuel 13:13-14
Samuel told Saul, "You didn't follow the command of Yahweh your Elohim.  If you had, Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel permanently.  But now your kingdom will not last.  Yahweh has searched for a man after his own heart.  Yahweh has appointed him as ruler of his people, because you didn't follow the command of Yahweh."

2 Samuel 7:8-16
Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.

Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, since the the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies.

Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”

Psalm 89:1-37
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
    through all generations.
 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
    that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to David my servant,
 ‘I will establish your line forever
    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”

The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,
    your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.

 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
 You rule over the surging sea;
    when its waves mount up, you still them.
 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;
    with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
    you founded the world and all that is in it.
 You created the north and the south;
    Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
 Your arm is endowed with power;
    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    love and faithfulness go before you.
 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
 They rejoice in your name all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness.
 For you are their glory and strength,
    and by your favor you exalt our horn.
 Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,
    our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Once you spoke in a vision,
    to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
    I have raised up a young man from among the people.
 I have found David my servant;
    with my sacred oil I have anointed him.
 My hand will sustain him;
    surely my arm will strengthen him.
 The enemy will not get the better of him;
    the wicked will not oppress him.
 I will crush his foes before him
    and strike down his adversaries.
 My faithful love will be with him,
      and through my name his horn will be exalted.
 I will set his hand over the sea,
    his right hand over the rivers.

He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
    my God, the Rock my Savior.’
 And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,
    the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
 I will maintain my love to him forever,
    and my covenant with him will never fail.
 I will establish his line forever,
    his throne as long as the heavens endure.

“If his sons forsake my law
    and do not follow my statutes,
 if they violate my decrees
    and fail to keep my commands,
 I will punish their sin with the rod,
    their iniquity with flogging;
 but I will not take my love from him,
    nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
 I will not violate my covenant
    or alter what my lips have uttered.
 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
    and I will not lie to David—
 that his line will continue forever
    and his throne endure before me like the sun;
 it will be established forever like the moon,
    the faithful witness in the sky.”

Kings needed to come from a royal line. It was important that Jesus was “Son of David” because it established Him in the line of royalty.

What was most important to God was that this royal lineage was of that of “a man after his own heart.” God rejected Saul's lineage because he failed to obey God. He made the covenant with David because he deeply loved God, had a tender heart, and while not perfect, deeply desired to follow the commands of God.

What God deeply wanted for His people was a King who was righteous and leads them with justice.  

Isaiah 16:4-5 says,
Ruthless people will come to and end.
The destruction will end.
The one who tramples others will be gone.
Then Yahweh will set up a trusted king.
He will rule faithfully.
He is from the tent of David.
He judges and searches for justice.
He is quick to do what is right.

And Isaiah 9:7 says,
He will establish David's throne and kingdom
He will uphold it with justice and righteousness now and forever
Yahweh Tsebaoth is determined to do this!

“The world has yet to see... My righteousness, My righteousness” sings

We are given Jesus who rules righteously and wisely.  

Jeremiah 23:5-6 says,
"The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
The Lord Our Righteousness.”

“Judge of the earth, will you arise from Your holy habitation... You who love justice...” sings

And through Jesus as our King, we are ordained to rule with Him.  Psalm 8:4-8 says,
"What is man that You are mindful of him,
     And the son of man that You visit him?
For you have made him a little lower than the angels,
     And You have crowed him with glory and honor.
You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
     You have put all things under his feet,
        All the sheep and oxen - Even the beasts of the field
        The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea
             that pass through the paths of the seas.

In His second coming, Jesus comes again to fully judge the earth (Rev. 20:13) as He rules as King (Rev. 7:10).  Like any good judge and king, He comes to hear the claims of the people and make sure they get justice (2 Samuel 15:4).  He makes certain that the oppressor receives just punishment (2 Samuel 12:5-6). 

He frees those who are oppressed and pardons those who have been wrongly accused (2 Samuel 14:10). He gives the poor a place of honor at His table out of the kindness of His heart (2 Samuel 9:7-11).

He goes ahead and leads His people into battle, giving them the victory over the enemy (Rev. 19:14-16/ 2 Samuel 5:20).  He takes those who are the rebels and outcasts and turns them into mighty warriors (2 Samuel 23:18-39) who He trains for battle to handle a shield and spear, with faces of lions and swift as gazelles on the mountains (1 Chronicles 12:8).

He gathers his people together in unity (1 Chronicles 13:5).  He creates a kingdom where worship and the presence of God have the central position (2 Samuel 6:1-23). And He gives the land lasting peace and rest from their enemies (2 Samuel 7:10-11).

Out of the tribulation, Jesus will bring justice to the earth in His ultimate reign. 

"Fling wide you heavenly gates, prepare the way of the Risen Lord" sings

Revelation 7:9-18 says,
"After these things I saw a large crowd from every nation, tribe, people, and language.  No one was able to count how may people there were.  They were standing in front of the throne and the lamb.  They were waring white robes, holding palm branches in their hands, and crying out in a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the lamb!'

All the angels stood around the throne with the leaders and the four living creatures.  They bowed in front of the throne with their faces touching the ground, worshiped God, and said,
Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength be to our god forever and ever! Amen!
One of the leaders asked me, 'Who are these people wearing white robes, and where did they come from?"  I answered him, "Sir, you know."  Then he told me,

"These are the people who are coming out of the terrible suffering.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.  That is why they are in front of the throne of God.  They serve him day and night in his temple.  The one who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.  They will never be hungry or thirsty again.  

Neither the sun nor any burning heat will ever overcome them.   The lamb in the center near the throne will be their Shepard.  He will lead them to springs filled with the water of life, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

"All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of his mercy
As deep cries out to deep (we sing)

Come Lord Jesus come"  plays in the background.

Lord, I used to be afraid of your coming because I expected judgement.   Over the past year or so, You have so changed my heart around on what to anticipate in your coming.  I look forward to your judgements on the earth and the day that Your justice overtakes us.   We long to see all the oppressed set free and all the pain and sorrow from this world to be washed away in waves of your mercy.   We pray "come Lord Jesus!"

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