The True King!
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Readings for Today: Psalm 32, Exodus 9, Matthew 20:29-21:11
Psalm 32, Of David
1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the LORD does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
Exodus 9
The Plague of Hail
13 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. 19 Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’” 20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field.22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” 23 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. 26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.
Matthew 20:29-21:11
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Today we see two kinds of kings. The Pharaoh, who uses his God given power to control, and will not acknowledge God, despite all the calamities that each plague brings. Though one of the plagues causes him to seemingly repent, Moses sees it is not the real deal. He is only using it as a ploy so the plague will stop. Importantly although Pharaoh thinks he is in control, we see from verse 16 who is really in control, “16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
God allowed the reign of Pharaoh in the world for a time for the very purpose of showing the world that He was really in control through his true servant Moses. We see this paradox in operation in the world through the last several centuries with other Pharaoh-like rulers and despots.
Juxtaposed with this story, the gospel of Matthew records Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey. He comes on a colt, the foal of a donkey. The King of kings could have come in with all kinds of fanfare, yet chooses the beast of burden, symbolizing that the burden of our sin he would carry to the cross. There were some though that saw through the symbolism, and realized that a true king was in their midst. And they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest heavens.”
Our psalmist King David, knew of this type of King, the Messiah, which would descend from his own family tree. In our psalm today, he realizes his need for a Savior and proclaims, “1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.2 Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.” David knew he needed a Savior, and knew he needed to acknowledge the sin that so weighed him down.
Who is on the throne of your life? Is it the King of kings? Do you have regular times of pouring out your heart to him? Confessing your sins to him and trusting that your sins are forgiven because of what he did on a cross, showing Jesus to be the true King.
God knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him.
Daniel 2:22
Whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. Mark 4:22 (NIV)
Revealing God, we know your intent is always to open yourself to us in every way imaginable. Help us to have the ears to hear and the eyes to see the truths that you are constantly laying out before us. Guide us to live in accordance with those truths. Amen.
Readings for Today: Psalm 32, Exodus 9, Matthew 20:29-21:11
Psalm 32, Of David
1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the LORD does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
Exodus 9
The Plague of Hail
13 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. 19 Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’” 20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field.22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” 23 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. 26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.
Matthew 20:29-21:11
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Today we see two kinds of kings. The Pharaoh, who uses his God given power to control, and will not acknowledge God, despite all the calamities that each plague brings. Though one of the plagues causes him to seemingly repent, Moses sees it is not the real deal. He is only using it as a ploy so the plague will stop. Importantly although Pharaoh thinks he is in control, we see from verse 16 who is really in control, “16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
God allowed the reign of Pharaoh in the world for a time for the very purpose of showing the world that He was really in control through his true servant Moses. We see this paradox in operation in the world through the last several centuries with other Pharaoh-like rulers and despots.
Juxtaposed with this story, the gospel of Matthew records Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey. He comes on a colt, the foal of a donkey. The King of kings could have come in with all kinds of fanfare, yet chooses the beast of burden, symbolizing that the burden of our sin he would carry to the cross. There were some though that saw through the symbolism, and realized that a true king was in their midst. And they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest heavens.”
Our psalmist King David, knew of this type of King, the Messiah, which would descend from his own family tree. In our psalm today, he realizes his need for a Savior and proclaims, “1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.2 Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.” David knew he needed a Savior, and knew he needed to acknowledge the sin that so weighed him down.
Who is on the throne of your life? Is it the King of kings? Do you have regular times of pouring out your heart to him? Confessing your sins to him and trusting that your sins are forgiven because of what he did on a cross, showing Jesus to be the true King.
God knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him.
Daniel 2:22
Whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. Mark 4:22 (NIV)
Revealing God, we know your intent is always to open yourself to us in every way imaginable. Help us to have the ears to hear and the eyes to see the truths that you are constantly laying out before us. Guide us to live in accordance with those truths. Amen.
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