Hello Beloved,
We have been studying the names of God over the past eighteen months. These names have helped us to better understand God’s character and attributes. We now move to observe some Biblical “epithets” for God. You may be wondering, “What exactly is an epithet, and why is it important for learning more about God?” Well, to answer your first question, the Oxford English Dictionary defines an epithet as “an adjective or phrase expressing a characteristic quality or attribute of the person or thing mentioned.” For instance, I am a Pastor by title, but when someone says, you are “my Pastor,” the connotation takes on a whole new meaning. The positional title that I have been given by the church takes on a functional overtone of care, compassion, teaching, and council. In a similar manner, there are many of these adjectival epithets which the Bible uses to help us understand more about God and His functional roles in our lives.
The first epithet that we will consider is that of “King.” You could imagine that God as King directly relates to the concept of God’s Kingdom, a concept that pervades the whole of Scripture. We see the concept of King in its initial stages after God’s deliverance of Israel from the Egyptian armies at the Red Sea crossing. At the end of the song of Moses, the man of God declares “the LORD will reign forever and ever.” Exodus 15:18 (ESV) In Numbers 23, Balaam prophesies of God’s kingship in Israel. He states, “He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them.” Numbers 23:21 (ESV) In 1 Samuel, the people wanted a king like the nations, and God gave them a king like the nations in Saul. However, before Samuel revealed this king, he rebuked the people for not being content to have God as their king. Samuel stated, “And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the LORD your God was your king.” 1 Samuel 12:12 (ESV) Isaiah reminds God’s people of His faithfulness to the Jews by communicating, “for the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; he will save us.” Isaiah 33:22 (ESV) Zechariah proclaims that in the millennial kingdom “the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.” Zechariah 14:9 (ESV) Finally, in 1 Timothy, Paul cries out a statement of praise and confidence resounding, “to the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17 (ESV)
The title of “King” describes God as the eternal and sovereign ruler over the whole creation: visible and invisible, heavenly and earthly, material and immaterial, or animal and spiritual. As King, God is superior to all of creation and created beings as relates to rank, power, prestige, and authority. In His kingship, God speaks on His own authority; therefore, all of His standards, judgments, statutes, and decrees are based on His sovereignty. Finally, as the King, God is the Leader, Deliverer, and Protector of His chosen People nationally and individually. As Josiah Conder so stated, “The Lord is King! Who then shall dare resist his will, distrust his care, or murmur at his wise decrees, or doubt his royal promises?”
Until next time, this is Pastor Daniel writing, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”