There’s a why to the whole concept of the book I’m writing. I purposefully didn’t share it before I shared other excerpts…though that purpose remains a mystery to even myself. I’m just weird, what can I say?
King of Kings: If you’ve grown up going to church like I have, you’ve heard this phrase tens of thousands of times. It’s one of the names the Bible gives to God. He’s the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It’s in countless praise and worship songs, hymns, and recited prayers. This is what he is to us, but it’s hard to understand exactly what this means for a lot of people, especially in the United States or younger generations of Europeans.
I believe the Bible uses this title because that’s what people could easily reference for a relationship with God back then. Can’t you just hear Moses speaking to the Israelites, “You think Pharoah’s awesome? Well, my God is cooler than the other side of the pillow.” Ok, maybe not…but I think the thought was that everyone lived under some sort of kingdom rule. The king was to be respected, obeyed, and feared. Then, you throw in, that God is the KING of Kings, and that clues you in on just how awesome he is.
Growing up, the only frame of reference I would have for a king is one that came into power from pulling a sword out of a stone, or maybe the father of Prince Humperdinck in William Goldman’s The Princess Bride, or maybe Elvis. While Elvis died before I was born, there were reported sightings of him in supermarket tabloids well into my teens. In other words, I just don’t have a good idea of what it means to live under the rule of a king.
I have never been called to court. I have never had to work land for a king in return for living on the land. I have never had to go to my hometown for a census because my king decrees it. I have lived my life under an amazing amount of freedom. While it could be said that all of these things are done by proxy in the form of earning a wage to pay for items, and taxes paid to the IRS, I still am not commanded to do so under threat of death by the Crown.
There is, however, another title that the Bible gives to God and that is Father. I can relate to this much better in my relationship with God. I have had a father since 1981. On July 9th, 2009, Ryne Nathaniel Gilbert came into this world, giving me the title of father. When you become a father (or mother), I believe it is in that child that God chooses to reveal Himself even more to us. Every lesson we teach to our children mirrors a broader lesson God is trying to teach to us. Often times, just like our kids do with us, we fail to listen to those lessons. I am still trying to relate to God being the King of Kings and what that entails in my relationship with him, but I am definitely learning what it means for him to be my Father.
The Lord drew me into Himself through my understanding of Christ as my Savior. But as my Father? That was a stretch. It has only been since I’ve seen amazing dads like my father-in-law and David Walley in action that my brain can understand “father,” and how God can be one. The image I had of “father” before them was very skewed. If God was one of those, I could do without that part of Him. But now, I can’t wait to know Him more as my Heavenly Father. As I am beginning to understand His ‘father’ side, He is helping me to discover the Holy Spirit. Hopefully, I’ll get it all together one day and be able to relate to Him as Father, Son and Holy Spirit all in one.
Beautifully said. I suppose that God chooses to reveal Himself differently to us all. But believe me…once there’s a tiny McDaniel running around, you’ll get the Father part a lot more:)