Читать книгу The Kingdom of Promise and Prophecy - Robertson L. Whiteside - Страница 9

Table of Contents

It is some times difficult to determine just what information is wanted. There are, however, some things about “the Old Testament kingdom” that should be carefully considered.

When God called Israel out of Egypt, he said to them: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine own possession from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19:5, 6.) For a long period of time after they settled in Canaan they had no king but Jehovah; they were, therefore, Jehovah’s kingdom. But there came a time when they wanted a change; they wanted a centralized government, with a man as their king. At that time they had an excuse for demanding a king. Read carefully the eighth chapter of First Samuel. Samuel was old, and his sons were corrupt. “Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah; and they said unto him, Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But this thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto Jehovah. And Jehovah said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.” Samuel was commanded to show them the nature of the government they were demanding. When Samuel had done so, the people said: “Nay; but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations.” Jehovah selected Saul as their first king. When the day of his anointing came, Samuel said to the people: “See ye him whom Jehovah hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?... Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before Jehovah.” (1 Sam. 10:24, 25.) Thus Israel became a kingdom among kingdoms, and was then reckoned as such.

Israel had not only sinned against Jehovah, but had rejected him as their king. The kingdom thus established was not Jehovah’s kingdom. While Saul reigned, it was the kingdom of Saul. (1 Chron. 12:23.) It was transferred to David because of Saul’s sins; it was then David’s kingdom. Any time thereafter it was the kingdom of the man who was king.

It is strange that some people yet look for that kingdom to be restored—a kingdom that was conceived in sin and brought forth in rebellion against Jehovah! On one occasion, when Israel was in great distress, Jehovah said to them: “Where now is thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges, of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? I have given thee a king in mine anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.” (Hos. 13:10, 11.) With what emotions do they expect the Lord to restore that kingdom?