152. King of Righteousness.

The Lord had made a covenant with David that he will not fail to have a man sit on his throne forever. "Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever." (2 Samuel 7:16) "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 will endure before me like the sun; it will be established before me like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky." (Psalm 89:35-36) But the ones who followed were wicked and therefore God exiled Zedekiah, last king of Judah to Babylon. (2 Kings 25:1-7 ) However, the Lord had declared, "I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is JUST AND RIGHT in the land... This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness." (Jeremiah 33:15-16) "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, his kingdom will never end." (Luke 1:32-33) Unlike the kingdom before that ended twice, once with the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians and then to the Romans, this kingdom will never fall because it will be established in Righteousness. 'Kings detest wrongdoing for a throne is established through Righteousness.' (Proverbs 16:12) Therefore, to establish the kingdom, the wicked are removed from the king's presence. 'Remove the wicked from the king's presence and his throne will be established through righteousness.' (Proverbs 25:5) That is why, 'the Son of Man will send out his angels and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matthew 13:41-43) But in speaking of his Son, the Father says, "Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the sceptre of your kingdom." (Hebrews 1:8-9/ Psalm 45:6-7) A sceptre is the symbol of Sovereignty and power and a 'sceptre of righteousness' means, the Lord will use his Sovereignty and power to establish Righteousness and Justice throughout his kingdom. That is why Scripture says, 'He will rule them with an iron sceptre; he will dash them to pieces like pottery.' (Revelation 2:27/ Psalm 2:9) We who are the subjects of his kingdom can rejoice because we have a King enthroned in righteousness! Not only is he a King but also 'a High priest forever in the order of Melchizedek', (Hebrews 6:20/ Psalm 110:4) 'who without father and mother, without genealogy, without begining of days or end of life, like the son of God, remains a priest forever.' (Hebrews 7:3) 'First his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace" (vs 2) But one greater than Melchizedek has ascended the throne and he will establish Righteousness and peace on earth. Hallelujah! 'Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.' (1 Timothy 1:17)