The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, The ruler among men shall be just, Ruling in the fear of God;
David's last words are not simply an old king's reflection on a long reign. They are a message given to him. In it God Himself names the two things He looks for in anyone who holds power over others.
The verse names its speaker twice: the God of Israel, the Rock of Israel. One writer takes it as the clearest possible account of how God's words reach us through a man.
Here we have solemn divine authority at the same time as clearest affirmation of what inspiration is. Inspiration uses man — all of man. To express itself, it uses every feature of this human instrument. If he says something, it is as an oracle; if he speaks, it is the Lord speaking by him. Man has mixed in nothing that is of himself: "His word was on my tongue." God uses what He wants of man to present His thoughts with the complete integrity of His Word. But if God speaks by David, He also speaks to David: "The Rock of Israel spoke to me."
Another writer notes what David then does with that word: he rests his whole faith on it.
This is now not merely the Spirit of God speaking through the experiences and the faith of an instrument God Himself has formed. It is a direct revelation: "the Rock of Israel spoke to me." On that divine revelation David rests in faith, whatever within him or around him seems set against it.
God asks two things of a ruler: justice, and the fear of God. The writers quote an older wording of the line — "He that rules over men must be just" — and hold the whole record of human government up against it.
This is God's standard. Nothing less will do. Where among human rulers shall we find one who comes up to it? We may go down the entire list of those who have sat on the thrones of this world, and not find so much as one who matches the great qualities set out in this verse.
For a ruler, the fear of God is not one quality among many. It decides whether he can rule at all. Israel's first king, Saul, once excused himself by saying he was afraid of the people. This verse weighs that excuse.
He pleads his fear of the people, which, if true, showed he was unfit to rule at all. For "he that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God"; and the fear of man cannot live together with the fear of God. It sets a trap. Scripture is full of examples of this. It spoils the life of even many a child of God — a shrinking from the path of full surrender to Him, in the fear of what flesh can do or say.
The standard tests David first, and he falls short. One writer shows where it points instead.
"The ruler over men shall be just, ruling in the fear of God." In comparison with other rulers, this was in measure true of David. But there were many things in which he fell short of this, as we have seen in this book, and as he confesses in verse 5. In Christ, in His lowly humiliation, we find perfect righteousness and perfect truth. He proved His character in His experiences of sorrow and rejection. This same truth and justice will shine out in beauty and splendour when He takes His throne over all creation. As Man He will rule in the fear of God, in perfect consistency with the character of the God of Israel and of the universe.
Another writer names three things such a ruler must have, and the one Person who has them.
The one who is to rule for God's glory and man's good needs righteousness, obedience, and dependence. These are found only in that blessed One, who came not to do His own will, but the will of Him who sent Him.
This standard is a foundation. Everything David goes on to picture is built on it.
Here, David sets up the divine standard of character for one called to rule over men. "He must be just"; and on that base of justice rises a structure of cloudless light, richest blessing and abundant fruitfulness. All this will only happen when the Son of David, now hidden in heaven, takes the throne of his Father and stretches out His sceptre over a restored creation.
- Spoken, not deduced. David's closing words are a direct revelation — "the Rock of Israel spoke to me" — not the summary of a long career.
- Two requirements. God asks for justice and the fear of God in whoever holds power. Nothing less will do.
- One disqualifier. The fear of man cannot live alongside the fear of God. Whoever is held by it cannot rule others — and the same trap catches ordinary believers.
- One qualified Man. Only Christ holds righteousness, obedience and dependence in full. He came to do the will of the One who sent Him.
- One outcome. Justice is the foundation. The light and blessing built on it come when David's Son takes the throne.
And [he shall be] as the light or the morning, [like] the rising of the sun, A morning without clouds; [When] from the sunshine, after rain, The green grass springeth from the earth.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.