The power of a king (1)

Resolving Personal & Spiritual Conflicts
2 Kings 25:27b He was kind to Jehoiachin and released him from prison.Kings do wield power. One word from the mouth of a king is enough to completely change the direction of one’s life. The king is the highest authority in the land. His decision is final. Nations have been ruined or advanced by a king’s decision. Some individuals have been hanged at the command of a king. Others have been set free from imprisonment after a presidential decree. Kings have commanding power and they speak out of conviction. They are bold, and not hesitant.
 The holy book strongly supports the notion that kings have great power and influence. All the great events in both the old and new testaments were somehow connected to the exercise of kings’ powers. The birth of Jesus Christ caused a massacre of many children because the then ruling king sought to kill the newly born rival king Jesus. Even the death of our Lord Jesus Christ was sanctioned by kings. It is quite interesting to note that the superscription on Christ’s cross read, “The king of the Jews”. The vehicle that caused the gospel to spread from Jerusalem to all parts of the world was persecution by kings. One title of Jesus was son of David, meaning he was son of a king.
The Bible contains four books in which the achievements and failures of the kings who shaped the history of the biblical world were recorded. The four books comprising first and second kings, and first and second Chronicles, are part of the history books that are very boring to read because of repetitions and long genealogies. Boring as they are, the Holy Spirit preserved these records in order to show us the power of kings.
The king’s power comes in two forms. It is either shown in wrath or in favour. Proverbs 16:14 shows how powerful the king’s wrath is. It reads, “The wrath of a king is as messengers of death; but a wise man will pacify it.” Thus once the anger of a king is kindled, death is looming. Pharaoh was angered by Moses’ demand for the freedom of the Hebrews and they incurred his full wrath. Daniel and his three Hebrew friends violated the king’s decrees and they tasted the wrath of kings. Apostle James and John the Baptist lost their heads at the commands of a king. The wrath of a king spells death.
 Proverbs 19:12 records, “The wrath of a king is as the roaring of a lion.” Is it any wonder then that the Bible admonishes us to honour rulers and to pray for “kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1Timothy 2:1-2)?
The king’s power is not only expressed in wrath, but also in favour. Most of the exaltations o f biblical characters were linked to kings’ favour. Moses, who later became an irritant to Pharaoh, was preserved by the king’s daughter.
Joseph was released from prison by a king’s command and was promoted to second position in the land of Egypt by a king. Esther, Mordecai and the Jews were preserved from death plotted by Haman by the king’s decree. Paul escaped early death and was accorded the opportunity to preach the gospel to the Romans by his appeal to the emperor. The book of Proverbs reveals how the king’s favour can affect one’s life. Proverbs 19:12 reads, “but his (king’s) favour is as dew upon the grass.” In another place the wise Solomon said, “In the light of the king’s countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.” The king’s favour brings unspeakable joy.
Evil-Merodach, king of Babylon showed rare kindness to captive king Jehoiachin of Judah. After thirty-seven years of captivity and imprisonment Jehoiachin was released from prison at the command of a new king. He was justly put in prison by a king because of rebellion. And he was kindly set free from prison by the favour of another king. Do not be deceived; a king has power. If you get a king’s favour, your joy will be full.
Mephibosheth, despite being the king’s enemy’s son, was shown uncommon kindness by king David and his life was never the same again (2 Samuel 9).
 A woman who was caught in the act of adultery deserved death but the favour of a king preserved her alive (John 8). The king’s favour means liberty, joy, life, peace, promotion, prosperity and abundance. If you can legitimately and honestly procure it for the right reasons, then go ahead and do so. But the king’s wrath avoid at all costs.
For feedback you can call  0772889766 or email mairos78@yahoo.co.uk