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9/30 Reading Portions: 1 Kings 2; Galatians 6; Ezekiel 33; Psalms 81-82
1 Kings 2:46
So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
POWER
As Solomon, the son of King David, was anointed king of Israel, his reign was prophetic of Jesus Christ. Solomon’s name (Hebrew Shlomo) means “peaceful,” or literally, “His peace.” Two important names for Israel’s Messiah are the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6) and the Son of David (Matt 1:1; 22:42). Jesus of Nazareth is the fulfillment of all the prophecies of Israel’s Messiah.
The kingdom of heaven was established in the hand of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, when by His nail-pierced hand, He hung upon Calvary’s tree, suffering God’s wrath, dying as a Man, and shedding His blood through His pierced side.
The kingdom of God is established in the nail-pierced hand of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, for every redeemed sinners who trust in Christ’s righteousness, His perfect sacrifice, His resurrection from the dead, His ascending reign, His atoning grace, and His promised return.
The kingdom of Christ is established in the nail-pierced hand of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, for His beloved church; that is, for every local body of believers who gather in his name, past, present, and future. Every saint saved by His amazing grace and cleansed by His atoning blood is sanctified by Jesus as the saint renews the mind through the washing of the Word according to Christ’s precious truth.
Why only one hand? Were not both of Christ’s hands pierced? Indeed, they were. Yet such language is used to convey that there is so much power in the Messiah’s substitutionary atonement that the mention of just a singular aspect of His crucifixion contains all the love of Jesus, all the grace of God, and all the peace of Christ’s kingdom.
Although Satan, the wicked world, and the lusts of the flesh despise the kingdom of the cross established in Christ’s nail-pierced hand, these enemies cannot assail the borders of His blessed kingdom. The borders of Christ’s kingdom are secure. The commerce of Christ’s kingdom is flourishing and full of grace. The peace of Christ’s kingdom is excellent and everlasting. We are only in danger of the enemy’s assaults against the kingdom when we, the royal subjects of His kingdom, venture beyond the borders of His righteous reign. Rejoice in the kingdom of your King!
The kingdom of Christ’s holy reign,
Establish’d in His hand,
Nail-pierc’d in truth and love’s bloodstain:
In Him, by grace, we stand.