Today’s Scripture Reading (September
7, 2013): Psalm 74
King Alfred
ruled in Wessex (the southern part of England) from about 871 to 899. Alfred
holds the distinction of being the only English Monarch to have had the suffix
“the Great” added to his name – although admittedly he was not known as Alfred
the Great until centuries after his death. But Alfred earned the praise of the
people that he ruled over. Early in his reign he successfully defended his
kingdom from the invasions of the Vikings, and by the end of his reign he was
the dominant ruler of all of England. He characterized himself as the “King of
the Anglo-Saxons” – or the king of England. The people rejoiced in a king that
could keep them safe.
But his
Greatness did not stop on the battlefield. He was also an educated man that
made great strides in advancing the social structures of his day. Alfred did
improve the military structure of his nation, and there must be been a ruthless
side of this 9th century king, but he also improved the legal structure
of the kingdom and was also known as king of great mercy. And it was all of
these characteristics that made him great. But it was also all of these
characteristics that made him a true king. And it was not something that a lot
of kings understood well. But the office of king existed for the protection of
the people. People needed someone to rule over them and create for them a world
where they could flourish. Often we get that wrong – and kings have got that
wrong. They have believed that the office was for their own pleasure. But that
has never been the point. To be a subject of the king and to see the king on
the move was always supposed to mean only one thing – salvation was at hand.
So the
Psalmist cries out to God that he has been his king from long ago, and the
reason why he has proclaimed him as king is that it is God who brings Salvation
to the earth. God perfectly fulfills the role of king. In the midst of all the
darkness and all that can go wrong, it is God that will bring Salvation – for
the Psalmist, he realizes that God has done it before and he is fully capable
of doing it again. God has the power to save and, therefore, he will be
proclaimed as king.
And God is
still a God that saves, and therefore he is still king. God is concerned with
all of his people. And in the middle of our rebellion, his mercy reigns – his
concern is only for our safety and that we would prosper. For Alfred, it took
600 years for historians to pronounce on the king the title great - 600 years
after the end of his reign. For the
people of God, we get to proclaim him as great while he still sits on the
throne.
God is Good,
God is Great – and God is King.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm
75
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