THE KINGDOM
[p. 379] THE KINGDOM
1 Kings 4:1; 1 Kings 4:20-22; Romans 5
Paul says we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, or as Lord; this is important to notice. The Lord Jesus Christ is a well-known name, but you may have a very poor sense of what the title Lord Jesus Christ really signifies. What is it that is connected with that title? I want to bring before you the kingdom of God, that is, Christ Jesus as Lord. Paul said, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God. The kingdom means very great gain for man; the beginning of Romans 5 brings to us the gain of the kingdom; gain in the present and gain in the future.
The kingdom is existing now, though in one sense it is future. The power and authority of God is known in the kingdom, so that a man may gain now the blessing of the kingdom. 1 Kings 4 shews the kingdom established in Solomon’s hands. Originally Saul was the king chosen of the people, but God took Saul away in His anger and brought in David, the man after His own heart, but the kingdom was established in Solomon’s hands. We see here the record of the brightest day in Israel’s history. Solomon had large dominion, God gave him power and glory. Israel had the advantage of Solomon’s wisdom as well as his greatness, and detail is given us of the order of the kingdom; the prophet and priest are seen there as well as the king. It was a day of security and blessing to Israel; every man sat under his own vine and under his fig tree. It is a picture of the kingdom; Solomon was beloved of God and was greatly endued with wisdom, and he executed right judgment in the midst of the people; but the kingdom under Solomon falls short in certain points. It was not a universal kingdom, other kingdoms existed at the same time; the kingdom was really only national; again, the kingdom [p. 380] had no power to do away with death. It did not bring in righteousness or forgiveness. The weakness of man is seen in that he is subject to death, whatever man’s glory may be he is dust and returns to dust, even Solomon himself goes to the tomb of his fathers. Again, men were not content — discontent rules around, and death it is that swallows up all discontent. When sin came in Adam and Eve were discontented. When life is spoken of there is an end of discontent: he that believeth on Me shall never hunger or thirst.
In Solomon’s kingdom there was no real permanence and no universality, and death lay even upon Solomon. In contrast I want to present to you the kingdom of God. (Romans 4.) The kingdom means much gain to man; when Christ was here it was much gain to man. But the kingdom has not ceased to be and it is universal; because it is God’s kingdom, therefore it must be universal. People receive the kingdom by testimony, it is established in Christ Jesus the Lord, and angels and authorities and powers are made subject to Him, it is universal. Again, people are accounted righteous in the kingdom, as we see in Romans 4: 24, 25; it is founded on forgiveness, and in the kingdom men are content. Righteousness and contentment are found in God’s kingdom. Preaching is the testimony of the kingdom.
In the beginning of Romans 5, you get a good deal about the Lord and in the end you get a good deal about the one Man. The kingdom is really dependent on the one Man, so the kingdom of God is in great contrast with Solomon’s kingdom, because it is founded on the one Man. In Peter’s account of the mount of transfiguration we read that He received from God the Father honour and glory; a Man went up to God and received from God the Father honour and glory — this was a picture of the kingdom. One Man has come upon the scene. Adam was once a solitary man on this earth, but God has brought in another Man, One on whom death had no claim, for there was no sin in Him. He [p. 381] was the righteous One, and the righteous One suffered on behalf of the unrighteous ones that He might bring us to God. He exposed Himself to all the judgment that lay upon man universally; He offered Himself spotless to God, and He has thus acquired righteousness and living water for man. It has all come to pass in the one Man. Through one righteousness it is toward all men. So in 1 Timothy 2 we get, “who will have all men to be saved”. That Man has been exalted and the kingdom has been established in Him. He has received the kingdom for man. When the Lord was here He was here for man, not for devils nor yet for angels, He took not on Him the nature of angels. At the present time Christ is come very near to man in the gospel, He is close to man in the glad tidings.
The gain of the kingdom is righteousness and it is universal. How are you to get the gain of it? There is one point of contact between God and man, it is the Man Christ Jesus. You must believe in Christ; He gave Himself a ransom for all that He may be the point of contact between God and man. Man believing on Him leaves his sins behind at the point of contact; He is the propitiation for our sins and for the whole world. All must have to say to God, but it is blessed to have to say to Him now by Christ, He is available to every man, all are entitled to the Mediator.
The Christ to whom man turns is the One who is the propitiation for sins. You must touch the point of contact or you will not know much about the kingdom. You want to turn from the world, from sin and folly to the Mediator. He is the true Solomon, and the kingdom means security and content. Peace with God is one of the blessings of the kingdom. Peace characterises the kingdom of God, and grace or favour and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. Those in the kingdom are not disconcerted by tribulation, they make their boast in God and they have received the reconciliation. In the kingdom there are now spiritual [p. 382] blessings of the most exalted character. The natural man does not care for them, but the man who gets exercised as to God — to that man the blessings of the kingdom are a great gain and much to be desired. The apostle could say to the Philippian jailor, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”; the men of Cyprus and Cyrene preached the Lord Jesus. There are blessings of the kingdom in the Lord Jesus Christ, and if you turn to the Lord you turn to God.