I’ve been fascinated by the term “king” after reading the multiple accounts of kingship throughout 1 + 2 Chronicles and 1 + 2 Kings. As someone living in the democratic republic of America, I know very little about the goings-on of royalty (other than The Crown and the Harry & Meghan documentary).
Reflecting on the lives of these kings, their rule, their faithfulness (or lack thereof) to God, and how ultimately we came to declare Jesus as the King of Kings is igniting a fire in my soul. It feels a bit “out of this world” given my physical context. Maybe you don’t care about the etymology of the word king because it seems pretty simple, but don’t miss how this is pertinent to our King.
The Word: King
In English, you can trace its known derivation from the word “cynn” or what we now say as “kin,” implying the direct familial relation to kingship and royal leadership.
In Greek, the word βασιλεύς is found 118 times in the New Testament.
Strong’s G935 | basileus (bas-il-yooce’)
used in the New Testament to denote leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king.
In Hebrew, we see “king” used over 2,500 times in the Old Testament, מֶלֶךְ. This word, transliterated as meleḵ comes from the root verb, mālaḵ (maw-lak’).
Strong’s H4427 | mālaḵ (maw-lak’)
to reign, to rule, to counsel or advise
So what?
These roots fascinate me when we consider the ruling, sovereignty, and reigning of King Jesus over all—our lives, our hearts, our decisions, our relationships, our desires, etc.
Kingship almost always came through familial heritage, aside from a few instances throughout history where we see jealous bystanders attempt to overtake the throne when a king dies. (It never works well for them.)
Fun fact, King Saul is the first recognized king of Israel we see in Scripture. He was appointed by Samuel and the people, but it wasn’t his family lineage that brought about the King of Kings—it was David who was appointed to take over the throne by God’s own proclamation.
Kingship denotes the highest responsibility in all the land. You are responsible for making decisions for the lives of your people, commanding armies to defend your people, and protecting the land from any ills that might harm your people. Your dedication is not to the crown or yourself to boost your ego—the good kings we recognize with honor are the ones who surrendered their lives for the fruitfulness of their land and people.
Kingship is more than just dictating; it includes authority in an advisory and counseling way that implies your heart is positioned toward helping your constituents.
When I read these definitions, I have immense gratitude for the kingship of Jesus who leads us sovereignly with self-sacrifice and humility, with grace and love. He counsels us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. God used the complex and beautiful creation of the family unit to provide a place for Jesus to come to earth as a humble King. He rules and reigns with a compassionate justice that satisfies a deep desire of our souls that nothing else can.
Scripture I’m Meditating On
“You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)
A note on the NASB version here; I love this translation because it includes great footnotes on additional meanings of the words we’ve translated to English. In this verse, it includes a note that “before” can also mean “besides” which I think amplifies the meaning of God’s command and is of great value to us every day—nothing to replace Him and nothing that even comes close to standing equal to Him.
Song(s) On Repeat
These are some of my favorite songs to work to and write to!
Saying I Can’t Stop Thinking About
“Emotional health and spiritual maturity are inseparable. It is not possible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.”
— Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality
I hope you enjoyed this new weekly segment! If you have a word to suggest for an upcoming Word for the Week email, comment or reply and let me know!
"I considered how I see God regularly. Friend. Savior. Father. Hope. Peacemaker. Creator.
But King?"
This really resonated with me from the blog post linked. Going to be simmering in and meditating on this thanks to your words - thank you!