Things have not changed when it comes to rightful rulers:
Let me proceed by going in the reverse order of my title. The ‘no kings movement’ was big in America last year when the political left insisted that Trump was being a tyrannical king destroying democracy. Yeah right. They are not opposed to tyrants and evil rulers – they are simply opposed to Trump.
The proof is how these same critics are now championing a genuine evil thug like Maduro and denouncing Trump for freeing the people of Venezuela from his horrific rule. Or how they are dead silent about Khamenei in Iran as masses of people are rising up against this genuine monster and dictator.
Of course Trump is not a faultless leader by any means, but I will take him any day of the week over real tyrants like Maduro, Khamenei, Xi Jinping, or Kim Jong Un. But here I want to look at two biblical rulers: Joseph and Jesus, and how folks rejected their rule as well. I do so because I am reading through Genesis again at the moment.
There are many types of Christ in the Old Testament. Joseph is a prime example. His story is told in Genesis 37-50. We know of some obvious similarities between the two. He was rejected by his brothers, and even sold for 20 pieces of silver (Jesus was betrayed by Judas for 30 pieces).
In his book 40 Questions on Typology and Allegory (Kregel, 2020), Mitchell Chase says this about typology: “The Greek word tupos occurs fifteen times in the New Testament. It refers to an impression, image, example, or pattern. In at least four instances, biblical authors use tupos to connect to an earlier part of Scripture.” They are:
-Paul calling Adam a type of Christ (Romans 5:14)
-Paul labelling historical events in Israel’s history as types (1 Corinthians 10:6)
-The author of Hebrews referring to Moses as a pattern or type (Hebrews 8:5)
-Stephen referring to the pattern set by Moses (Acts 7:44)
The main typological event I want to stress here between that of Joseph and Jesus is that of being rejected as a leader. In Genesis 37:1-11 we read about how his brothers hated Joseph because his father loved him most of all, and gave him the coat of many colours. They hated him even more when he told them about his two dreams in which he would rule over them. As the brothers replied:
-“Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” (v. 8)
-“Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” (v. 11)
So all that led to his brothers planning to kill him. But Reuben was more sensible, and convinced them to toss him into a pit, and then eventually to sell him into slavery (verses 21-36). Chase says this about Joseph as a type of Christ:
Jesus is a true and greater Joseph. Jesus would reign as King of kings, but this rule would be accomplished through rejection and suffering (Mark 8:31). Fellow Israelites plotted against him, one of his disciples denied him, and an-other disciple betrayed him for silver (Matt. 26). The betrayal led to arrest, the arrest led to false accusations, and a verdict of death meant crucifixion. So outside the city of Jerusalem, Jewish and Roman forces opposed Jesus and delighted in his defeat. But what they meant for evil, God meant for good. Jesus’s descent into the pit of death was followed by resurrection and vindication. He revealed himself to his disciples, he restored Peter, and he commissioned them to spread the good news (Matt. 28; John 20-21). Jesus achieved the greatest work of reconciliation: he brought together not merely estranged siblings but sinners and a righteous God. And God gave Jesus the name that is above every name, that at his name every knee will bow (Phil. 2:9-11).
40 Questions About Typology and Allegoryby Chase, Mitchell (Author)
Rejecting the Kingship of Jesus
The Kingship of Jesus is certainly being rejected, just as Joseph’s prophetic leadership role was rejected. A meme making the rounds online based on a famous scene found in the Lord of the Rings films goes like this:
Theoden: “I will not accept Christ as Lord.””
Aragorn: “Christ is Lord, whether you accept Him or not.”
That is fully biblical. At the end of the day every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). But right now, we have so many who are just like the brothers of Joseph. They hated him because they wanted nothing to do with him ruling over them. Of course Joseph was just a man, like his brothers. But Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16) and ‘very God of very God’ (the Nicene Creed).
But when Jesus was on earth, the crowds so often rejected him, including so many rulers and even religious leaders. They wanted nothing to do with his kingship and lordship. Recall a few such occasions of this. In Matthew 27:15-23 we read about how the crowd preferred Barabbas:
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
Jesus had already warned about this very thing in the Parable of the Ten Minas as recorded in Luke 19:11-27. The first four verses say this:
As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
The last two verses give this grim warning about such rejection: “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.”
And in John 19:14-16 we find this:
Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
People always want to be the boss, to be the leader, to call the shots, and to decide what is right and wrong, true and false. They do not want another to lord it over them. But if we are all created by God, then he has every right to be the Lord of our lives.
We can either willingly bow the knee now, or we will be forced to bow one day when we stand before our Creator and our Judge. The choice is ours. Please choose wisely.
