Okay. Okay.
Let us turn to Matthew, the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6, verse 9.
Pray then in this way:
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
We know that the theme of the conference this time is, “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.” If we are familiar with this passage, this is the so-called Lord’s Prayer.
Actually, the Lord is teaching us how to pray. He Himself does not use this prayer, for a very important reason. Here it says, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
If we compare this with the Gospel of Luke, Luke also has a passage teaching the disciples how to pray. There we can see what this debt is. This debt refers to sin:
Forgive us our sins;
For we ourselves also forgive every one that is indebted to us.
So here it shows that the Lord is teaching us how to pray. He has no sin. He would not pray this prayer, even though many times we call this passage the Lord’s Prayer. In other words, it is our prayer. It is how the Lord teaches us to pray.
At the very end of this prayer, you see, “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.” But if we look at the older manuscripts, the phrase, “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen,” was not there.
The earliest manuscript of Matthew is associated with Alexandria. If you look at the prayer in Luke, it also does not have this phrase. So many Bible scholars believe that this phrase does not belong in the Bible.
If you compare different translations today, even in Darby’s translation there is not such a phrase. In the King James Version and the New King James Version, however, you will find this phrase. According to the oldest manuscripts, this phrase is not found.
But we know that in some of the most important Greek manuscripts, this phrase is found. So we cannot immediately say that this phrase belongs or that it does not belong.
But thank the Lord: the thought, “Thine is the kingdom,” is found in the Bible. Because my responsibility this time is, “For Thine is the kingdom,” we need to read another passage.
Let us turn to 1 Chronicles, chapter 29, verse 10.
So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said,
“Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of Israel our Father, for ever and ever.
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty:
For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Thine;
Thine is the kingdom, O Lord,
And Thou art exalted as head above all.”
We know this is a prayer of David. If we compare these two passages, on one hand the Lord teaches us how to pray; on the other hand, we see David’s prayer.
If we take away the phrase, “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen,” what remains would be: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” If the prayer were to end there, you would feel that this prayer is incomplete, because it ends somewhat on a negative note.
Temptation comes from the enemy. Evil also comes from the enemy. We know that there is a voice in the universe that says, “This kingdom is mine, not His.” But the kingdom is God’s.
One day the enemy of God said that the kingdom was his. So when we fall into temptation, do we sing together with Satan that the kingdom belongs to him? Even though we are weak, even though we fail, even though we fall, we have to admit that the kingdom is not Satan’s. The Lord is the King.
We know that the kingdom belongs to the Father. So when the Lord teaches us to pray, to follow with this phrase presents no difficulty. Even if it is not in the original text, this is a very natural way to pray.
At the very beginning, the prayer says, “Thy kingdom come.” We know the kingdom is to come. When the Lord’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven, that is when the kingdom comes.
But when the Lord continues to teach us how to pray, we are reminded that we will be tempted every day. When these things happen, does it mean that God is no longer King? If we pray, “For Thine is the kingdom,” then very naturally we are delivered from temptation, and very naturally we overcome evil.
So, if we return to David’s prayer, why did David have this prayer? We know that in his old age, when he was about to pass the throne to his son, he told the people something of his own story.
David had wanted in his heart to build a temple for the Lord. But God said, “You have shed too much blood. For My name’s sake, you cannot build the temple.”
There were two things in David’s life that he would never forget. One, he sinned, and he refused at first to admit it. Nathan came before him and gave him an example, as if he were speaking about somebody else. David was very angry and said, “This person cannot be forgiven.” Nathan said, “You are this person.”
This was something David would never forget. Then there was another matter: God said, “You are not that person.” David wanted to build God’s temple. He was a man after God’s own heart, and yet he heard God say through Nathan, “You are not that person.”
David not only committed adultery; he also conducted the census. Of course, he fell into temptation. Yet David wanted to serve God all his life, and his desire was very strong.
Now that he had conquered Jerusalem and gained many victories, if there was someone who could build the temple—someone who had both the heart to serve and the power to serve—David felt that he was that person. But God said, “You are not that person.”
At that moment, man might fall into temptation. Very naturally, one might think, “If God does not want me to serve, then I can start to become cold. I will still serve, but the zeal and fervor of my heart will not be the same.”
In this matter, it was not somebody else who said, “You are not the person.” It was God who said it. God was going to choose someone else. You can imagine what David was feeling. But thank the Lord, David learned a lesson.
Yes, David was a king. David’s kingdom was seen throughout history. There was a golden age during the time of David and Solomon. David was a man after God’s own heart. He wrote many psalms and lived before God.
All his life, David wanted to serve. He felt that he could not simply live in a house while God had no resting place. He wanted to build the temple so that God would have a place to rest. He had a heart to serve God, but God said, “You are not that person.”
Thank the Lord, David did not become cold. When God said no, David had a prayer. In the background of that prayer, we see David’s spirit.
David came to understand that first the household of David had to be established. Then there would be someone—Solomon—who could build the temple.
Anybody who wants to build the temple of God first needs to know that his household has to be built. David needed time because God worked in his life.
Therefore, one day, by God’s grace, someone in his household could build. It was not David himself. He was not that important.
Yes, David built the nation. Yes, he brought the nation into a golden era. He was very important. But in the matter of building the temple, God could use someone else. As long as God could establish his house, David should be satisfied.
When David heard God say no, he was still fervent for God’s temple. In his old age, he gave of all his earnings unto the Lord in order to build God’s temple.
These earnings were like the treasury of a nation. Yet for God’s sake, even though God said, “You are not that person,” David gave all that he had. When the glory was given to someone else, as long as it was God’s temple, it did not matter who built it.
Because David gave of his all, he could encourage all the people to give all. The people gave almost everything. The people rejoiced, and so did David. Before the people, David then had this prayer.
What David had poured forth, as well as what the people had poured forth, was before the Lord. His offering proves that he had learned a lesson before God. He knew that he himself was not that important.
As long as one day all the people could help his son, who was still young, and as long as the temple could be built, David would rejoice. His heart was satisfied. Then David had a prayer.
David was one who knew God. The kingdom that David knew was not David’s kingdom. Even though by grace David was on the throne, he was very clear about this.
Every time David prostrated himself at God’s feet, God made all men bow at David’s feet. Throughout his whole experience, he had one prayer. This prayer represents what he knew.
From 1 Chronicles 29:11:
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty:
For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Thine;
Thine is the kingdom, O Lord,
And Thou art exalted as head above all.
How do we explain, “Thine is the kingdom”? David said, “Thou art exalted as head above all.” This was the knowledge he gained throughout his experience.
David understood what it meant when we say, “Thine is the kingdom.” Because Thine is the kingdom, David means nothing. Because Thine is the King, God can use anybody to build His temple.
David did not become cold, nor did he take a step back. If a servant of God takes a misstep, he may immediately be deceived by the enemy. Many difficulties in the church arise because a servant of God is deceived in this way: “If you do not welcome me, someone else will welcome me.”
Brothers and sisters, only when you see that the kingdom is God’s can you see that, if God can use someone else for His will to be accomplished, you can rejoice as David rejoiced.
Because David rejoiced, he could have this prayer. He could say, “Everything that is in the heavens and the earth is Yours. The universe is Yours. Thine is the kingdom, and Thou art exalted as head over all.”
When we pray, “For Thine is the kingdom,” what does that mean? It does not only mean that you know what the kingdom is. It does not only mean that you know it in your head. The kingdom can be experienced.
The kingdom is so real that you can experience its reality. Many times we can objectively speak about the kingdom, but experientially it is very small.
Even though the truth of the kingdom is great, from eternity to eternity, our span of life is very short. Yet, sooner or later, we know that Thine is the kingdom.
Something very interesting: when you read about the kingdom in the Bible, the word “kingdom,” referring to God’s kingdom, is used eighteen times in the Old Testament.
The first time the Bible mentions a kingdom, it mentions the kingdom of Nimrod. The kingdom of the world began there. If we ask where the kingdom of the world began, Genesis 10 makes it very clear.
When Scripture speaks of the kingdom of God, the word “kingdom” is used eighteen times in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, it is used fifteen times. But from our Lord’s mouth, He not only spoke of the kingdom; He spoke of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven.
“Kingdom of God” is used seventy-two times in the New Testament. “Kingdom of heaven” is used thirty-three times. “Kingdom of the Son” is referred to twenty-three times, and the Father’s kingdom is used four times. Altogether, this is one hundred sixty-five times.
When you listen to David’s prayer—“Thine is the kingdom”—we obviously know that God’s kingdom is from eternity to eternity. He is the King of the universe and the King of all the earth.
The Bible calls Him “the King of all the earth.” He is also the King of the nations. This can be found in Jeremiah 10.
In the New Testament, He is called the great King. In Revelation 15, we find a very interesting phrase: He is the King of the ages. In 1 Timothy, He is called “the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God,” and “the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.”
Throughout the Bible, we see that He is King, and His kingdom is from eternity to eternity. The reality of the kingdom of God begins from eternity and continues into the eternal future.
Why, then, in the New Testament does our Lord speak of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven? If we know the story of the Old Testament, we understand that the reality of the kingdom is that our Lord not only was in heaven, but became flesh. Heaven came down to earth.
When our Lord became flesh, He wanted to establish His kingdom among His enemies. Even today, the world is in the hands of the enemy, and the ruler of this world has blinded us.
When the Lord was tempted, Satan told Him, “Just worship me, and I will give You all of this.” So we know that, two thousand years ago, when our Lord became flesh, heaven arrived on earth.
No matter where our Lord was, He brought heaven there. John the Baptist said, “The kingdom is near; you should repent,” because the King of heaven was there. The Lord also said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent.”
In the kingdom of heaven, there is not only a King; there are also people. The Lord wants to prepare His people. Therefore, He said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Then He told the people that the kingdom of God was already there, because the Lord Himself was there.
Brothers and sisters, when our Lord became flesh, was nailed to the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven, God made Him Lord and Christ. Then the kingdom of heaven was inaugurated.
On the day of Pentecost, the church was born. On the other hand, Peter took the keys and opened the kingdom of heaven. When he preached that sermon, three thousand hearts were opened, and they entered into the kingdom of heaven.
The arrival of the kingdom began when our Lord became flesh and continues until His return. At the end of the millennium, our Lord is going to give His kingdom to the heavenly Father.
So we see that the kingdom of God is from eternity to eternity. If we want to understand the meaning of “Thine is the kingdom,” we cannot help but return to the Old Testament.
Of course, Genesis begins with creation. When you read Genesis 1:1, it says:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Then, in Genesis 1:26, God said:
Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.
Genesis 1:2 tells us that the earth became formless and void. Something happened. What happened?
I think the one who can explain the first chapter of Genesis best is David. Let us turn to Psalm 8.
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Thy name in all the earth,
Who hast set Thy glory upon the heavens!
This explains Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” How excellent is His name in all the earth, and He displayed His splendor above the heavens.
Now look at Psalm 8:4-8:
What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?
And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?
For Thou hast made him a little lower than God,
And crownest him with glory and honor.
Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands;
Thou hast put all things under his feet:
All sheep and oxen,
Yea, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
This portion speaks of how God created man. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. One word was spoken, and light came into being. But when God created man, it was as if there were a council in the Godhead. The blueprint was opened.
They said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” Once man was created, God entrusted him with a mission:
Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:
And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens,
And over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
The fish of the sea and the birds of the sky were created on the fifth day. Every living thing that moves on the earth was created on the sixth day. This represents God’s workmanship.
God is the King of the universe. Even though these are all His creations, and even though He could rule them, He gave the authority to rule to man.
After man was created, he naturally took up responsibility. Every man is one who serves God. The Lord entrusted a mission to man.
How does David explain this passage? When we read Psalm 8, it says, “What is man, that Thou wouldest consider him? Thou hast made him a little lower than God and crownest him with glory and honor.”
When God gave man wisdom, it became our mind. When God, who is love, gave us His love, our emotion became like His. Our will is like His will. When we were created, our soul was built according to His image.
But more importantly, when God breathed into Adam’s nostrils, because God is Spirit, a spirit was created in Adam. When the spirit and the body were connected, Adam became a living soul.
How do we explain this? David tells us: “He crowned him with glory and honor.” When man is created according to God’s image, wherever man goes, he manifests God. That is His glory. That is man’s honor.
God made man to rule over the works of His hands. God did not directly rule over what He created; He made Adam ruler over the works of His hands, so that all things would be under Adam’s feet.
According to the account in Genesis, God blessed Adam and said:
Be fruitful and multiply,
And fill the earth, and subdue it;
And have dominion over the fish of the sea,
And over the birds of the heavens.
So man could rule. Man received delegated authority. To be fruitful and multiply means that life should fill the earth; then it could subdue the earth. When it subdues the earth, the lost territory can be restored.
How does Psalm 8 describe subduing the earth? David used the phrase, “Thou hast put all things under his feet.” But to understand this, we need to return to Psalm 8:2:
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou established strength,
Because of Thine adversaries,
That Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
Now we understand. Many people argue whether the earth became formless and void, or whether it was created that way. Psalm 8 clearly shows that the earth became formless.
Here we see adversaries and the avenger. How does the Lord deal with the enemies and those who seek revenge? God does one thing: out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes, He establishes strength.
Then Psalm 8 asks, “What is man?” It says that God gave man a crown of glory and honor, and that He put all things under his feet. Now we know why.
Psalm 8 could not be clearer. David could say, “Thine is the kingdom,” because he knew what the kingdom was. From Genesis 1, he could understand that God was preparing a kingdom.
Let us turn to Matthew 25, verse 34.
This passage speaks of the judgment of the nations when the Lord returns. He will separate the sheep and the goats. Let us look at one phrase:
Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand,
Come, ye blessed of My Father,
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Here we see a kingdom that was prepared from the foundation of the world. This kingdom was prepared for man.
If we read the entire Bible, what does this kingdom refer to? This is what is described in Psalm 8. If everything is under man’s feet, and man rules over all creation, then he receives the kingdom prepared for him.
A brother once spoke about Genesis and asked, “What is the purpose of creation?” He said that man was to be the commander of the entire military. The fish of the sea are like the navy, the birds of the sky are like the air force, and every crawling creature is like the army.
Very clearly, all things were under Adam. God wanted Adam to be commander in chief. When Adam was under the subjection of the Lord, all creation would be under Adam’s feet.
There is only one authority: God. Outside of God, there is no authority. Only when you are under His authority can creation be under your feet.
The one seated on the throne of David, the one who saw that Thine is the kingdom, had his eyes opened to the first chapter of Genesis. Now we understand why God created man.
Psalm 8:2, together with Genesis 1:2-26, tells us that there was once a tragedy in the universe. Satan, the archangel, rebelled, and a third of the angels rebelled with him.
God cast them down to the earth and the outer space. All creation then rebelled as well, and the earth became formless and void. The Spirit hovered upon the waters.
We often ask, “Why did God create Satan?” God did not create Satan; God created an angel. But the angel rebelled.
All the angels should say, “Thine is the kingdom.” But one day, the archangel became proud. He could not say, “Thine is the kingdom.” He wanted to be equal with God, and tragedy happened.
Brothers and sisters, we know today what the kingdom of darkness is. Satan is so prominent. So much suffering comes from Satan, and so much tragedy comes from Satan.
If Satan brings so much harm, why did God not just destroy him? If God had simply destroyed Satan, would not our problems be resolved?
Many times, we help God solve problems. Remember when Jesus asked the disciples what should be done with the five thousand? The disciples always had a good idea: “Just send them away.” Once you send them away, the problem is gone.
But can God destroy Satan? Of course He can. He is the Creator, and Satan is a created being. If the Creator destroys the created one, is that difficult? Not at all.
The enemy knows God’s power. The angels also know it. Since everything belongs to God, He can give and He can take away. He created, and He could also destroy. He is Lord of lords and King of kings.
But here is the problem: the enemy has words to speak. He can say, “You are the Creator. If You defeat me, that is not difficult.”
This is like Saddam Hussein after Iraq was defeated. He celebrated as if he were a victor. He thought that when the United States defeated Iraq, it was like a large adult beating up a small child. As long as the small child was still standing, he thought he was victorious.
Of course, God can destroy Satan. The Creator can destroy the created one. But this would only show forth God’s strength. God does not want only to show His power; He wants to show His wisdom.
God told Nebuchadnezzar that heaven rules. Until he knew that heaven rules, the kingdom would not be returned to him.
God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to know something: God’s kingdom is not merely a matter of power. It is not because He is powerful that He can be King.
There was a person in history called Matteo Ricci. He was a Jesuit who was sent to China. He always wanted to meet the emperor, and finally the emperor agreed to meet him.
To meet the emperor, even as a foreigner, one had to kneel down. When someone at the palace said, “Kneel down,” everybody kneeled down. This was authority.
You knelt down three times and put your head onto the ground nine times. But when Ricci came near the front, he noticed that the throne was empty. There was no emperor there.
When he wrote in his diary, he said, “I am so stupid. I thought there was a person seated there, so I could bow down and prostrate myself.” That kingdom appeared very powerful, but God’s kingdom is not like that.
If Thine is the kingdom, not only is God’s power manifested, but also His wisdom. How does He show forth His wisdom?
God created man a little lower than the angels. The Creator is so much greater than the created one. God is so much greater than Satan; they cannot compare.
But God created man a little lower than the angels. Angels are created beings, and man is also a created being. No matter whether angels are good or bad, man is lower.
God used another created being to deal with that created being. If man is able to overcome, that victory is a complete victory. That is God’s wisdom.
God did not Himself directly deal with the enemy. God created man, a little lower than the angels. If man is lower than the angels, how can he gain victory? How can he deal with the enemy?
In the Garden of Eden, there were two trees. God wanted man to choose between these two trees.
If man chose the tree of life, that person would remain as a child. If man ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would become an independent authority. He would be completely independent.
Man would have the knowledge of good and evil, but he would be independent. To overcome, man—though created lower than the angels—needed to accept the fruit of the tree of life.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh.
In Him was life.
The life in the tree of life is the life of Christ. If you accept that life, it is a life of dependence. It is a life of obedience.
This life is like that of infants and nursing babes. This life creates power so that the enemy and the avenger will shut their mouths.
When God created man, the birth of a human being and the birth of an animal are very different. When a baby is born, his intelligence is undeveloped. But when a calf is born, it can stand on its first day and draw milk from its mother.
Have you ever seen an infant, on the first day he was born, stand up in the cradle and say, “Hello, Mom”? The mother would faint.
A shark, when it is born, has a full set of teeth. On the first day, the mother shark sends the shark into the sea. But have you ever seen a newborn child with a full set of teeth? No.
This life is a life of dependence. A newborn has to cry, or else it cannot survive. That is why a newborn is spanked first, so that it can cry.
How does a Christian live? When we pray, that is our cry. If we do not cry, we cannot do anything. That is how Christians grow up. This is the principle of the tree of life.
When we receive the fruit of the tree of life, we return to being as children. That is what the Lord said: then we can enter the kingdom. We can overcome the enemy, and the enemy and the avenger will shut their mouths.
For this reason, all creation is under the feet of Adam, because the life he received is the life of the tree of life. That life makes him dependent. That life makes him obedient.
When our Lord came to this earth, that was His life. He said, “Apart from the Father, I can do nothing. Whatever the Father in heaven does, I do. My teaching is not My teaching.”
Here is a life of dependence. He said, “Father, not My will, but Thy will be done.” It is this life that brings shame to the enemy.
Even though man is a little lower than the angels, obedience brings shame to the enemy. The enemy is independent from God, and he can live apart from God. He has the riches and glory of the kingdoms of the world.
So, brothers and sisters, let us remember clearly: God’s original purpose was to prepare a kingdom, so that all creation could be under man’s feet.
When this life grows—not only vertically, but horizontally—it is fruitful, multiplies, and fills the earth. When this life fills the earth, it subdues the earth, Satan is put to shame, and the lost territory is recovered.
On the surface, it appears as if all creation is under Adam’s feet. But Adam is bringing all creation to the feet of God. When this happens, is God not the Head of all things? Is not Thine the kingdom?
God wants to establish such a kingdom. Even though it is called the kingdom of Adam, it is really the kingdom of God. Adam’s kingdom is only a representation. Through Adam, all the lost territories would be restored and recovered.
Is this found in the New Testament? Yes. Let us turn to Ephesians, chapter 3, verse 10.
To the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places
Might be made known through the church
The manifold wisdom of God,
According to the eternal purpose
Which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What is the church? It is those who have been saved from the human race. The human race has been redeemed. When people receive Jesus Christ, the cross not only represents redemption, and not only says that He is our Savior.
Peter tells us that Jesus was nailed to the tree, and John tells us that the cross was in a garden. That tree is the tree of life.
When we accept Jesus Christ, on one hand we accept Him as our Savior. On the other hand, we receive His life within us. Then we return to being as infants, and there is strength in us.
When we are completely dependent upon and subject to the Lord, we overcome the enemy. The Bible tells us that the rulers and authorities—the angels—now see the manifold wisdom of God.
It is very amazing. They are speechless. Not only do they see the strength of God; now they see the manifold wisdom of God.
This is in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord. Psalm 8 shows us the eternal purpose of God.
What God could not obtain in Adam, Christ received in the church. Do you see that? When the church stands on the side of the Lord, the enemy’s mouth is shut, God gains all the glory, the church is blessed, and shame goes to the enemy.
The purpose of creating man was to prepare a kingdom for man. When we are subject to God, all creation is under man; then Adam brings all creation unto God and says, “Thine is the kingdom.”
All that is lost has been recovered. But do not forget: what is the life that can subdue the earth? Even though man is a little lower than the angels, when man can overcome the enemy, God gains all the glory.
All the galaxies and all the planets were created by God. There is not one thing that does not listen to Him. Scientists can prove that.
Every day, when we use GPS while driving, do you know the background of GPS? It shows that all creation listens to God.
Newton gave us some hints through his calculations. Then Einstein helped scientists understand God’s creation more accurately. Without Einstein, we would not have GPS as we know it today.
But it is not Einstein who is great. It is the universe that Einstein discovered that is great, because behind the scenes God was taking care of it. All creation listens to Him.
Even though Satan has rebelled in the universe, we know one thing: before God created man, He created the stars, the planets, the heavens, and the angels. In the heavens there were voices of praise.
Before the creation of man, all the stars were singing. It is like the worship and praise in Revelation 4. This proves that all kingdoms are His and all creation is under His feet.
But here is the question: all creation does not have its own will. The Lord can use creation like chess pieces and move it here and there.
You can close the door of your home and be an emperor. You can say, “I will put my couch here. I will put my computer here. I will put my television here. I am the king in my household.”
The Lord is the King of the universe. That manifests His power. But He is too great merely to show power. God not only wants to show that He has power; God wants to show that He has wisdom. It is manifold wisdom.
This wisdom allows even the angels to learn many lessons today. God does not only want man to obey. God wants man to admire Him.
To obey is one thing; to admire is another. Many times obedience is a matter of power. Many times service is done because of strength.
When you are young, you have to obey your parents. Their power is greater than yours. If they do not give you money, you cannot live. So your obedience may be the obedience of a servant.
You may feel like a chess piece and that your father is moving you here and there. Many young children want to run away.
Ezra, when he was young, wanted to run away. When we asked him, “Why do you not run away?” he said, “I do not know how to cross the street.” Do you understand?
Is your obedience one of a slave? Many times, when spouses serve one another, it is slave service, because we do not know that the kingdom is God’s.
If we know how God is God, He not only wants man to obey; He wants man to admire Him.
If man were merely a chess piece, God could very clearly rule over him. But God wants a greater glory. For this reason, He created man.
Man can say yes, and man can say no. He was created a little lower than the angels. If he accepts the fruit of the tree of life, he can say to the heavenly Father, “Yes.”
This is willing obedience, not forced obedience. The Father receives great comfort from it.
When a child is young, he obeys because of his father’s strength. But when the child grows up, he may feel that his father is losing strength. Before, if he was disobedient, his father could grab his ear; but today he may feel stronger than his father.
But when children obey because they admire the life of their father, something is different. They see their father growing older, but they understand that he has wisdom. If they listen to him, they can gain much wisdom.
They are free. They have their own choice and their own family. Yet, when the father’s strength is weak and he can no longer take care of them, if the father has true authority, they see not only strength in him, but wisdom.
This is the manifold wisdom of God.
When God created man according to His image, there was only one God in the whole universe. Why did He create man according to His image?
If God had not given man his own will, it would have been very easy. He could simply have placed the cherubim with the fiery flame around the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and nobody would fail.
But God took a very great risk. He took a very great risk because He had wisdom and He had power.
Adam could say no. Adam could follow Satan. But Adam could also willingly turn his back on the world and say to the heavenly Father, “Yes.”
When Adam obeyed in this way, God allowed all creation to be under his feet. Then Adam would bring all creation before God’s feet and recover even all the territories that had been lost.
Thank the Lord. This is the psalm of David. This is the one who said, “Thine is the kingdom.” He knew what the kingdom was.
But we also know, sadly, that Adam failed. He was supposed to follow God, but he ate of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. He became independent of God and still lived.
You see the descendants of Cain. They had music, art, and civilization. It all came and stemmed from Cain. Why? Because man became smart, intelligent, and independent.
Man did not have to depend on God anymore. When children grow up, they often want to leave home because they are independent. Children on the East Coast want to go to college on the West Coast, and West Coast college students want to go to the East Coast.
They have grown up. They think they do not need their parents. Before, they had to listen to the advice of their parents. Before, their father had money and they did not. But when they have money, they think they do not need to listen to their father.
Ever since man’s fall, so many people have become independent. They think they can be free. But what does it mean to be free?
You can be free not to sin. But all those young people who move out of their homes—did they really gain freedom? They did not. They were actually bound by sin. They became slaves to sin.
This is what the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil brings.
But thank the Lord: if we accept that life, the life from the tree of life, we trust in Him and obey Him.
When we come before the Lord’s feet, we bring all creation before His feet. We do not possess authority in ourselves, but when we are under God’s authority and admit that Thine is the kingdom, then we see something.
Not only do you consecrate yourself; other people also consecrate themselves. Do you know where the difficulty of the church is today? We want all people to consecrate themselves. How do you bring all these people to consecration?
It is when you bring yourself and put yourself on the altar. Thank the Lord.
When David was tested, he did not accept the temptation. He did not take a step back or follow the flesh. When he came before the Lord and said, “Thine is the kingdom,” he did not only consecrate himself.
He brought the entire nation to consecration. When all the money of the nation and the people was before God’s feet, then David had a prayer: “Thine is the kingdom.”
Brothers and sisters, here is a person who did not merely know in his head what the kingdom was. In the Old Testament, you do not even have the phrase “the kingdom of God.” But thank the Lord.
On one hand, David understood God’s purpose. Through his experience, even though he was in the Old Testament, he already experienced, “Thine is the kingdom.”
In the Old Testament, there is only one throne called the throne of David. Solomon did not have his own throne. Solomon sat on David’s throne.
This is the story David lived. When David sat on the throne, it was because he let God be on the throne. He could say, “For Thine is the kingdom.”
May the Lord bless us and be gracious to us.
Lord, we want to commit these words into Your hands. If You find them useful, please use them, especially for the young people and for those who are here for the first time.
Lord, explain these words in a very simple way. Open the eyes of our hearts, so that we may receive Your grace during this time.
We thank You and pray in Jesus’ victorious name.