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Those that would be wise must be instructed; and those are truly wise that receive instruction from the word of God. Kings and judges stand upon a level with common persons before God; and it is as necessary for them to be religious as for any others. Those that give law and judgment to others must receive law from Christ, and it will be their wisdom to do so. What is said to them is said to all, and is required of every one of us, only it is directed to kings and judges because of the influence which their example will have upon their inferiors, and because they were men of rank and power that opposed the setting up of Christ’s kingdom, v. 2. We are exhorted, I. To reverence God and to stand in awe of him, v. 11. This is the great duty of natural religion. God is great, and infinitely above us, just and holy, and provoked against us, and therefore we ought to fear him and tremble before him; yet he is our Lord and Master, and we are bound to serve him, our friend and benefactor, and we have reason to rejoice in him; and these are very well consistent with each other, for, 1. We must serve God in all ordinances of worship, and all instances of a godly conversation, but with a holy fear, a jealousy over ourselves, and a reverence of him. Even kings themselves, whom others serve and fear, must serve and fear God; there is the same indefinite distance between them and God that there is between the meanest of their subjects and him. 2. We must rejoice in God, and, in subordination to him, we may rejoice in other things, but still with a holy trembling, as those that know what a glorious and jealous God he is, whose eye is always upon us. Our salvation must be wrought out with fear and trembling, Phil. 2:12. We ought to rejoice in the setting up of the kingdom of Christ, but to rejoice with trembling, with a holy awe of him, a holy fear for ourselves, lest we come short, and a tender concern for the many precious souls to whom his gospel and kingdom are a savour of death unto death. Whatever we rejoice in, in this world, it must always be with trembling, lest we grow vain in our joy and be puffed up with the things we rejoice in, and because of the uncertainty of them and the damp which by a thousand accidents may soon be cast upon our joy. - Matthew Henry.
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Jesus manifests His glory to us today through the gospel, the good news of our Saviour. To live is Christ but His glory will not be completely seen until the days of our death when we shall see Him in full glory. The many, many wonderful things we read of in the Bible are but just a taste of heavely doctrine as the glory of Christ is beyond comprehension.
Wonderfully when Jesus will judge, He will do so in righteousness, He truly knows the hearts of each of us and because of these things His children should not fear death:
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." (Psalm 116:15).
While Jesus was on earth, the miracles He performed also pointed to the great compassion He has on His undeserving children. Yet with all He has given and continues to give He is continually rejected and held in contempt by a vast majority of mankind:
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken." (Isaiah 53:3-8).
How amazing the example in humility Jesus is! The One who has control over nature, the universe, and everything humbled Himself to the point of rejection, sorrow, humiliation and intense suffering to pay for the trangressions of a few people in the human race given over to evil.
The resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our faith and hope that when we die we shall rise again to follow our LORD and give Him glory throughout eternity future. So why fear death Christian soldier? He will instill in us a trust that He will indeed raise us, so let us hear His voice and obey Him today while it is still another day of life.
Jesus showed His glory when He cleansed the temple. Jesus wanted no part of merchandising the words He offers for free and He also gave us an example to cleanse our own temple, to put away evil and be ready to meet our LORD for life is so uncertain and that day may come in the blink of an eye.
God has given us many examples in His word to instill trust and faith therefore let us stay close to the Word both in deed and truth:
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." (1 John 3:16-19).
Let us not only stay close to the Word, but also heed its warnings. The warnings of deeds being done without love, of church going or worship without faith and love; the need to obey Jesus and the consequences of His wrath against sin and evil.
There will be things in the Word that are difficult to understand, but we need not worry should we not understand every single difficult prophecy, parable or verse because the LORD will give us the faith needed to be called His disciple. On our part, a willing mind, an honest heart and a desire to grow will all be gifts of our LORD's grace. This will be seen in our desire to learn and trust in Christ.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24).
When death comes to a servant of Christ it becomes but the door to paradise, a sharing in the glory of Jesus.
"Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (John 11:40).
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