“WHY ARE YE THE LAST TO BRING BACK THE KING?” excerpts from R. 1690

2 Samuel 19

“And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house. Ye are my brethren; ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore, then, are ye the last to bring back the king?” – 2 Sam. 19:9-12

IN the scrap of history here recorded we find an illustration of a very similar condition of things in the world to-day. The kingdom of Israel had been thrown into a state of confusion, threatening anarchy, in consequence of being left for a time without any official head or king, by the rebellion of Absalom and the divided sentiments of the people.

Absalom had cunningly managed to alienate the hearts of the people from his father David, and had finally headed a revolt. And David, in fear of the consequences, fled from the city and country to the region beyond Jordan, accompanied by a few loyal and faithful subjects. A great battle took place, which resulted in the prompt subduing of the rebellion and in the death of Absalom, the would-be usurper.

Afterward King David did not attempt to repossess himself of the Kingdom, but waited until the desire of Israel for his return should be expressed.

Meantime, says the record, “All the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom. And Absalom whom we anointed over us is dead in battle. Now, therefore, why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?”

Just so it is in the world to-day. Earth’s rightful King is not upon its throne, nor has the world recognized his right to it or desired his return. Men have been busy with their own schemes and plans of government. They have anointed various kings of their own choosing: in fact, they have tried every experiment of self-government; and, one after another, all have ended in failure. And now, after six thousand years of human experiment, the whole world is on the verge of a revolution, in the outcome of which they have nothing to expect but anarchy.

THE RELIEF WILL COME ONLY WITH THE RETURN OF THE KING, IN POWER AND GREAT MAJESTY

We wait not for the King as the sweet babe of Bethlehem, nor yet as “the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all;” but we wait for him who, having been “put to death in flesh, was quickened [made alive] in spirit” – who was raised from death a spirit being – highly exalted above his condition as a man, higher even than his condition as a spirit-being before he humbled himself to become a man, – highly exalted, even to the divine nature, far above human nature and angelic nature and every other nature. Such is the nature and majesty of the King for whom we wait, and whose presence and Kingdom we are assured can and will bring order out of earth’s confusion, and bring to the world the blessings purchased with his own precious blood, given when he was a man, once for all and forever as man’s redemption-price.

THE NUMBER OF THOSE WHO WILL SPEAK OF BRINGING BACK THE KING WILL INCREASE

Ah, yes! That is the remedy, and the only remedy at all adequate to the cure of the disease of selfishness, its eradication from the body – social, political and financial.

”BUT WHO MAY ABIDE THE DAY OF HIS COMING? AND WHO SHALL STAND WHEN HE APPEARETH?”

The coming of the King will mean a personal, as well as a national and a church examination, judgment and treatment. “Who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap.” (Mal. 3:2.) It will mean the curtailment of vice to a degree never attempted by any earthly reformer. There will be no license to be or to do evil in any form or degree. The only liberty will be to do right.

Ah! No wonder that so few to-day look and speak for the coming back of the King! To some it would mean the curtailment of present advantages over the remainder of their fellows. To some others it would mean to check their anticipated rising to a point of advantage or preference or honor above their fellows. To others it would mean the curtailment of sins now indulged and enjoyed.

Nevertheless, both the King and the Kingdom – for which the King taught his Church to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven” – are coming. In fact, they are here; and present troubles in church and state are the results of influences emanating from that King and Kingdom. Though men know it not, it is the smiting by this Kingdom of God that is even now preparing for the wreck of all the kingdoms of earth and the preparation thus of the hearts of men for the true King and his righteous government. Thus it was foretold by the Lord through the prophet. – Dan. 2:34,35.

But the King of Glory waits to be prayed to come and take control. He will let the various parties and factions of society cut and lance and amputate each others defects and prepare each others physics. But it will all be under the King’s eye, and subject to his “all-power.” And when all are thoroughly sick, and when he, as the Good Physician, does come in and offer “the balm of Gilead,” he and his Kingdom will generally be hailed as “the desire of all nations.” (Hag. 2:7.) The Jews will be first: “They shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son.” And when he shall reveal his presence and Kingdom, they will shout, “Lo! this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us.” (Zech. 12:10; Isa. 25:9.) Then “many people shall go and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain [kingdom] of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” – Isa. 2:3.

Surely, those who know that the King and his Kingdom are the only remedy and the best remedy for all the wrongs and woes of men should be pointing the groaning creation to this, rather than to the poultices of their own contriving which can do no real good. Tell them about the Return of the King! Tell them that he is the Great Prophet and Great Priest, as well as the Great King: that as Prophet [Christ, the head, and his Church, the body] he will cause an accurate knowledge of the Lord to fill the whole earth; and that as Priest he will be ready to pardon and succor all who, under that knowledge, shall turn from sin to righteousness. Tell them that his death was the redemption price for all, and that the return of the King is to bind Satan and set free all of his captives who will accept the liberty of the sons of God under the conditions of the New Covenant. – Acts 3:22, 23; Gal. 3:29; 1 Cor. 6:2.