Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1697
“Where the word of a king is, there is power.” Ecclesiastes 8:4.
KINGS in Solomon’s day had a vast amount of power, for their word was absolute. They did according to their own will and none could check them, for, as Solomon said, “the king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion: whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own soul.” When such a monarch happened to be wise and good, it was a great blessing to the people, for, “a king that sits in the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.” But if he was of a hard, tyrannical nature, his subjects were mere slaves and groaned beneath a yoke of iron. We do not sufficiently give thanks for the blessings of a constitutional government, but if we were, for a season, put beneath the power of a grinding despotism, we should set more store by those liberties for which we have to thank our Puritan ancestors. Mercies are seldom appreciated till they are taken away. May we not prove ungrateful under free institutions, for if so, we shall be more brutish than any men.
There is, however, blessed be the Lord, one King whose power we do not wish, in any degree, to limit or circumscribe. God does as He wills among the armies of Heaven and among the inhabitants of this lower world—none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What are you doing? In this we greatly rejoice! The personal rule of one individual would be the best form of government if that individual were perfectly good, infinitely wise and abundant in power. And the reason why an autocrat turns into a despot is that there is no man who is perfectly good, unselfish, or wise! God has no fault or failing and, therefore, it is a joy that He does according to His will. He never wills anything that is not strictly just— in the exercise of absolute sovereignty He is neither unjust nor unmerciful—it is not possible for Him to err and, therefore, it is a great subject for joy that “the Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty. The Lord sits upon the floods; yes, the Lord sits King forever and ever; let Israel rejoice, and let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. “Say among the heathen that the Lord reigns: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: He shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the seas roar, and the fullness thereof.”
Now, because God is the absolute Monarch, His Word has power about it and of that Word of power I am going to speak at this time. May the Holy Spirit help us to think of the power of God’s Word for four purposes! First, to excite our awe. Secondly, to ensure our obedience. Thirdly, to inspire our confidence. And, fourthly, to direct our efforts.
I. First, we would see the power of the Word of the Lord in order TO EXCITE OUR AWE OF HIM. What are we poor creatures of a day? What is there in us as we appear in God’s sight? Do we not pass away as the flower of the field? As for our word, what is it? We sometimes talk exceedingly proudly and we say, “shall,” and, “will,” as if we could do anything—when, after all, our word is but breath, a vapor, a mere sound in the air! Man proposes, but God disposes. Man resolves, but God dissolves. That which man expects, God rejects, for the Word of the Lord stands forever—but man passes away and is not.
Think of the day before all days when there was no day but the Ancient of Days and when God dwelt all alone. Then He willed in His mind that there should be a world created. “He spoke, and it was done: He commanded, and it stood fast.” “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth.” What a word is that which created all things! And remember that this same word can destroy all things, for, “the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” If He were but to speak, all things that are would melt away as a moment’s foam dissolves into the wave that bears it and is lost forever! “You turn man to destruction; and say, Return, you children of men”—and at that irresistible word, man’s spirit returns to God who gave it and his body disintegrates into dust!
When the Lord created, He used no hand of cherubim or seraphim—all that we read in the sublimely simple record of Genesis is, “God said, let there be,” and there was. His word accomplished all and when He wills to destroy either one man or a million, His word is able to work His will. What a mighty word was that which in one night cut off the host of Sennacherib and slew the first-born of Egypt! The Word of the Lord commanded the floods and they drowned a guilty world—and that same word rained fire from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah! Even so, in the Last Day, when the word shall go forth from Him, He shall shake not only the earth, but also Heaven—and at His word of power both Heaven and earth shall flee away!