King of Kings

Saturday, May 27, 2017

We've looked at three African animals this week that really caught my eye when I visited Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa a few years ago: the elephant, the giraffe, and the lion. The lion, of course, has been known for a very long time as the king of the jungle. 

But who is our "king of the jungle?" 

The King of kings?

The Lord of lords?

It is the creator of the world. It is God, himself. There is no one greater than He. 

Do you know why it is tradition to stand at the performance of the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel's, "Messiah?" Do you remember the words?

• King of kings
• Lord of lords
• And He shall reign forever and ever
• Hallelujah

Do you know anything about the first performance of "The Messiah?"

It premiered in March of 1743 in London, England. Some say that King George II was there and was so moved by the finale that he stood out of respect for the King who had more authority than he did. And, of course, when the king stands, everybody else does, too. 

There is some debate about this story. But it serves to emphasize my point in today's blog. 

• No matter how important we think we are, there is One who is greater still. 
• And He shall reign forever and ever. 
• He, alone, is worthy of our praise. 

Lord, you are the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of peace. Thank you for loving us like you do -- we are so unworthy. Thank you that you are our King! We love you!

Theories abound, the most common being that King George II, attending the London premiere of “Messiah’’ in March of 1743, was so moved by the “Hallelujah’’ that he stood up - and if the king stands, everybody stands. The only problem is that there is no contemporary evidence he was even at the concert; newspapers and eyewitnesses conspicuously fail to report any royal presence.