“By me kings reign.” ~Wisdom
Proverbs 8.15
In his resurrection, Jesus is declared to be the “Son of God with power” (Rom 1.4). Whenever we hear of Jesus being the Son of God, our minds might immediately race to claims of divinity. Though Jesus is the incarnation of the eternal Son, that is not exactly what Paul is talking about. The “son of God” title has a long and storied history among men. Adam is the son of God (Lk 3.38). Israel is God’s son, his firstborn (Ex 4.22, 23). David’s son is God’s son (2Sm 7.14; 1Chr 17.11-14). All of these mortals rightfully claimed the title “son of God.”
There are many layers of meaning to the title. One of those layers speaks of being a king. Adam was the original king of creation, having been given dominion over everything on earth (Gen 1.28). This kingship passed through Seth, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob became Israel, the man, and then Israel, the nation. Israel came to be embodied in the king of Israel, David’s son. The Father promised David’s son that he would inherit the nations, ruling them with a rod of iron (Pss 2; 110).
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