Another dynamic scripture stresses is that leaders must recognize where they stand in relationship to God. They must understand that He is God and they are not, that their status and success comes from God, and that they must conform to God’s ways/will to retain their positions.
Listen then, kings, and understand; rulers of remotest lands, take warning;2hear this, you who govern great populations, taking pride in your hosts of subject nations!3For sovereignty is given to you by the Lord and power by the Most High, who will himself probe your acts and scrutinize your intentions.
4If therefore, as servants of his kingdom, you have not ruled justly nor observed the law, nor followed the will of God, 5he will fall on you swiftly and terribly. On the highly placed a ruthless judgment falls; 6the lowly are pardoned, out of pity, but the mighty will be mightily tormented.7For the Lord of all does not cower before anyone, he does not stand in awe of greatness, since he himself has made small and great and provides for all alike;8but a searching trial awaits those who wield power.
Pilate then said to him, 'Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?'11Jesus replied, 'You would have no power over me at all if it had not been given you from above;
Like flowing water is a king's heart in Yahweh's hand; he directs it wherever he pleases.
There is no authority except from God
When Hezekiah and the officials came to inspect the heaps they praised Yahweh and his people Israel.
Blessed be Yahweh, God of our ancestors, who moved the king's heart in this way to restore the beauty of the Temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem,28won for me the faithful love of the king, his counsellors and all the most powerful of the king's officials!
[Uzziah] consulted God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And as long as he consulted Yahweh, God gave him success.
You have chosen me to be king over your people, to be judge of your sons and daughters.8You have bidden me build a temple on your holy mountain, and an altar in the city where you have pitched your tent, a copy of the holy Tent which you prepared at the beginning. 9With you is Wisdom, she who knows your works, she who was present when you made the world; she understands what is pleasing in your eyes and what agrees with your commandments.10Dispatch her from the holy heavens, send her forth from your throne of glory to help me and to toil with me and teach me what is pleasing to you; 11since she knows and understands everything she will guide me prudently in my actions and will protect me with her glory. 12Then all I do will be acceptable, I shall govern your people justly and be worthy of my father's throne.
The shepherds are the ones who have been stupid: they have not searched for Yahweh. This is why they have not prospered and why their whole flock has been dispersed.
Once seated on his royal throne, and for his own use, he must write a copy of this Law on a scroll, at the dictation of the levitical priests. 19It must never leave him, and he must read it every day of his life and learn to fear Yahweh his God by keeping all the words of this Law and observing these rules,20so that he will not think himself superior to his brothers, and not deviate from these commandments either to right or to left. So doing, long will he occupy his throne, he and his sons, in Israel.'
King David then went in, sat down in Yahweh's presence and said: 'Who am I, Lord Yahweh, and what is my lineage, for you to have led me as far as this?
David addressed the words of this song to Yahweh, when Yahweh had delivered him from the clutches of all his enemies and from the clutches of Saul.2He said:
Yahweh is my rock and my fortress,3my deliverer is my God. I take refuge in him, my rock, my shield, my saving strength, my stronghold, my place of refuge.
My Savior, you have saved me from violence;4I call to Yahweh, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my foes.
5With Death's breakers closing in on me, Belial's torrents ready to swallow me,6Sheol's snares on every side of me, Death's traps lying ahead of me,
7I called to Yahweh in my anguish, I cried for help to my God, from his Temple he heard my voice, my cry came to his ears!
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21Yahweh rewards me for my uprightness, as my hands are pure so he repays me, 22since I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and not fallen away from my God.
23His judgments are all before me, his statutes I have not put away from me;24I am blameless before him, I keep myself clear of evil.
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29Yahweh, you yourself are my lamp, my God lights up my darkness;30with you I storm the rampart with my God I can scale any wall.
31This God, his way is blameless; the word of Yahweh is refined in the furnace, for he alone is the shield of all who take refuge in him.
32For who is God but Yahweh, who is a rock but our God: 33this God who girds me with strength, who makes my way free from blame,
On that day, David was the first to assign to Asaph and his kinsmen the giving of thanks to Yahweh
Hence, in the presence of the whole assembly David blessed Yahweh. David said: 'May you be blessed, Yahweh, God of Israel our ancestor, for ever and for ever! 11Yours, Yahweh, is the greatness, the power, the splendor, length of days and glory, everything in heaven and on earth is yours. Yours is the sovereignty, Yahweh; you are exalted, supreme over all.12Wealth and riches come from you, you are ruler of all, in your hand lie strength and power, and you bestow greatness and might on whomsoever you please.13So now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your majestic name,14for who am I and what is my people, for us to be able to volunteer offeringslike this? - since everything has come from you and we have given you only what you bestowed in the first place,15and we are guests before you, and passing visitors as were all our ancestors, our days on earth fleeting as a shadow and without hope.16Yahweh our God, all this wealth, which we have provided to build a house for your holy name, has come from you and all belongs to you.
17'Knowing, my God, how you examine our motives and how you delight in integrity, with integrity of motive I have willingly given all this and have been overjoyed to see your people, now present here, willingly offering their gifts to you.18Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel our ancestors, watch over this for ever, shape the purpose of your people's heart and direct their hearts to you,19and give an undivided heart to Solomon my son to keep your commandments, your decrees and your statutes, to put them all into effect and to build the palace for which I have made provision.'
20David then addressed the whole assembly: 'Now bless Yahweh your God!' And the whole assembly blessed Yahweh, Godof their ancestors, bowing down in homage to Yahweh, and to the king.
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