King of Kings and Lord of Lords

Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: “Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!”

Isaiah 21:9

Sister Cities of Los Angeles.
Prayitno, 2012. CC BY 2.0

We tend to think of Isaiah as the prophet of Israel who brought God’s word to the Israelites. Indeed, this is true. But, through Isaiah, the Lord often addressed other nations as well. In Isaiah 21 he spoke to Babylon, Edom, and various peoples in the region of Arabia. With respect to Babylon, verse 19 proclaims the destruction of this great but evil kingdom. Isaiah 21 makes clear the fact that God is the Lord of all nations.

That’s not to say, of course, that the nations acknowledge God’s sovereignty or are guided by his truth. In his providence, God has allowed the nations of the earth to reject his kingdom, even as he has allowed us to do the same in our own lives. But God remains supreme. In time, his kingdom will come in all fullness. In that day, Jesus Christ will be acknowledged as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (see Rev. 19:16).

In the meanwhile, we believe that God can choose to exercise his sovereignty over the nations in his way and his time. This truth matters, not just for our thinking, but also for our praying. Because God is Lord of all, we pray, not just for ourselves, our families, our businesses, our churches, and our own nations, but also for the whole world, including all other nations. Though it might seem strange to believe that our prayers can impact such things, we nevertheless pray in faith, trusting the Lord to hear us.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

Do you ever pray for the nations? Why or why not?

When you pray, what do you ask the Lord to do?

Do you pray for other institutions? Do you pray for the company or organization for which you work? How about other human institutions?

PRAYER:

King of Kings and Lord of Lords, you are not just my King and Lord. Nor are you just the sovereign of those who acknowledge you. You are the Lord of heaven and earth. All nations exist under your authority. And in your inscrutable wisdom, you are working in and through the affairs of nations.

Though it sometimes seems audacious, even silly, to pray for nations, we do so in faith. And so we pray today, for the United States, for Mexico, for Israel, for Iraq, for Iran, for Afghanistan, for North Korea, for Russia, for China, for Syria, for France, and for the other nations of the earth. May your justice come to the nations. May you raise up leaders for the nations who seek you and your ways. As we wait for the fullness of your kingdom, may we catch glimpses of your reign even in our time.

Beautiful Savior! Lord of the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine.*

Amen.

*Final verse of “Fairest Lord Jesus” or “Beautiful Savior.” Translated from German by Joseph A. Seiss, 1873.

Explore more at the Theology of Work Project online commentary: A Tale of Two Cities (Revelation 17-22)