And Thou, My Lord, O King, The Eyes Of All Israel Are Upon Thee

[Posted by permission. Chippenham Old Baptist Chapel.]

Prayer Meeting Address given at Old Baptist Chapel, Chippenham by Mr. G. D. Buss on Wednesday evening, 14th February, 2018

“And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee.”—1 Kings 1:20

The circumstances around these words I have read are very instructive, and, in some respects, very sad. King David was on his death bed. A few days after this, he was called from time into eternity; his journey done. Like the Apostle Paul, David could say: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day.”

But, the question arose: who should succeed King David on the throne? He had several sons, and it was no doubt a question among the family as to who should be the successor. But, God had already told David who should succeed him. It was to be Solomon. Although Solomon was not the oldest of the family, he was the one born to Bathsheba that God promised should succeed David on the throne. This was God’s appointment. And, friends, when God has made an appointment, you should never be surprised if Satan raises a scheme against it. Indeed, as I have told you before, when God builds a temple, Satan tries to build a synagogue next door.

And it was so here. The eldest son of David (through another wife he had), was Adonijah. Perhaps Adonijah felt that because he was the eldest, it was his right to be the king. So, he took it upon himself, as we read in the earlier verses. He had Joab and Abiathar on his side. Joab was the chief of the army, and Abiathar was the high priest. Without asking David, and certainly without asking the Lord, they anointed Adonijah as the next king and had a great feast to celebrate what they thought they had accomplished. Friends, however hard the devil tries, he will never succeed in overturning one of God’s decrees. It was God’s decree that Solomon should have the throne. And if God has decreed something for you, you will have it. What a mercy! “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Yes, blessed be God for that. Although the devil will fight, unbelief will question, the world will oppose and our wretched hearts will bring much darkness at times; if we are among the dear people of God there is not a shadow of a doubt in God’s mind what the end will be. “Fear not, little flock.” “I appoint unto you a kingdom.” A throne.

Well, coming back to this matter, for the second time in David’s life one of his sons rises up to usurp a throne. First it was Absalom. What trouble Absolam caused! Now it was Adonijah. Bathsheba hears of it. And Nathan, that godly, faithful prophet hears of it. They determine they must go in to David and get his mind on the matter. Who does King David feel should be his successor? Bathsheba, in our text this evening, is making a plea for her son, Solomon. She was not making a plea in a carnal way, but that the word of the Lord should be fulfilled that He had given concerning Solomon. Bathsheba says: “And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.” The outcome was that David determined that Solomon should now be anointed as the new king. He arranged for Zadok the priest and a good, godly man, Benaiah, to accompany him. And, to the delight of the godly in Israel, we find Solomon put on the throne and Adonijah brought to nothing. The Lord was not with Adonijah in this matter. “Shall it prosper?” No, it cannot prosper if the Lord be not with us in a matter. How careful we should be! How cautious we should be! How prayerful we should be! Oh to be kept from steps which are only carnal, only for our aggrandisement and not for the honour and glory of God! I would be very surprised if Adonijah did not know that Solomon was appointed to be the next king. He was fighting, almost certainly, against light and knowledge, and he came to a sad end, eventually, in the matter. Now, so often, dear friends, there is a “deep that coucheth beneath.” The eyes of the whole country were upon this aged king: how he would decide the matter and what he would do. They were looking to David to give advice, counsel and wisdom, and to guide the nation at this critical time. But, we look beyond King David, godly man that he was, and we think of great David’s greater Son. May not it be said of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords: “And Thou, my Lord, O King, the eyes of all Israel are upon Thee.”? I want, with God’s help, to look at this word in three ways. First of all, Israel. Secondly, their eyes. And thirdly, what they behold in “my Lord, O King.”

First of all then, who are the Israel of God? We are now looking beyond a nation. We are looking beyond the confines of that Promised Land given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We are looking now to the Israel of God. We are told in the Epistle of Paul to the Romans that the Israel of God are those whose hearts have been circumcised. That is, the Holy Ghost has engraved the Truth in their hearts: the living Truth, an incorruptible Truth. He began a good work there; a work which will result in that soul eventually joining the Israel of God above in that place where…

“ …congregations ne’er break up,

And Sabbaths have no end.”

Bromehead’s Collection

The Israel of God are God’s people. They are those born again by the Holy Spirit. They are those being led by the Spirit to know themselves as sinners, and are being brought to this great King of whom our text speaks, by inference, for salvation. Hear the blessed words we read in Isaiah 45: hear this great and glorious King saying: “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” The Israel of God are that people given by the Father to the Son to redeem. They are that people born again by the Holy Ghost while they are in this time state. They are those who flee “for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before” them. They are those who are sheltering beneath the precious blood of Christ. They are those who cannot do without Him. They have to live, as God gives them, by faith, by prayer, by hope and by love. They draw “water out of the wells of salvation.” They are a favoured people. They are a distinct people. They are a separated people. In 1 Peter 2 they are called “a peculiar people.” “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

Here then, first of all, are the Israel of God. They are God’s people.

Friends, if your eyes are like the eyes in our text towards this King of whom I am going to speak, then surely you have one of the marks that belongs to the Israel of God. Can you come at least this far, with godly Peter, when many went back and walked no more with our Lord, that perfect preacher? What did he say? “Will ye also go away?” What did Peter say? “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.”

“And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee.” Let us now look for a moment to their eyes. Of course, literally speaking, very few could actually see the king at this time. He was on his death bed, and only a few favoured friends and courtiers were allowed near this godly man. So, literally speaking, the natural eye could not see him. Yet, such was their affection, regard and esteem for this godly man, although they could not see him, their understanding was toward him. They were waiting to hear what he would say concerning this solemn, important matter. And so it is with the Israel of God. We cannot see this blessed Lord and King with the natural eye. He has gone within the veil. He sits at God’s right hand. Yes, blessed be God, we trust there may be a day when that word will be fulfilled: “Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty.”

“The King there in His beauty, 

Without a veil is seen:

It were a well spent journey, 

Though seven deaths lay between.”

A.R. Cousins

David could surely say that about his life! But, the point I want to make is; it is by faith. The eyes of God’s people are the eyes of faith. They are like Moses. “He endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.” That is a strange thing: the very nature of something invisible is not seen. Not seen with the natural eye, beyond natural wisdom, beyond natural prudence and beyond natural knowledge. It pierces through all that, and it discerns what God reveals. That is what faith discerns. “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?”

Now, in the Holy Word of God (and we cannot spend too long on this part of our text), there are several very instructive incidences where the eyes of faith were in the right place. I think of godly Jehoshaphat. You will remember the well-known time when the multitude came against him from Moab and Ammon and various other nations around. They were determined to unseat Jehoshaphat and take the nation for themselves. ‘Man proposes, God disposes.’ Friends, whatever man proposes, just put that to one side and say, ‘What does God dispose?’ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Lay aside man’s propositions. What has God to say about the matter? And that is what Jehoshaphat did. He went into the temple that memorable day. One thing he said in that very precious prayer was: “We have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do.” How honest he was! Friends, always be honest in prayer. Do not prevaricate; do not try and deceive your God. You cannot! Be honest.

“Trust in Him, ye tempted saints; 

Tell Him all your sad complaints.”

W. Gadsby

Do not hide anything from Him. Tell Him how sad your case is. Tell Him how bad your case is. Tell him how impotent you are. Tell him how weak you are. Tell Him you know not what to do; you are feelingly, in your own soul, a fool in the pathway you are placed at this time.

But, Jehoshaphat went on. He said: “But our eyes are upon Thee.” ‘They are up unto Thee, Lord!’ What a wonderful way he prayed! He pleaded what God had done. He knew what God could do. And how the Lord answered that man, Jahaziel, and gave an abundant, very necessary deliverance to His dear servant Jehoshaphat, because his eyes were upon this blessed Lord and King of whom our text is speaking, by inference. In your troubles and trials, my dear friends, where are your eyes? Quite often they are on the trouble, aren’t they? They are so often on the tribulation; so often looking within at that dark, dark, prison of your soul. Nothing to comfort you there!

“Pore not on thyself too long,

Lest it sink thee lower;

Look to Jesus, kind as strong – 

Mercy joined with power.”

J. Hart.

Again. Take another example in the Psalms where we read these words: “Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that He have mercy upon us.” Friends, the psalmist kept waiting, didn’t he? He kept watching, like a man watching for the morning; for the daybreak; for the dawn, as it were, to cast some light on his dark path. “Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes.” ‘We are waiting.’ There is another example in the Psalms as well, which is also very instructive. “Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.” What a low place the godly psalmist, David, got into! He looked at his life and it seemed as if he was one already dead with his bones scattered at the grave’s mouth. A place of seeming confusion, death, desolation, darkness and hopelessness! Then he said: “But mine eyes are unto Thee, O GOD the Lord: in Thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.” The margin’s reading is: ‘Make not my soul bare.’ ‘Let not my soul be like what I see around me, Lord.’ You may look at your life and it may be just like David’s. Your bones seem to be “scattered at the grave’s mouth.” How destitute it all seems, whichever way you look! But, David says: ‘Do not leave my soul like that, Lord. Come with some gleam of hope. Come with some word of comfort; some word of direction; some word of expectation. Oh, come, Lord!’ “Our eyes are upon Thee.”

Then, very briefly, two other examples. I think of the dying thief. If ever a man’s eyes looked beyond what was seen by nature, it was the dying thief’s. To the human eye, the Man on the centre cross had “no form nor comeliness.” We are told in Isaiah 53; “He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men.” That is how it was as He hung in all the humiliation and degradation. Oh, the sorrows that hung around the dear Saviour, both bodily and spiritually! Yet, the dying thief looked beyond that. He saw a King with a throne, about to enter into a kingdom. And he wanted to cast his lot in with this King and with His kingdom. If ever that word in Psalm 81 was fulfilled, it was in this case. “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Could he have opened it wider than he did? Friends, he could not have opened it any wider; he asked for a place in the kingdom of Christ.

“In the kingdom of Thy grace 

Give a little child a place.”

C. Wesley

“Our eyes are upon Thee.” The Lord answered him, didn’t He? He gave him a wonderful answer. That very day his redeemed soul took its place among “the spirits of just men made perfect.”

There is just one other example I would just briefly mention, and that is the transfiguration. Those three favoured disciples saw Elijah, and Moses conversing with our Lord Jesus Christ. At first, poor Peter, not realising what he was saying, thought that three tabernacles, one for each, would do. But, what was the outcome? First of all, a cloud covered them. Secondly, a voice out of the cloud: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.” And, when the cloud had gone, “they saw no man, save Jesus only.” Sometimes, dear friends, clouds surround us, do they not? It is a wonderful thing when the Lord disperses those clouds, and we see “no man, save Jesus only.” “And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee.”

Now, very briefly (a whole sermon could be preached on this if God gave the grace), upon whom were their eyes fixed? “And thou, my lord, O king.” What can we say about this? Are our eyes fixed upon His divinity, His Godhead, His equality with the Father, His supremacy and His almighty power? Jeremiah says: “Ah Lord GOD! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee.” Do you believe that about this glorious Person inferred in our text? Are our eyes upon what He can do? Philip, Andrew and the other disciples looked upon the five loaves and two fishes and they said: “What are they among so many?” They forgot who they were talking to and with whom they were conversing. He who created the heavens and the earth was right by them! And, when He took those loaves and fishes in His own dear hands: He took it out of their hands; what a difference! Friends, your circumstances, whether it be body or soul, family, Church or business will never succeed in your hands. Your hands are not strong enough or skilful enough to manage these things. But, they will succeed in His hands. That is what David himself said in Psalm 31: “My times are in Thy hand.”

“Give Him, my soul, thy cause to plead, 

Nor doubt the Father’s grace.”

I. Watts

Again. This glorious Person is truly Man. Truly Man to suffer, to bleed, to die, to lie in a tomb, and, yes, on the third day to rise again. Oh, the wondrous work wrought in His holy body here below as He suffered “the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” He is a sympathetic One. He understands. He knows. Our eyes are upon this One who has such sympathy.

“His tender, loving heart

The vilest will embrace;

And freely to them will impart 

The riches of his grace.”

W. Gadsby

“And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee.” Thy mercy, Thy righteousness, Thy wisdom, Thy grace, Thy name, Thy love: it is all in Him. He is “the Chiefest among ten thousand.” He is the “altogether lovely” One. Yes. Our eyes are upon this precious Person, by faith.

And, what a mercy if, when we come down to die, our eyes should be upon Him. To see Him, to all eternity!

“The bride eyes not her garment, 

But her dear Bridegroom’s face; 

I will not gaze on glory,

But on my King of grace;

Not on the crown He giveth, 

But on His piercéd hand: 

The Lamb is all the glory 

Of Immanuel’s land.”

A.R. Cousins

Oh, poor trembling, tried believer tonight, “Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.”

May God add His blessing.

Amen.