Melek Kabod

Names of God – Part 59

The King of Glory

This is a blog about donkeys and a man riding through a city gate on one of these strong and stubborn but humble creatures. It is also a blog about a song. That song is old, about 3,000 years old written by a king about another King who was yet to come, Melek Kabod, the King of Glory.

This is how the song ends*:

Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory!

Strong and mighty in battle was how this King would arrive. A few hundred years later another person said of this King*:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Kings generally enter in glory on a noble horse or in a chariot, not on a donkey. There is nothing at all special about someone who rides a donkey, thousands would have ridden donkeys into Jerusalem. It was the transport of ordinary people.

In the New Testament (Mark 11:1-11) it is told that as Jesus approached the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples to a nearby village to fetch him a donkey. Upon their return, Jesus then rode the donkey into Jerusalem where he was met by cheering crowds.

It tells us a lot about what the glory of God looks like. It looks like humility. The Almighty God, who has no need to be humble, chose to reveal his majesty by riding a donkey, then instead of punishing those who were against him instead gave his own life for them. This is what true glory, the glory of God looks like. Giving yourself for others for no reward.

Let us praise this King of Glory.

*Psalm 24:7-10 and Zechariah 9:9.