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Genesis 33:20
And he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael.

Exodus 3:15
And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: thisis my name for ever, and thisis my memorial unto all generations.

Exodus 19:5,6
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earthis mine: …

the Rock

2 Samuel 22:2,32
And he said, The LORDis my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; …

Deuteronomy 32:4,30,31
He is the Rock, his workis perfect: for all his waysare judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and rightis he…

Psalm 42:9
I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

he that ruleth.

Psalm 110:2
The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

must be just

Exodus 23:6-8
Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause…

Deuteronomy 16:18-20
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment…

Psalm 82:3,4
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy…

ruling

Exodus 18:21
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and placesuch over them,to be rulers of thousands,and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

2 Chronicles 19:7-9
Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and doit: forthere is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts…

Nehemiah 5:14
Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king,that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.

the Rock of Israel said to me,
The term "Rock" is a metaphor for God's strength, stability, and reliability. It is a common biblical image used to describe God's unchanging nature and His role as a refuge for His people, as seen inDeuteronomy 32:4 andPsalm 18:2. In this context, it signifies that the message David received is not only authoritative but also trustworthy and enduring. The use of "Rock" also foreshadows Christ, who is referred to as the spiritual Rock in1 Corinthians 10:4.

‘He who rules the people with justice,
This phrase sets a standard for leadership that is rooted in righteousness and fairness. In the historical context of ancient Israel, justice was a central aspect of the king's role, as seen in the laws given in Deuteronomy and the wisdom literature like Proverbs. The expectation for rulers to govern justly is echoed throughout Scripture, such as inMicah 6:8 andIsaiah 11:4, where the Messiah is prophesied to rule with justice. This reflects God's own character as a just judge.

who rules in the fear of God,
Ruling in the "fear of God" implies a leadership that is accountable to divine authority and guided by reverence for God. This concept is deeply rooted in the wisdom literature, particularly inProverbs 9:10, which states that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It suggests that true leadership is not only about justice but also about humility and submission to God's will. This principle is exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ, who perfectly submitted to the Father's will, as seen inJohn 5:30.

- Scripture opens this verse by stressing that God Himself initiates the message. Nothing is second-hand; it comes straight from the Sovereign who formed the nation (2 Samuel 7:4;Isaiah 55:11).

- Because God speaks, every word carries absolute authority and reliability (Numbers 23:19;2 Timothy 3:16).

- For us, this reminds us to listen first and foremost to God’s voice in His Word, not to shifting cultural winds (Psalm 119:89).

- “Rock” conveys unchanging stability and protection. Moses called the Lord “the Rock” (Deuteronomy 32:4), and David echoed it often (Psalm 18:2, 31).

- A rock shelters and supports; so the Lord undergirds David’s throne and every promise He makes (Psalm 61:2).

- The title also points forward to Christ, the Rock who followed Israel and now upholds His church (1 Corinthians 10:4;Matthew 7:24-25).

- God defines a leader’s first duty: exercise justice—doing what is right by God’s standards, not human expediency (Deuteronomy 17:18-20;Proverbs 16:12).

- Justice safeguards the weak and restrains the wicked (Psalm 72:1-4;Jeremiah 22:3).

- When leaders abandon justice, a nation staggers (Isaiah 10:1-2); when they embrace it, a nation thrives (Proverbs 29:4).

- Justice must flow from reverence. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10) and the anchor for righteous leadership (2 Chronicles 19:7).

- David testifies that genuine authority submits to a higher Authority, modeling what every parent, pastor, employer, or civic official needs (Nehemiah 5:15).

- Ultimately this points to Jesus, upon whom rests “the Spirit of the fear of the LORD” and who will judge with perfect equity (Isaiah 11:2-5;John 8:29).

God Himself, the unshakable Rock, tells David—and us—that any ruler worthy of the name must govern with justice rooted in deep reverence for the Lord. When leaders mirror God’s character, people flourish; when they ignore Him, chaos follows. The verse ultimately directs our gaze to Christ, the perfectly just King who rules forever in the fear of God.

He that ruleth.--The English gives the true sense, but the original is exceedingly elliptical, both here and in the following verse. The fundamental point of all just government has never been more perfectly set forth:--that it must be "in the fear of God."

"He that ruleth over men righteously,
That ruleth in the fear of God -
And as the morning light shall he be,
when the sun riseth,
A morning without clouds;
Yea, as the tender grass from the earth,
from sunshine, from rain." A king who rules his people justly is as glorious as the sun rising in its strength to drive away the works of darkness, and give men, by precept and example, the light of clear knowledge of their duty. But the last metaphor is especially beautiful. In the summer, vegetation dries up under the burning heat of the sun; all is bare and brown, and a few withered stalks of the coarser plants alone remain. But when the rains come, followed by bright sunshine, nature at one burst flashes into beauty, and the hillsides and plains are covered with the soft green of the reviving grass, through which myriads of flowers soon push their way, and clothe the landscape with bright colours. So a just and upright government calls into being countless forms of human activity, and fosters all that is morally beautiful, while it checks the blighting influences of unregulated passion and selfish greed.

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