Genesis 1:28. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion…”
Do you remember the movie, The Lion King? Simba is the son of King Mufasa. But rather than being a king, he would rather hang out with Timon and Pumba and live his life Hakuna Matata style. The wise baboon, Rafiki, has to remind Simba of who (what) he is. He is the king! Simba returns to the pride, defeats the evil Scar, and saves the day.
We are also the sons and daughters of the King – God. We are royalty. That’s what Genesis 1:28 means when it says that we have dominion over the Earth. This is how King David will say years later:
Psalm 8:1, 3-8. 1O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! 3When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [or God] and crowned him with glory and honor. 6You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
Who are we? We are the servant kings and servant queens over creation. We represent God on Earth. Remember, that’s what it means to be made in God’s image and likeness. We are not meant to establish our own kingdoms or build our own empires like Scar, and we are not meant to run away and hide like Simba. We are made to represent THE King of the universe – God. And what kind of king is God? God is the king who is also the servant. We are called to serve like he serves. To use our power to help others and to be a part of God’s plan to save the world through Jesus.
One of the best examples of this in the Bible is the story of Joseph. Do you remember his story? Joseph was sold into slavery by his ten big brothers. Eventually, he ended up in a prison in Egypt. But God would rescue Joseph. Joseph was freed from out of the prison cell and he was crowned with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5) in the court of the King of Egypt, the Pharaoh. Joseph was given the royal ring of the Pharaoh, his image. Only the Pharaoh would stand above Joseph. And how did Joseph use his dominion and power to rule over Egypt? He literally saved the world. He stored up enough grain to feed everyone through a terrible famine. Beyond this, he saved his own family, his brothers who had sold him away when he was a teenager. Joseph even forgave his brother, Judah, who, like Scar in The Lion King, had plotted against him. Judah who would one day be the forefather of Jesus himself.
Jesus is the God-man. He is THE Image of God, God the Son, and the King over the universe. By becoming a person like us at Christmastime, Jesus has made it so that we can be the kings and queens of the world again. No matter how old you are, if you are a Christian then you are also royalty. You are a king or queen in your little corner of God’s Kingdom. Now, with Jesus, we can rule like he does, with kindness and love, courage and wisdom, humility and patience.
Remember, being a king or queen doesn’t mean that you can do whatever you want. It doesn’t mean that you make your own rules and don’t have to listen to anyone. It’s the opposite actually. Jesus was the creator and king of the universe, and he always listened to God and obeyed God. And he listened to his parents and teachers and obeyed them too. He did good everywhere he went, and he always pointed everyone to God. That’s the kind of kings and queens we should be.
Questions: Are you more likely to be like Scar (do things your own way) or like Young Simba (run away from problems)? How can you be a king/queen like Jesus today – doing good and pointing to God?
Prayer: Father, you are my king. Help me to rule alongside you with kindness and love.
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