Dominion

Psalms 115:16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord ’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men.


From the very beginning, God gave dominion over the earth to the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, to enforce God's government over the earth in agreement with His will....to subdue it...to develop it....to tend it...all in agreement with God's perfect plan.


When God gives something, He REALLY gives it. Adam and Eve's rebellion never voided the gift. Because God is faithful and true, His Word remains forever. Jesus won the dominion of creation back for mankind and God, freeing it from satan's legal claims to having a share in the earth.


There are some glaring consequences to the truth of this responsibility given to mankind. God generally does not violate this arrangement of responsibility. The easiest way to say it is that "God looks for a man or woman." God searches the earth for a man or woman to agree with Him about what needs doing in the earth:


Ezekiel 22:29-30 The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.


II Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”


Satan is also committed to searching the earth looking for those who will agree with him:


Job 1:7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”


There have been times in history where God has found men and women who were committed to finding out His will. We know the names of these rare ones. Satan has little trouble finding many who selfishly and often unwittingly agree with him, but a man or woman who seeks out, and sets their heart to agree with, the will of God with their whole heart are noteworthy: Moses, Daniel, Esther, David, Elijah, John the Baptist...these and many others are the ones we read about...these are the ones who permanently mark the earth and will shine in great glory forever. To choose agreement with God is to choose an eternity of reflecting great measures of God's glorious brightness, and even fame on the earth, but there is a cost.


David is one of the best examples of this dynamic in action. Because we know many of the details of David's story, we get insight into why he did what he did. God's testimony of David is: "I have found a man after My own heart."


I Samuel 13:13-14 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”


I Samuel 16:1 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”


David's desire matched up with God's desire. God made man to search for Him...to be with Him...to partner with God. You and I were made to desire to know God with the whole heart, because God is a wholehearted lover. God will not love any less than infinitely...fully...He desires to be in a relationship with people who desire the same thing!


Psalms 27:4 One thing I have desired of the Lord , That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord , And to inquire in His temple.


Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.


David's request, written throughout the Psalms, agreed with God's desire, and God answered David powerfully. God took David into the real temple in heaven. God revealed to David what His throne room looked like and how it operated centuries before John saw the vision of it in Revelation 4. This was the temple David was talking about...for no other temple existed at the time David wrote out His song to God. God showed David night and day worship and prayer, and then gave Him the instructions on how to agree with heaven on earth.


David started a night and day worship movement that permanently marked the earth. David endured much trouble and expense to hire singers and musicians to replicate the throne room worship:


I Chronicles 23:5 four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand praised the Lord with musical instruments, “which I made,” said David, “for giving praise.”


I Chronicles 9:33 These are the singers, heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night.


Israel was blessed with leaders who willingly endured great cost trying to agree with heaven. Under every king that undertook maintaining David's worship order, righteousness flourished. Even the land, the geographic location of Israel was blessed in a way we would have a hard time imagining by the time David was done and Solomon had taken the reigns of the kingdom:


II Chronicles 9:27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.


David told Solomon why the land was blessed:


I Chronicles 22:11, 14, 18-19 Now, my son, may the Lord be with you; and may you prosper, and build the house of the Lord your God, as He has said to you. Indeed I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the Lord one hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond measure, for it is so abundant. I have prepared timber and stone also, and you may add to them. “ Is not the Lord your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and before His people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord .”


It was all about worship on earth agreeing with heaven. Whenever a man on earth is willing to agree with heaven, and to endure the cost of that agreement, a corridor of glory is created. To the degree we are willing to agree with God determines the measure of glory released. This is why we are able to "hasten the day of Jesus' return."


II Peter 3:11-12 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?


Right now, God is rebuilding David's night and day worship movement globally. This is in preparation for the return of Jesus:


Amos 9:11 “On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old;


This is one of the greatest signs of our time, as hundreds of these geographic centers of expensive...costly in both time and money...places of night and day agreement with God are raised up. Now is the time to seek the Lord with the whole heart and pour ourselves into what He is doing. The cost is real, but this is the best deal ever. Jesus is worth it!


I Chronicles 21:24 Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the Lord , nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.”


Luke 12:29-31 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.


Even then, David knew this was all about preparation for a time of trouble:





Psalms 27:4-6 One thing I have desired of the Lord , That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord , And to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.