By Todd Paetznick, March 7, 2024

God as our LORD is the most important thing.    

Proverbs 3:5a says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart.”  Note that Solomon says “Trust in the LORD” and does not say “Trust God.”  The difference between LORD and God may seem subtle, but it is material to our understanding of the passage.  

Modern US culture does not completely understand the concept of an all-powerful king. The word “God” is the rough equivalent of a title, like king or president.  In the ancient world, kings did not report to any higher earthly authority than themselves.  There were no checks and balances to protect people from an evil king.  What they said became law; their decisions were beyond contestation.  Most of us cannot imagine living in a world where one person has that much power over everyone.  “Subjects” of a king had that title because they were subject to the wishes and commands of the king.  

Good kings ruled for the benefit of the people and the kingdom.  They would ensure justice, provision of necessities, good and profitable trade with other kingdoms, and protection from enemies who wanted to take what did not belong to them.  The subjects living in a kingdom run by a good king felt loyalty to their king and recognized his actions were for the kingdom’s collective good.   

Bad kings tended toward selfishness and often exploited their subjects for personal benefit.  The bad king’s love of power and wealth led them to do things that did not help the kingdom’s people.  Excessive taxes were frequently collected from the people so the king could enjoy the trappings of wealth and the appearance of prosperity.  Hardship and oppression of the people by the king sometimes led to revolts and revolutions.  But rebellion against the king could result in imprisonment, confiscation of possessions, and sometimes death.  When we come across Bible stories that involve kings and ordinary people, we get a taste of what life under a king’s authority was like.  For example, Joseph, Daniel, and Esther all lived under the authority of powerful kings.  They followed acceptable protocol, said the right things, and respected the king and his power.  They all realized their place relative to the king and understood even their lives were subject to the king’s whims.  

Whether good or bad, the king had power over the people.  The king did what he believed was right, regardless of anyone else’s thoughts.  If that meant going to war against another kingdom, the king’s subjects had no say; men and boys were often forced into military service for the benefit and glory of their king and the kingdom.  If the king wanted something or someone for himself, refusing the king could be a death sentence.  Famously, King Solomon once suggested cutting a baby in half to settle a dispute between two women, each claiming the baby as their own.  Had he cut the baby in half, there would have been no repercussions.  

The American revolutionaries knew the cost of their rebellion should they lose their war against King George III of Britain.  When our country’s founding fathers pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the cause of freedom from the oppressive rule of King George III, theirs were not empty words.  The implications of their fight for freedom from the tyranny of King George III could have cost them everything. 

God is the King of kings (notice the capitalization).  God rules as the King over the earth’s kings, emperors, rulers, and presidents.  When we speak of God as sovereign, it means He has a controlling power over all the nations, the people of the earth, and even the celestial beings we rarely realize are even there.  God can do whatever He wants.  Because He is good, we can be confident that His actions are for the good of His kingdom and the people in that kingdom.  

LORD has a different meaning than God.  Lordship implies a willing relationship of allegiance, agreement, and following.  This is an important concept to understand when it comes to our salvation.  We are often taught that Salvation is based on a belief in what Jesus did on our behalf.  But belief in the mere existence of God is not sufficient for salvation.  The belief that Jesus existed, or even that He died and came back to life, is not sufficient.  If that level of belief were enough, then every existing demon would be saved because they believe in the resurrection of Jesus.  The demons are more aware of who Jesus is than any person ever.  So what is the difference?  It’s lordship, a voluntary willingness to follow and obey God.  The demons chose to rebel against God; they chose not to follow God or obey Him.  As a result, demons were thrown out of heaven.  They still believe in the existence of God and are subject to God’s power, but they do not voluntarily submit to God as their King and LORD.  

When Solomon says we are to “trust the LORD with all our heart,” Lordship means we willingly trust and obey God’s instructions without hesitation.  Trusting God as our LORD leads to our salvation and is the first step in achieving straight paths.