Last night I was watching a television drama series on the life of Queen Elizabeth II entitled “The Crown.” Her father, King George, knowing that his death is eminent, tells Elizabeth’s husband Philip that he will have to give up his career as a naval officer to support and love Elizabeth when she becomes Queen. Then he sends them away on the commonwealth tour in his stead. The King dies while they are away, and Elizabeth finds herself Queen much sooner than she desired or expected.
There is a very moving scene when her plane lands in London and Philip steps forward to escort his wife Elizabeth off the plane as he has always done, but is now told that he must give way to the Crown. So he walks behind her, thereby paying homage to her as his Queen. Later we see her sister, mother, and even grandmother, also bowing to her as their Queen.
We “democratic,” “all men are created equal,” irreverent Americans really have no understanding of this. This is not to say anything for or against either a democracy or a monarchy. Indeed, we know that God didn’t want Israel to have an earthly king, but He did want to Himself be their King and has used throughout Scripture the metaphor of both king and husband to describe the relationship that He has with us—man, created in His own image and likeness.