Israel was surrounded by nations which had very powerful rulers, generally referred to as "kings". As it was small and weak, Israel felt that a king would make the nation greater and stronger. This notion showed a lack of trust in God, for God was the king and Lord of Israel. However, God went along with the idea of a king and gave Israel a number of Kings: Saul, David and those who came after, most of them wicked kings. Surprisingly, then, the prophets use the image of a king when speaking about the Messiah whom God had promised. The prophets thus reminded Israel that the only true king of Israel would be one who would not, in fact, appear to be a king in his earthly life.

In his lifetime Jesus rejected any attempt to make him king, especially when he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday riding on a donkey. As we contemplate the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger [Lk 2:7] at Christmas, Jeremiah's prophecy that he would "reign and govern wisely" calls us to reflect on the mystery of God's providential love: God's ways are not our ways.