Of

Prepositions are extremely important. How 8th grade English teacher was that first sentence? Doesn't make it less true, though.

Being over the table is very different from being under the table. Just like being with your dog is very different than being against your dog. Or placing your drink over the piece of paper is very different from placing your drink in the piece of paper. Those little prepositions change quite a bit of meaning.

Subtle difference. Super important.

Why are prepositions so important? Because they give us a location, they tell us where one thing is in relationship to the other thing.

And so, one of the better things I have done regarding studying the Bible is to notice prepositions in the text.

You'll notice after a simple word study and search, that God talks a ton about being the "Lord of______" but very rarely talks about being the "Lord over_______."

In fact, the difference is staggering. In our best translations we see God using "Lord of_____" about 35 times depending on translation and only using "Lord over_____" only one time ("over Israel").

Well, what's the difference of being "Lord of" something and the "Lord over" something?

Everything.

To be over something is to dominate. Something God certainly could do. But the preposition "of" is how he describes himself. "Of" is a preposition that expresses the relationship between a part and a whole; the word "of" indicates an association of belonging between two separate entities. It tells us that one is a part of the other.

The days of the week.

The sleeve of his coat.

The back of her neck.

This small, seemingly insignificant word, is all about belonging.

To be Lord over the nations tells us that he is domineering and above us. To be Lord of the nations says that he is with, a part, in relationship alongside of us, but still very much doing his part: which is to be "Lord." He is not out of place when on earth, but he's still in charge.

This is why the Christian God is so different. He came to the nations, to the earth as man and lived among us. He, for a while, belonged. He breathed our air and made the bold statement: I am with you.

God became a part of the story of the earth and yet still kept his identity as Lord. Jesus' teachings were all rooted in this fact that he was Lord of the Sabbath, Lord of Hosts, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and the Light of the World.

He is the Lord that sits alongside people and yet remains the true Lord, the King. He is the Lord of all. And yet, is he the Lord of you?