Charles V Prayerbook: The Triumphal Entry of Emperor Heraclius

Courtesy Museum of the Bible, The Signatry Collection. All rights reserved. © Museum of the Bible, 2020.

If you were designing a prayerbook for a teenaged boy, what would you include? What if that boy was poised to become one of the most powerful people in the world? 

The prayerbook of Charles V was custom-made to prepare the young man to rule—and rule well. 

Charles V had big shoes to fill. Born in 1500, he was the heir of three powerful European dynasties. As his elders passed away, Charles inherited lands that stretched across the globe, eventually ruling over the Spanish Empire and the Holy Roman Empire together. 

So, what do we find in the pages of his childhood prayerbook? Tales of daring-do? Stirring stories of victory? Not at all. We find image after image of suffering and humility. 

One such example is an image of Jesus being crushed in a wine press. This common image from that time represented his sacrifice for humanity’s sin. Written in Latin are the words of Isaiah 63:3, “I have trodden the winepress alone.” It suggests to the young prince that he too would face crushing burdens as a ruler and should expect to bear them for the sake of others. 

Perhaps the most intriguing illumination is the final one, which shows the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius entering Jerusalem. 

According to a popular story, the Persians stole the cross on which Jesus was crucified, and Heraclius won it back. When he attempted to enter Jerusalem in a splendid procession, an angel blocked his way. “When the King of heaven passed through this gate to suffer death,” said the angel, “there was no royal pomp.” The Emperor wept, stepped down from his horse, took off his boots and royal regalia, and carried the cross humbly through the gate. 

Given the extraordinary expense and craftsmanship of a prayerbook such as this, each image would have been carefully chosen to make a point. The point here is clear: the greatest leaders are humble, pious, and willing to sacrifice themselves. 

The prayerbook of Charles V is not only a remarkable work of art. It shows how stories of the Bible, and stories based on the Bible, could have shaped the moral imagination of a young man destined to rule two empires. And it shows the impact of Jesus’ example of humility in his triumphal entry on later generations.

The construction of Solomon’s Temple was modeled after Moses’ tabernacle. Both the beginning of this process and its conclusion are focused on the presence of God. After the announcement that a sanctuary will be built, each leader meets with God, and each project concludes with God’s entrance into his dwelling. Some of the other similarities in the construction and opening process are tabled below. 

Table quoted and adapted from: Andrew E. Hill, 1 and 2 Chronicles, 2003, pp. 418-419.

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

The fear of the Lord—that is a startling basis for wisdom. More than that, this fear, when rightly understood, is a delight for believers.

Answering the following two questions will help keep the fear of the Lord integral to your Christian walk—and keep you on the path of wise living.

1. What is the fear of the Lord? 
2. Why should it be our delight?

What Is the Fear of the Lord?

In order to understand what the fear of the Lord is, we must distinguish between God’s immanence and His transcendence. 

God’s immanence refers to His intimacy with us and nearness to us. It is how we abide in Him, and He in us (John 15:4). This is an important category in Scripture, but it is only half of the picture.

God’s transcendence refers to His immensity and unfathomable sovereignty. It is His power, holiness, and majesty (1 Chronicles 29:11). We often overlook this side of God’s nature because it highlights our smallness and sinfulness compared to God’s greatness.

When we hold God’s immanence and transcendence in balance, we come to know that the fear of the Lord is a reverential awe for God because of His overwhelming otherness but a delight because of His intimate relationship with us. 

The Fear of the Lord for Unbelievers

Part of the difficulty in understanding the fear of the Lord comes from conflating the fear of unbelievers with that of believers.

Unbelievers ought to fear the wrath of the Lord, for “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18a). Because their faith is in something other than the saving work of Christ, they remain under the condemnation of God. Therefore, they should fear the punishment of God in a way that leads them to repentance.

The Fear of the Lord for Believers

Believers, on the other hand, experience the truth that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Jesus Christ has taken the wrath of God on Himself, and His redemption saves us from punishment.

Because of salvation, our fear of the Lord is not a terror of punishment but a reverential awe before the majestic, holy, and awesome God who has drawn us to Himself. In His presence, it is all we can do to fall to our knees before Him in a posture of humility and worship Him. 

All too often we try to minimize God’s majesty to a more manageable size, because we cannot grasp His grandeur. But God has no rival, no equal (Isaiah 40:25). Even when His presence is mediated through creation, mountains tremble and the earth splits open.

So, it is right for us to fear God, not as those under His wrath, but as those in awe of His overwhelming greatness.

Delight in the Fear of the Lord

As believers, our fear of the Lord comes from beholding the greatness of God’s power and righteousness. Because of His grace, this is not a terror of His wrath. Instead, it is a delight: 

O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name . . . (Nehemiah 1:11 ESV, emphasis added)

When we behold God’s power and righteousness in light of the forgiveness of the cross, we can marvel at His greatness with gratitude and awe because of our shelter in Jesus. We come with a contrite heart, trembling at His Word (Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 66:2) while delighting in our position as His children (Romans 8:14–17).

The fear of the Lord, then, is fundamental fuel for worship. It is a dependence on the sovereign God and a holy aspiration to please Him like a child longs to please a father. Fearing the Lord is delighting in His will and wisdom, living out of a desire to hear the words,

“Well done, good and faithful servant. . . . Enter into the joy of your Master” (Matthew 25:23 ESV).

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the NASB.

²⁹ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father^{[Other mss add or wife]} or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions —and eternal life in the age to come.

Mark 10:29–30 CSB

¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God,^{[Other mss read on the living God]} who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share, ¹⁹ storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life.

1 Timothy 6:17–19 CSB

Rewards in the kingdom of heaven are based on our faithfulness to the opportunities we have been given during our earthly lives. These rewards are the consummation of the pursuit of God.

Daily Growth, September 17, 2020, “Daily Encouragement, THE PROMISE OF REWARD” from Handbook to Wisdom

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

We would be wise to cultivate a holy fear, awe, and wonder before the magnificence, might, glory, and greatness of the Creator and Ruler of heaven and earth.

Handbook to Wisdom: Praise, Promises, Wisdom and Truth
https://kenboa.org/product/handbook-to-wisdom-praise-promises-wisdom-and-truth/

Yet in Ecclesiastes 7:23–24 Solomon also makes clear that getting wisdom is a challenging process: “‘I am determined to be wise’ — but this was beyond me. Whatever exists is far off and most profound — who can discover it?”

Fortunately, Scripture provides us instruction in this area. Here are four Biblical instructions for how to get wisdom:

1. Fear God

Solomon says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (see Proverbs 9:10). But how should we fear God? Philipp Melanchthon, a collaborator of Martin Luther, discussed what it means to fear God by contrasting filial fear with servile fear. Filial fear is the type of respect and love a child has for a parent, a fear of offending the one they most adore and trust. In contrast, servile fear is the kind of fear that a prisoner has for his jailer or executioner.

2. Desire Wisdom

The second step to getting wisdom is to desire it with all our heart. As Solomon says, we must “look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure” (Proverbs 2:4).

3. Pray for Wisdom

As James tell us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).

4. Study God’s Word

The fourth step in getting wisdom is studying and meditating on God’s Word (see Psalm 19:7). We shouldn’t rely merely on our own understanding, though, but lean on the wisdom and insight produced by Christians throughout the church’s history.

PRACTICAL TAKEAWAY:
To get wisdom we must fear God, study his Word and prayerfully desire to understand life from God’s perspective.

Article drawn from the NIV LifeHacks Bible as found on the NIV Bible Blog https://www.thenivbible.com/blog/4-ways-get-wisdom/

• for its profit is greater than that of silver,
• its gain is more than fine gold.
• more precious than jewels,
• nothing I desire can compare with her.
• long life
• riches and honor.
• pleasant ways
• paths are peace.
• a tree of life
• happiness

He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
he who keeps understanding will find good.

FREEDOM! “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 CSB

1. The fear of the Lord
   • The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10 CSB
   • To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech. Proverbs 8:13 CSB
2. Knowledge of the Holy One (Jesus)
   • “…the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 CSB
3. Shrewdness
   • Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced; Proverbs 8:5 CSB
4. Common Sense
   • Develop common sense, you who are foolish. Proverbs 8:5 CSB
5. Gracious speech
   • Listen, for I speak of noble things, and what my lips say is right. Proverbs 8:6 CSB
   • All the words from my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse. Proverbs 8:8 CSB
   • Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person. Colossians 4:6 CSB
6. Righteousness
   • I walk in the ways of righteousness, along the paths of justice, Proverbs 8:20 CSB
7. Justice
   • I walk in the ways of righteousness, along the paths of justice, Proverbs 8:20 CSB

The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
Who put their hope in His unfailing love.

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.

Psalm 128:1

The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.

Job 28:28

To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

Proverbs 8:13 CSB

Who is the man that fears the Lord?
He will instruct him in the way he should choose.

Psalm 25:12

Examples of the Fear of the LORD

¹² As the sun was setting, a deep sleep came over Abram, and suddenly great terror and darkness descended on him.

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be resident aliens for four hundred years in a land that does not belong to them and will be enslaved and oppressed.^[d] 14 However, I will judge the nation they serve, and afterward they will go out with many possessions. ¹⁵ But you will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶ In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”^[e]

Genesis 15:12-16 CSB