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Raging Nations -- Psalm 2, Romans 1, and the Church's MissionPsalm 2 opens with the nations raging against the Lord and His Anointed, refusing His rule, demanding their chains be broken. Heaven's response isn't alarm, it's laughter, the laughter of one who knows exactly where that refusal leads.In this teaching, we trace that path straight into Romans 1. The coalition is the same on both ends: "let us break off his bands" in Psalm 2 is the same demand as not retaining God in collective knowledge, teaching, law, and the public square in Romans 1. The nations want the bands broken, so God answers, He gives them over, and the bands come off exactly as asked.But that's not the end of the story. Paul opens Romans declaring himself indebted to Greeks and barbarians, the wise and the unlearned, the very nations under judgment, and unashamed of the one gospel strong enough to reach them. We'll trace this all the way through Acts 4, where the early church prays Psalm 2 under persecution, and into Revelation, where Psalm 2's rod-of-iron rule is finally and fully revealed.And here's what that means for us, right now. What an honor it is to be alive in this fallen world at this moment, surrounded by the enemies of God, with the opportunity to put on His armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) and wield His sword (Ephesians 6:17). This is a privilege. Today, we can store up treasures in heaven that will never decay and that no one can steal.Raging nations. A God who answers the demand for freedom from His rule by releasing it, and a church sent with a gospel that can still turn raging nations to "kiss the Son... and be blessed." Our generation isn't fully grasping this yet. But it's waking up. And when it does, it will change the world.This is what time it is, and this is our mission in it.Christ Is King -- Live Like It.#ChristIsKingLiveLikeIt #CiKM #PsalmTwo #Romans1
X2M.251 Lisibilité — The Mystery Made Readable Series: CR20 Place De La Concorde Psalm 2 opens with noise: nations raging, rulers plotting, systems conspiring against the Lord and His Anointed. Yet heaven does not panic. Heaven laughs. The Father answers rebellion by installing His King on Zion.¹ This is **Lisibilité**: the restoration of readability. The signal becomes clear again. The mind untangles. The heart remembers the Father. The vessel becomes legible to heaven. The decree is sonship: “You are My Son.” “Today I have become Your Father.” The crisis of the nations is answered by intimacy with the Father. The enemy's strategy is disconnection — to wrap seaweed around the mind until the soul believes it has been cut off from the temple of the Lord. Jonah becomes the inner parable. He runs, descends, is swallowed, and finally remembers: “Salvation belongs to the Lord.” When the mind becomes clear, the fish releases him.² Seaweed is the unreadable mind: confusion, accusation, idolatry, self-protection, false narratives, and the belief that something other than God will save. Colossians 2 becomes the apostolic lens. Paul struggles for the church so their hearts may be knit together in love and brought into the knowledge of the mystery of God — Christ Himself. The mystery hidden for ages is now revealed: **Christ in you, the hope of glory.**³ This is not secret knowledge for an elite class. Not Gnostic ascent through hidden codes. Not self-made narrative. Not religious performance. Not angelic spectacle. Not legalistic control. Christ is the open mystery. Gnosticism says knowledge saves. Christ says union saves. Gnosticism elevates the self. Christ fills the body with the fullness of God. “For in Him all the fullness of deity dwells bodily, and in Him you have been filled.” That is the correction. The body is not trash to escape. It is a temple to be inhabited. The mind is not a theater for counterfeit stories. It is a place to be renewed. The heart is not an idol-factory. It is Zion, the holy hill where the King is installed. Paul warns against anything that pulls the believer out of union: reasonable-sounding arguments, human tradition, elemental spirits, false humility, religious regulations, body-hatred, and fascination with lesser powers.⁴ These things may appear wise, but they create noise. They make the soul unreadable. Lisibilité is the reversal. When Christ is central, the mind settles. Sin-consciousness loses its throne. Social-consciousness loses its grip. Fear loses its script. The Father's voice becomes clear. Love becomes readable again. In **Place De La Concorde** architecture, X2M.251 is the readability event: the old head of confusion is removed, and the true Head restores order in the public square of the heart. The remnant becomes clear. The signal becomes clean. The vessel becomes legible. The King is installed on Zion within. Glorification | The Final Frontier Going boldly where the last man has gone before! Decrease time over target: PayPal or Venmo @clastronaut Cash App $clastronaut X2M.251 Lisibilité is not about secret knowledge. It is about seeing Christ clearly — the Father's decree made readable in the Son, the seaweed removed from the mind, the body filled with glory, and the heart restored to holy agreement. **Footnotes** ¹ Psalm 2: rebellion answered by the installed King. ² Jonah's seaweed images a mind tangled in disconnection. ³ Colossians: Christ in you, the hope of glory. ⁴ Paul warns against systems that sound wise but pull believers out of union. ⁵ Lisibilité means readability: clear perception restored in Christ.
"When the Lord's anointed suffers, where do you stand?In this passage, David is pursued relentlessly by Saul while hiding in the wilderness. Yet the real focus is not merely on persecution—but on the contrasting responses to David. Jonathan humbly submits to him, while the Ziphites betray him.This sermon presses a central question: Where do your loyalties lie?We explore the theme of the righteous remnant, the nature of true faithfulness, and the danger of siding with the world while maintaining outward religious profession. The contrast between Jonathan and the Ziphites reveals that it is not proximity, heritage, or appearance that defines allegiance—but faith.Above all, David points forward to Christ—the rejected Savior whom many abandon and only a few truly follow.Even when it appears that the enemies of God are winning, divine providence ensures the victory of His Anointed.Choose carefully. The narrow way is costly—but it leads to life.#1Samuel #DavidAndSaul #BiblicalTheology #SufferingServant #Faithfulness #ChristianDiscipleship #ReformedPreaching #ChristInTheOldTestament"
Click on time markers for this video: 00:00 - Free digital newsletter, 01:29 - Larry Wessels meets Voddie Baucham in Austin, Texas, 02:07: Voddie's sermon on Revelation 14:1-5 begins, "Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth. 4 These are the ones who are not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless." 10:19 - Symbolic of Redemption, Psalm 2, "Why do the nations rage And the peoples meditate on a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against Yahweh and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!" 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord mocks them. 5 Then He speaks to them in His anger And terrifies them in His fury, saying, 6 "But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain." 7 "I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh: He said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will surely give the [f]nations as Your inheritance,
Growing In God Podcast Program Number: GIG #275 Title: Christ the King Web Description: Why are the nations in an uproar? Because God has established Christ as King and has given all the nations to Him. God is not moved by their uproar, and neither should we be as believers in Christ. He is our refuge, He is our focus, and His unshakable Kingdom is the reality of our lives right now. Show Notes: We read in Psalm 2 that the nations are in an uproar, and today we see how true that is. It is difficult to find a nation where positive things are happening. Every nation is facing negative consequences as people devise a vain thing. Like no other time in history, whole populations all over the globe are embracing vain and ridiculous ideas to believe in. Meanwhile, governments and rulers take their stand against the Lord, His will, His Kingdom, and His people. They counsel together against Israel and against Judaism and Christianity everywhere. It seems like the world is spinning out of control. And as much as we pray for things to change, they just seem to go from bad to worse. That should come as no surprise to us as Christians. The Scriptures make clear that things will be difficult in the days before the Kingdom of God is established. And we are to be focused as believers on His Kingdom coming. So do not be focused on whatever is happening in the world. Instead, keep looking to the Father, to Christ, and to His Kingdom, knowing that God is in charge. How is God responding to all the ridiculous ways the nations are acting in their defiance of Him? According to Psalm 2 He is laughing. In other words, He is not bothered. He is not losing control. He is not moved off His throne. God is securely planted as the One who is in charge. And He has installed His King on Zion, His holy mountain. That is where we stand in Christ. We can live today in His Kingdom, taking refuge in Him, seated with Him in the heavenly places, and proclaiming that He is ruling over every situation. Key Verses: • Psalm 2:1–5. "The kings of the earth take their stand … against the LORD and against His Anointed." • Psalm 2:6–8. "But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain." • Psalm 2:9–12. "How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!" • Psalm 24:1. "The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains." • Ephesians 2:4–6. "God, being rich in mercy … seated us with Him in the heavenly places." Quotes: • "This is the scream of people who are refusing the Lordship of Christ, the Lordship of the Scriptures, the Word of God in their life: 'The Word of God is not going to be our moral compass. It's not going to rule over our life and how we live it and how we act one towards another.'" • "There is going to be a moment where God begins to respond to each and every one of these that He's dealing with, each and every one of these ones that think they are bringing about their will on the earth and their kingdom on the earth, including satan himself. They are going to be addressed personally by the Lord, and they are going to be terrified at His response." • "Whatever you're experiencing, whatever we're going through, whatever will happen around us in this uproar of the nations, take refuge in Him. Keep your focus upon Him. Keep absolutely in the front of your mind and heart that He has installed Christ the King upon Mount Zion." Takeaways: 1. The nations are in an uproar. But they are in an uproar because the Father has granted the ownership of those nations to Christ. 2. God is not shaken, and Christ the King is not shaken by whatever is going on in this world. He is laughing at the plans of the world because they are already thwarted by His Word as the God of all creation. 3. We tell of the decree of the Lord that He is the King. We take refuge in Him personally. And we are those who proclaim that the nations are His, and He has installed His King upon His Holy Mountain.
The Lord writes the best stories. See if you can find the hand of God in everything we read today and then know that His hand is in your life in the same way. You can trust Jesus and our nation can trust the Lord's purposes will be accomplished for our state and our nation. “Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.' ” Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”Psalms 2:1-12
The Rage and Age of Gog and Magog Let's start with our familiar text: Awake, O north wind, And come, wind of the south; Make my garden breathe out fragrance, Let its spices be wafted abroad. May my beloved come into his garden And eat its choice fruits!” (So 4:16) This call to “Awake, O North” is thought to encompass three distinct calls recorded in 1. Jeremiah 31:7-8 (exiles of Israel), 2. Isaiah 41:25 (Messiah) 3. Gog and Magog (Ezek 38:2) Why are all three being called to "Awake" simultaneously? To awake in Scripture can have a few connotations. The contextual explanation is that there has been a period of inactivity, and the prophetic call is to arouse each group to action. Messiah will begin to gather the exiles who have aroused from a period of spiritual apathy, and simultaneously, Gog and Magog will awaken in that generation to create the chaos and darkness necessary to awaken Israel from spiritual "sleep." Because the gematria of Gog and Magog is 70 [Gimmel-Vav-Gimmel Vav-Mem-Gimmel-Vav-Gimmel, 3+6+3+6+40+3+6+3], they are thought to represent the symbolic 70 nations of the world, which will gather against both 1. Adonai and 2. Israel. Various commentaries make oblique references to Gog and Magog, but it will not be understood fully until the day arrives. Some say it is the descendants of Amalek among the nations. Amalek, from which King Agag arose, is the murderous spirit of Edom, or Rome, the fourth beast, headed by Babylon. In that sense, Gog (chief person) and Magog (his nation, people) has arisen in every generation to provoke the Holy One and people who trust in Him and obey Him. The Scriptures cited below reiterate that Gog and Magog are not a single ruler and nation, but a wicked remnant embedded among all nations. In some generations, they will rise up with enough strength and cunning to marshal huge numbers of the population to join their murderous schemes. The pre-millennial war will bring Israel to repentance, and Adonai Himself will destroy Gog and Magog with confusion, thunder, hail, blood, and lightning (Ezek 38-39). In other words, an amalgam of Egypt and Assyria's judgments. Psalm Two is traditionally associated with Gog of Magog: Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing?The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,“Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.” (Ps 2:1-6) The commentators note that in this attack of Gog, it revisits an important precedent in Babel: at the tower of Bavel, the united conspirators agreed to attack Heaven itself. As a result, YHVH confused them, and the 70 languages of the nations were born. This is the traditional location of Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue. Amalek in the Torah portion Balak is referred to "first of the nations," in other words, the first to openly rebel against Heaven itself by attacking Israel in the wilderness; this "first" attack was also the first direct attack against Heaven since the "nation of mankind" attempted to penetrate it rebelliously at the Tower of Bavel. At the final attack of Gog from Magog, the nations will once again undertake to assemble and attack YHVH and Messiah DIRECTLY, thinking the Holy City Jerusalem has a “Patron” who will defend it. They believe this was the wicked Amalekite Haman's fallacy, attacking the Jews first instead of their God. Something will cause them to believe they have the wherewithal to wage war directly against YHVH and King Messiah. What do Gog and Magog have to do with the third “awakening” of the winds?
Welcome to Daily Devotion with Pastor Balla for July 7, 2025. Today's devotion on Psalm 2:4–6, titled “He Who Sits in Heaven Laughs,” reminds us of God's sovereign rule over all nations. Though the kings and rulers of the world rage against the Lord and His Anointed, the Lord remains unmoved, seated in heaven, and even laughs at their foolishness. His holy derision reveals the futility of rebellion against His eternal authority. God has set His King — Christ Jesus — on Zion, His holy hill, and no earthly power can overthrow Him. This is our firm confidence: Christ reigns unchallenged and gathers, preserves, and defends His people with His unshakable Word and promise.
Welcome to Daily Devotion with Pastor Balla for July 6, 2025. Today's meditation on Psalm 2:1–3, titled “Nations Rage Against God's Plan,” explores humanity's tragic and futile rebellion against the Lord and His Anointed. The psalmist exposes the vain plots of rulers and nations who see God's gracious rule as bondage to be broken. Yet no human scheme can overthrow Christ, the true King, whose reign is secure and eternal. Even in the face of violent opposition, God's plan of salvation stands unshaken, fulfilled perfectly through Jesus' death and resurrection. As believers, we find true freedom in God's loving cords — His Word, forgiveness, and grace.
He Will Exalt the Horn of His Anointed (1 Sam. 16-17)
This sermon was preached on Mother's Day in 2025, dealing with Hannah's prayer concerning the true and living God and His Anointed that He had sent into the world to save His people from their sins.
"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed." Christ shows especially in Luke the nature of His kingdom as upside down from the world. The disciples argue about who is the greatest. Pilate and Herod plot against Jesus. But Jesus comes as One Who Serves.
Leviticus chapter 9 tells of Aaron officiating at the altar on the eighth day. Verses 1-2 Aaron offered for himself the sin offering and the burnt offering. Verses 3-22 Aaron offers for the people the sin offering, burnt offering and peace offering. Verses 23-24 the glory of Yahweh appears and He consumes His portion of the offerings. Chapter 10 outlines the disruption of the ceremony through the sin of Nadab and Abihu. Verses 1-7 Nadab and Abihu, evidently under the influence of strong drink, offer strange fire and are struck dead. Verses 8-11 Aaron warned against the influence of strong drink. Verses 12-20 Moses attempts to complete the ceremony by instructing the priests to eat the people's portion of the offerings: a) the remainder of the peace offering)verses 12-13; cp. Leviticus 9:4, 17); b) the remainder of the peace offering (verses 14-15; cp. Leviticus 9:21); c) the remainder of the sin offering (Verses 16-20; cp. Leviticus 9:15). The above breakdown has been copied from brother John Martin's book, “The Schoolmaster – an exposition of the Book of Leviticus”. Psalm 108 is a song of David's in which he expresses thanks for past deliverance and expresses his confidence in Yahweh's continued help. In verses 1-4 David describes his unshakable conviction in God's stedfast love and the awesome deeds God has done for His people. Therefore the Psalmist will compose songs of praise to his Sovereign. Songs that will be acknowledged by all nations who have beheld the mighty power of the God of Israel. The LORD has promised deliverance to His faithful saints. Verses 7-10 recounts successful battle campaigns. Verses 11-13 are a plea for help against the Edomites having suffered earlier setbacks. The writer's confidence will stay firm. Psalm 109 is a Psalm of David. It is in first application calling for the LORD to execute retribution against David's treacherous counsellor, Ahithophel. But the Psalm is Messianic and principally applies prophetically to our Lord Jesus Christ and his betrayer, Judas Iscariot. Of this we can certain since the Apostle Peter speaks of Judas, when quoting this Psalm in Acts 1:16-20. It is verse 8 of the Psalm which was quoted. Why were such judgements called upon Judas? Because he failed to show pity to “the poor and needy man” (verses 16 and 22). The extortion era mentioned in this song were the priests of Israel, who paid Judas 30 pieces of silver for his part in the betrayal. The Psalm reveals much about the base character of Judas of which the gospels are silent. But the treachery of Judas was to no avail for Yahweh's care and love encompassed His Anointed; and delivered him. 2 Corinthians is often called Paul's great letter of comfort. Chapter 1 tells us that one purpose of suffering is to render the sufferer a reservoir of compassion and comfort for others. The Apostle described his rock as the One who raised the dead (compare 1 Corinthians 15:32 – details can only be conjecture). The coming of Timothy with the news he carried about the response of the believers at Corinth was a tonic that revived his spirit. Chapter 2 provided further advice for what to do next if the wrongdoer was to be fully recovered. The chapter tells us that in Troas he pondered his blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ. His imagery is drawn from the practices which accompanied the Roman Triumphal procession. His ironic language contrasts the Apostles' sufferings for proclaiming the Gospel's message with the indifferent and lavish lifestyle of the Corinthian believers. Paul concludes the chapter by a declaration that it is God who he seeks to please and not fickle people driven by their own motives.
Exodus 31 tells of the two skilled craftsman divinely equipped for the construction of the Tabernacle – Bezaleel (his name means “in the shadow of the Almighty”); and Aholiab (his name means “my Father's tent”). Bezaleel was skilled in metalworking. He made the furniture for the Tabernacle. Bezaleel is a type of the Messiah, as Moses tells us in the entirety of the 91st psalm. Aholiab had responsibility for the coverings of the Tabernacle and its embroidery – also for the veil between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place; and the clothes of the priests; as well as the cutting, polishing and engraving of the stones in the High Priest's breastplate (see Hebrews 8 verses 1-5 and 9 verses 1-5, 24-28, 10 verses 19-25). Verses 12-18 link the provision of the LORD's faithful servants (Bezaleel and Aholiab) with the providing of the Sabbath for His people (Mark 2 verses23-27). The Sabbath existed from the time of Creation, but it was made into an observable Feast at Sinai. It was Yahweh's sign between Himself and His covenant people for all time. Any of God's people who failed to observe the Sabbath were to be put to death. We are told that the lesson for us to cease from sinning and to serve our Sovereign on a daily basis. We must rest from our own interests and to choose those thoughts and ways that please our God (Isaiah 56:1-8; and Hebrews 4 verses 7-12). Moses tells Israel of the sanctity and seriousness of His Sabbath covenant with Israel. This covenant, says verse 18, was written by the finger of God. Chapter 32 speaks of yet another ascent into Mount Sinai to actually receive those two tables of stone upon which had been engraved the Ten Commandments. Whilst Moses was with the angel of the covenant in the mountain the Israelites committed gross immorality and breeched the covenant. They goaded Aaron into aiding them in the making of a golden, graven calf – no doubt the people had remembered the calf worship of the god Apis when they were slaves in Egypt. Aaron was weak and thought that he might be able to channel the people's intentions in a different direction. He sought to make the occasion a feast to Yahweh.See also thecomments in Psalm 106 verses19-23, which tell of the incident of the golden calf. Whilst in the mount both Joshua and Moses heard the noise from the camp. Joshua, who had gone only part of the way with Moses, mistook the noise for war. Moses suspected otherwise and the angel urged Moses to return to the camp and to deal with the corruption. Moses had not fully completed his descent from the mountain when he saw the nakedness of the people of God. In exasperation Moses cast down the two engraved stone tables. These tables shattered into pieces. In anger Moses ground the golden calf to powder and sprinkled the golden dust on the water forcing the people to drink this polluted water. Retribution was now to be taken on the immoral idolators. Moses asked, “Who is on Yahweh's side?” The Levites responded and without favour for any (including family) they slaughtered 3,000 of the brethren. For their faithfulness they were given priestly roles (replacing the family firstborn sons, who had until this time exercised that responsibility). The Israelites were severely rebuked for their breech of faith with their God. Moses also said that he would go back to the mountain and seek to atone for their sin. After this the LORD sent a plague as further punishment for His people. While in the mountain Moses requested that God put him to death as a substitute for the people's sin. God does not accept substitution for atonement. Psalm 89 concludes Book 3 and the Sanctuary psalms. It was written by Ethan the Ezrahite. The song celebrates the stedfast love of the LORD. The Psalm focusses on God's evident covenant love that was experienced by David. Verses 6-14 speak of Israel's God and His incomparable deeds done for His people. Verse 15 alludes to the tinkling of the bells on the High Priest's robe. The sound spoke of the joy of receiving the gospel message: Romans 10. Verses 16-18 describe the exultation of those, Yahweh's people. Verse 27 spoke of the Almighty's choice of David, the youngest of 8 sons, and his elevation to the highest rank of the LORD's firstborn to rule over a mighty kingdom. This was of course a type of Yahweh's Son, promoted above all of Adam's descendants to ultimately come to be the king of the entire earth. Verses 19-28 outline the LORD's defence of His Anointed; and that His covenant with David would endure. Verse 29-37 recall his Sovereign's enduring and sure covenant to David (see 2 Samuel 7 verses12-17, 19-25; and 2 Samuel 23 verses 1-8). Verses 32-38 tell of Israel's chastening for having departed from the laws of their God. Verses 39 tell of God's suffering nation and the afflictions which come upon all of Adam's children. The Psalm concludes with a plea for our Creator's stedfast love to abide upon His people. The letters to the Corinthians begin in the same way as every epistle of Paul prior to his first Imprisonment in Rome. Grace (‘karis' the Greek greeting) and peace (‘shalom' the Hebrew welcome). What more could be offered any believer than the grace and peace of the Father? The letters written between the two imprisonments contain the added dimension of ‘mercy', something we become more conscious of needing the older we get (the only exception to this pattern is in Paul's personal letter to Philemon). What wonderful words were told to the Corinthian readers, that by the Father's calling they were saints, or sanctified believers, incorporated into the fellowship of God and His Beloved Son. The Apostle informs his readers about the tragedy of forming factions. Christ's ecclesia – his body – cannot be divided into segments which follow human leaders. For that reason, despite the essential nature of baptism, Paul was thankful to have baptised only a few. The Apostle's prime focus was on forwarding the message of the Gospel. The essence of that message lay in the power of the preaching of Christ's crucifixion. Read aloud and ponder verses 18-31 (the last of those verses cites Jeremiah 9 verses 23-24). Chapter 2 outlines Paul's determination when he came to Corinth to teach among them nothing except the Christ as the crucified one. That was an unbelievable and inconceivable message, as his quote from Isaiah 64 verses 4-5 proves. But our Sovereign God has His love and wisdom shared with His children – known partly now with the added promise that the joys and blessings of the kingdom age cannot be understood simply through words which would fail to describe that experience of being the Father's immortalised children.
Exodus 15 records the deliverance Song of Moses. Miriam, Moses' sister led the women of Israel in singing and dancing, accompanied musically by timbrels. It celebrates Yahweh's mighty power and saving strength. Israel were now, finally, a freed nation. The immortalised believers of the Kingdom Age will likewise rejoice to the strains of an unrecorded song – the Song of Moses and the Lamb, who is our Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 14 verses 2-5 compare with Revelation chapters 5 and 7). Chapter 14 tells us that the song sung at that time had particular relevance to the experiences of the redeemed. How true was this to what Israel had recently experienced in their deliverance by the Almighty. On being delivered out of prison David's experiences were similar (Psalm 40 verses 1-5). Another Psalm reminisces, “Some trust in chariots and horses, but we … in Yahweh”. How futile were Pharaoh's war chariots? How superior in every respect was Israel's “El”, – God, might, power, strength. Their Sovereign was exalted beyond measure and therefore to be praised for the deliverance He had brought. The Song recounted what Israel had witnessed; but it goes beyond that in revealing the mind of their great enemy. But their efforts were futile in the face of the forces opposing them. Nature was harnessed in Pharaoh's overthrowing. Yahweh's majesty and holiness are incomparable. He is exalted and He is to be praised. Verse 13 speaks of them being led through the sea (compare Isaiah 63 verses 11-12). Nations talked of this great event 40 years after it happened (Joshua 2 verse 10). Verses 15-16 tell of their journey to the Promised Land and their success in taking it. Verses 17-18 are prophetic of David's and Solomon's reigns and the dwelling place of God in the Sanctuary that was built. Verse 19 tells of Pharaoh's destruction in the midst of the Sea. The great victory is once again sung of at the end of the song in verse 21. Psalm 69 is from the pen of David and speaks of the life of the Messiah (our Lord Jesus Christ). It tells of God's deliverance of His Anointed out of exceptional troubles. And all those who were saved out of their trials will, verse 6 tells us, rejoice in that Yahweh is their constant hope. Verses 7-9 speak of the disdain shown to God's Anointed; but he bore it because of the zeal for His Father's House (John 2 verses 13-22). Verses 10-12 tell of Messiah's humility whilst bearing reproach. In verses 13-15 he makes his prayer, for help, to his Father. And from verses 16-19 speaks of his confidence in the Almighty's steadfast love for His Son. Verses 20-22 express the Son's need of comforters during his crucifixion; but, alas, finding none. He invokes his Creator's wrath upon his foes in verses 22-28. Messiah's adversaries had failed to see God's hand in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Almighty would deliver His suffering Son, not from death, but rather, out of death. Messiah's death was needed for salvation to be brought to the race, descended from Adam. The humble offering, as a voluntary sacrifice, of His Son would please his Father (Isaiah 53 verses 10-12). Yahweh would be able to save believers through what was done in His Son's work (Hebrews 2 verses 12-18). This salvation would be realised in the Kingdom Age when God's Son rules the world from being the incomparable Son of Man the Lord of the Sabbath. Mark 3 describes the Sabbath healing of a man's withered hand. This was most likely a ploy to trap and discredit Jesus. But it failed miserably. Jesus is followed by crowds who were affected by the miracles. Our Lord Jesus, after a night of prayer with his Father, selects 12 special disciples, who were called Apostles because of the commission given them. Note in verse 14 that part of their calling was for Jesus' need for companionship. We all need friends – companionship. Verses 20-21 tell us that when our Lord comes back to Capernaum his family sought to curtail his behaviour which was upsetting the Jewish leaders. Did his family believe him to be unbalanced? A debate over the authenticity of Jesus' miracles ensues as his enemies attribute the miracles to Beelzebul (the lord of the dung heap). The Master shows how illogical this was and indicated that these rulers were speaking blasphemy against God's Holy Spirit power. The chapter concludes with a further attempt by his own family to get him to desist from upsetting the religious authorities. Jesus educates his natural family by stating that his true family were to be found among those who understood and supported Jesus in his Father's work.
Web Description: Psalm 2 states, “The kings of the earth take their stand … against the Lord and against His Anointed.” So there should be no confusion about the conflict happening in the world. The Kingdom of God is coming, and many governments are standing against it. Yet God's Kingdom is the answer for the world, and our focus is not on the conflict but on the solution. Father, Your Kingdom come, and Your will be done on the earth. Show Notes: When a country goes through a change of government, it can experience turmoil. This concept helps us understand what is happening on a global scale today. The entire world is experiencing a governmental changeover as the Kingdom of God comes into the earth. And the reaction of many nations to the Kingdom of God is to reject it. They reject the laws, the conditions, and the requirements of God's Kingdom. And so a battle ensues. We need to understand the nature of this battle. There are many wars and rumors of wars in the world today, but the prophecies in Scripture are not about random nations fighting one another. The war against the Kingdom is the war of nations against the Jewish people. That is why we are seeing so many attacks against Israel and against Jews worldwide. It is because they are the representatives of God's Kingdom. Israel is where the Kingdom will come on the earth, and the Jews are the people from whom it manifests. We must stay focused on what God is doing and stay free from the negativity generated by the hostility of nations against Him and His people. God's purpose is not to bring war but to fulfill the promised blessings of His Kingdom. We might see many negative events in the days ahead, but it is important that we remember how it all turns out. Many nations and people will go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, to learn His ways and never again learn war. That is the focus of the last days, not the negative. That is our faith and intercession for His Kingdom to come. Key Verses: • Philippians 2:10–11. “Every knee will bow … and … every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” • Psalm 2:1–3. “The kings of the earth take their stand … against the Lord and against His Anointed.” • John 4:22. “Salvation is from the Jews.” • Psalm 2:4–12. “I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance.” • Matthew 24:6. “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars.” • Isaiah 34:1–3. “The Lord's indignation is against all the nations.” • Isaiah 2:1–4. “The law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Quotes: • “The nations are in an uproar. Why? Because the Kingdom of God is drawing nearer and nearer.” • “I think we're at the time where the nations have chosen and taken their stand against the Lord and against His anointed.” • “The wars will pass away. The rumors of wars will pass away. And as the Kingdom of God sets in, no longer will nation lift up its sword against another nation.” Takeaways: 1. What we are witnessing in the world is a governmental changeover, and that is the Kingdom of God coming into the earth. This is not an easy transition as many nations, governments, and peoples will resist submitting to His Lordship. 2. The focus of resistance and opposition to the Kingdom of God is and always has been the Jewish people because the Kingdom manifests from them. That is why we see increasing attacks against them and against the Jewish homeland of Israel. 3. If the nations were able to bring peace and justice and solutions to the world's problems, they would have done so by now. The Kingdom of God has the answers that mankind has been seeking, and we should excitedly await and strive to be a part of it. 4. We must not let our hearts become fearful or let our spirits faint. Let us proclaim His Word to break the lies that come against God's people and against His land. Let us pray that the truth of His justice and His love be known and that His government prevails.
The world is a place of rebellion and conflict. Nations fight and war against each other, but underlying it all is the rage of the nations against the Lord and His Anointed. But resistance to God Almighty is in vain
Acts 4:13-31 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them,they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old. 23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, Your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against His Anointed'—27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,28 to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to Your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness, 30 while You stretch out Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Key Words: Boldness, Opposition, Speak, Name, Jesus, Prayer, Hand, Word, Seen, Heard Keystone Verse: But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. (Acts 4:19-20) Bulletin
Ps 20 describes Israel's spiritual preparation before an impending battle, a day of trouble (v1). It is a model for how to prepare ourselves in prayer, to walk in victory in our spiritual battles & days of trouble. It twins with Ps 21, describing the celebration after the victory (c.f 20:2,5 & 21:1; 20:4 & 21:2). The central character is the anointed king (v6), leading his people into battle. It finds its ultimate fulfilment in Christ, who leads His people to victory (battles of the Lord are pictures of His ultimate battle, when Christ personally overcomes all His enemies). Thus Ps 20 is messianic like Ps 21). The setting shows God's people gathering before Him before battle, dedicating their lives to God, and calling on the covenant-keeping God to go with them to battle & give them victory. Their trust in & submission to God was expressed thru the sacrifice the king offered up on behalf of the nation (v3, 1Sam 7:7-12). The efficacy of their prayers was based on the merits of the sacrifice, representing the Sacrifice of Christ. Likewise, we come to God on the basis of Christ's righteousness, given us thru His Sacrifice, and dedicate ourselves to God to do His will (Rom 12:1), acknowledging the battle belongs to Him & we fight in His Name, under His authority, for His glory & will to be done. Thru this dedication, His Presence comes on us transforming us into mighty warriors (Ro 12:2), for He gives grace to the humble. At this point the priests encouraged the army to fear not, even if the enemy seems superior, for God goes with them into the battle to fight for them (Deut 20:1-4). So, in our battles, we don't fight in our own strength, but daily come to God with a sacrifice of praise, dedicating ourselves for His will to be done thru us, and drawing on His grace. In v1-5, the people (‘we' in v5) pray for the anointed king (David), who speaks in v6. They are one with their king, so his victory is theirs. “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the Name (revealed nature) of the God of Jacob defend you (set you on high)” (v1). They call on God to manifest His Name on behalf of His people. “May He send you help from the Sanctuary (the Place of God's Presence) and strengthen you out of Zion” (v2). The key to victory is His Presence, so to receive help from God, we must draw near to Him, so His Presence fills us. The 1st key in spiritual warfare is to look to & submit to God, calling on Him to fill us with His Presence. “May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah” (v3). They offered their prayers on the foundation of the sacrifice. Likewise, when we pray, we trust in Christ's Sacrifice for God to accept our dedication & for our prayer to be answered. “May He grant you according to your heart's desire (the saving of his people, victory over God's enemies & God's glory) and fulfil all your purpose” (v4). Their prayer ends with assurance of victory, and readiness to go into battle under His Banner, as He goes with them to give them victory (Ex 17:15): “We will rejoice in your salvation (victory), and in the Name of our God, we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfil all your petitions” (v5). Thus, true dedication to God brings assurance of God's Presence, which we confess with our lips, that God is with us. In response, the king declares his faith, that God's mighty right hand will give him the victory: “Now I know that the Lord saves (gives victory) to His anointed; He will answer him from His holy Heaven with the saving strength of His right hand” (v6). Then the people also declare their faith is in God, not in the strength of their forces. They focus on & make mention of (confess) His Name, His faithfulness to the covenant (v7), and, by faith they confess the final outcome of victory, before battle begins (v8). Again, we see it's important to confess our faith (Rom 10:8-10, 2Cor 4:13), as part of our spiritual preparation for battle. The concluding prayer in v8 is best translated: “O Lord, save (give victory to) the king, answer us in the day of our calling” (the origin of 'God save the king'). This is another link to Ps 21 (v1), v2 of which records the answer to this prayer. We show how Ps 20 was fulfilled by Christ, on His day of trouble, after which He was lifted up on high (v1), by God in Heaven (v2), who accepted His perfect Sacrifice (v3). God granted Jesus His heart's desire (our salvation, the defeat of all His enemies & the fulfilment of His purpose to establish His Kingdom over all, v4). God gave victory to His Anointed by raising Him from death by His mighty power (v6). His people call on the exalted King, who is also Lord, for salvation (v9, Rom 10:13). They now rejoice in His salvation, for He won the victory for us, and now ever-lives to make intercession for us (v5). They now trust in His Name, rather than their own resources (v7), and are assured of the final downfall of the wicked and their own future resurrection to life (v8).
Ps 20 describes Israel's spiritual preparation before an impending battle, a day of trouble (v1). It is a model for how to prepare ourselves in prayer, to walk in victory in our spiritual battles & days of trouble. It twins with Ps 21, describing the celebration after the victory (c.f 20:2,5 & 21:1; 20:4 & 21:2). The central character is the anointed king (v6), leading his people into battle. It finds its ultimate fulfilment in Christ, who leads His people to victory (battles of the Lord are pictures of His ultimate battle, when Christ personally overcomes all His enemies). Thus Ps 20 is messianic like Ps 21). The setting shows God's people gathering before Him before battle, dedicating their lives to God, and calling on the covenant-keeping God to go with them to battle & give them victory. Their trust in & submission to God was expressed thru the sacrifice the king offered up on behalf of the nation (v3, 1Sam 7:7-12). The efficacy of their prayers was based on the merits of the sacrifice, representing the Sacrifice of Christ. Likewise, we come to God on the basis of Christ's righteousness, given us thru His Sacrifice, and dedicate ourselves to God to do His will (Rom 12:1), acknowledging the battle belongs to Him & we fight in His Name, under His authority, for His glory & will to be done. Thru this dedication, His Presence comes on us transforming us into mighty warriors (Ro 12:2), for He gives grace to the humble. At this point the priests encouraged the army to fear not, even if the enemy seems superior, for God goes with them into the battle to fight for them (Deut 20:1-4). So, in our battles, we don't fight in our own strength, but daily come to God with a sacrifice of praise, dedicating ourselves for His will to be done thru us, and drawing on His grace. In v1-5, the people (‘we' in v5) pray for the anointed king (David), who speaks in v6. They are one with their king, so his victory is theirs. “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the Name (revealed nature) of the God of Jacob defend you (set you on high)” (v1). They call on God to manifest His Name on behalf of His people. “May He send you help from the Sanctuary (the Place of God's Presence) and strengthen you out of Zion” (v2). The key to victory is His Presence, so to receive help from God, we must draw near to Him, so His Presence fills us. The 1st key in spiritual warfare is to look to & submit to God, calling on Him to fill us with His Presence. “May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah” (v3). They offered their prayers on the foundation of the sacrifice. Likewise, when we pray, we trust in Christ's Sacrifice for God to accept our dedication & for our prayer to be answered. “May He grant you according to your heart's desire (the saving of his people, victory over God's enemies & God's glory) and fulfil all your purpose” (v4). Their prayer ends with assurance of victory, and readiness to go into battle under His Banner, as He goes with them to give them victory (Ex 17:15): “We will rejoice in your salvation (victory), and in the Name of our God, we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfil all your petitions” (v5). Thus, true dedication to God brings assurance of God's Presence, which we confess with our lips, that God is with us. In response, the king declares his faith, that God's mighty right hand will give him the victory: “Now I know that the Lord saves (gives victory) to His anointed; He will answer him from His holy Heaven with the saving strength of His right hand” (v6). Then the people also declare their faith is in God, not in the strength of their forces. They focus on & make mention of (confess) His Name, His faithfulness to the covenant (v7), and, by faith they confess the final outcome of victory, before battle begins (v8). Again, we see it's important to confess our faith (Rom 10:8-10, 2Cor 4:13), as part of our spiritual preparation for battle. The concluding prayer in v8 is best translated: “O Lord, save (give victory to) the king, answer us in the day of our calling” (the origin of 'God save the king'). This is another link to Ps 21 (v1), v2 of which records the answer to this prayer. We show how Ps 20 was fulfilled by Christ, on His day of trouble, after which He was lifted up on high (v1), by God in Heaven (v2), who accepted His perfect Sacrifice (v3). God granted Jesus His heart's desire (our salvation, the defeat of all His enemies & the fulfilment of His purpose to establish His Kingdom over all, v4). God gave victory to His Anointed by raising Him from death by His mighty power (v6). His people call on the exalted King, who is also Lord, for salvation (v9, Rom 10:13). They now rejoice in His salvation, for He won the victory for us, and now ever-lives to make intercession for us (v5). They now trust in His Name, rather than their own resources (v7), and are assured of the final downfall of the wicked and their own future resurrection to life (v8).
Psalm 18 is a triumphant declaration at a time of great victory. David (and Christ) explode with love for the Lord (v1), who'd manifested His covenant love to them in many ways. They declare 9 Names of God, describing ways they knew God from personal experience thru many trials (v1-2). Many times they'd called on Him and He delivered them from their enemies. In particular, in the face of death they cried to God and He heard them (v3-6). In its fullest sense it applies to Christ who actually suffered, died & went to Sheol (v4-5), but called to God during this whole time (v6), and He answered. In v7-19, it reveals what happened in the Spirit as God manifested His glory & moved in majestic power at His death & resurrection, bringing darkness & shaking the earth (v7-9,11), personally coming down from Heaven (v10) releasing His arrows against His enemies (v12-14), then invading Hades (v15), and reaching down there by His mighty Arm, He pulled Christ out of the Prison of Hades (v16), rescuing Him from the devil & all His enemies, and raised Him from death & exalted Him to a high spacious place (v17-19). The basis for this divine deliverance was His perfect righteousness as a Man (v19-24): "He delivered me because He delighted in me" (v19b). Likewise, in Christ, God delights in us & delivers us. After His Ascension, God reigns over man thru Christ as His executive at His right hand (Ps 110:1-4). He is merciful, gracious & righteous in His rule, saving the humble & humbling the proud (v25-27). At His resurrection, God regenerated & glorified His human nature, lighting up His lamp, His human spirit (v28, Prov 20:27), anointing Him for victory over all His enemies (v29-36), and sharing His anointing & weapons with His people, who trust in Him, and engage in spiritual warfare in His Name (v30-31). Finally, in God's perfect timing He'll release Him to fully manifest His authority, power & glory to pursue & destroy all His enemies, at His 2nd Coming (v37-42). Then having put down all rebellion, He'll establish His Kingdom on earth and reign as Head of all nations (v43). At this time saved Gentiles, who hear of Him & submit to Him (v43-45) will be included in His covenant community (v49): "Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among (in fellowship with) the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your Name" - quoted in Rom 15:9 and applied to Christ, proving it's a messianic psalm. Rom 15:7-12 quotes 4 prophecies to prove when Christ comes, He'll bring salvation to the Gentiles, so they'll be included with the Jews in God's People. Though these prophecies originally spoke of the Messianic Kingdom, for the Church Age was a Mystery, not yet revealed, they revealed God's purpose to save Gentiles thru His Coming, so Gentile salvation in the Church Age thru the New Covenant is consistent with the revelation of the prophets, and is an initial fulfilment. So Jews & Gentiles in the Church should receive each other as equals (v7). The prophets saw His Coming to die, rise again & establish the new covenant, and had Israel received Him, He'd have established His Kingdom, with Jews & Gentiles equally saved, in fulfilment of the prophecies. But, when Israel rejected Him, instead of establishing the Kingdom, God brought in the Church Age, in which Jews & Gentiles are equally saved, as in the Kingdom. Thus, though He could not fulfil all the Kingdom prophecies, He did fulfil the prophecies of salvation in the new covenant for all who call on His Name, both Jew & Gentile. Similarly, in Acts 15:13-19, James quoted Amos 9:11-12 to show Gentile salvation in the Church Age is consistent with the prophets, as an initial fulfilment, and so Jewish believers should receive Gentiles into the Church as equals. Psalm 18 concludes with a Doxology of Praise, summarising all the great things God did to manifest His covenant love (v46-50), giving Him glory for being His strength & giving Him victory over all His enemies, especially the violent man (antichrist), and for executing justice and establishing His Kingdom on earth over all nations, with Christ exalted as Head. He also gives thanks for the salvation of Gentiles, now in union with Him (v49). He concludes with a summary statement: "Great deliverance He gives to His KING, and shows covenant love to His ANOINTED, to DAVID and his SEED (CHRIST) forevermore" (v50). This confirms Ps 18 was originally fulfilled (in type) to David, but the ultimate fulfilment is to David's SEED, Christ. Just as we are Abraham's Seed, as we're in Christ, the SEED of Abraham, and so inherit his blessing (Gal 3:14,26-29), so we are David's Seed, as we're in Christ, the SEED of David, and so are joint heirs of the covenant blessings (mercies) of David, described in Ps 18. Thus we share in Christ's victory, anointing & reign, thru our union with Him. Thus Ps 18 doesn't just describe God's covenant blessings to David & his Seed (Christ), but also to those in Christ, which we can apply to & appropriate for ourselves.
Psalm 18 is a triumphant declaration at a time of great victory. David (and Christ) explode with love for the Lord (v1), who'd manifested His covenant love to them in many ways. They declare 9 Names of God, describing ways they knew God from personal experience thru many trials (v1-2). Many times they'd called on Him and He delivered them from their enemies. In particular, in the face of death they cried to God and He heard them (v3-6). In its fullest sense it applies to Christ who actually suffered, died & went to Sheol (v4-5), but called to God during this whole time (v6), and He answered. In v7-19, it reveals what happened in the Spirit as God manifested His glory & moved in majestic power at His death & resurrection, bringing darkness & shaking the earth (v7-9,11), personally coming down from Heaven (v10) releasing His arrows against His enemies (v12-14), then invading Hades (v15), and reaching down there by His mighty Arm, He pulled Christ out of the Prison of Hades (v16), rescuing Him from the devil & all His enemies, and raised Him from death & exalted Him to a high spacious place (v17-19). The basis for this divine deliverance was His perfect righteousness as a Man (v19-24): "He delivered me because He delighted in me" (v19b). Likewise, in Christ, God delights in us & delivers us. After His Ascension, God reigns over man thru Christ as His executive at His right hand (Ps 110:1-4). He is merciful, gracious & righteous in His rule, saving the humble & humbling the proud (v25-27). At His resurrection, God regenerated & glorified His human nature, lighting up His lamp, His human spirit (v28, Prov 20:27), anointing Him for victory over all His enemies (v29-36), and sharing His anointing & weapons with His people, who trust in Him, and engage in spiritual warfare in His Name (v30-31). Finally, in God's perfect timing He'll release Him to fully manifest His authority, power & glory to pursue & destroy all His enemies, at His 2nd Coming (v37-42). Then having put down all rebellion, He'll establish His Kingdom on earth and reign as Head of all nations (v43). At this time saved Gentiles, who hear of Him & submit to Him (v43-45) will be included in His covenant community (v49): "Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among (in fellowship with) the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your Name" - quoted in Rom 15:9 and applied to Christ, proving it's a messianic psalm. Rom 15:7-12 quotes 4 prophecies to prove when Christ comes, He'll bring salvation to the Gentiles, so they'll be included with the Jews in God's People. Though these prophecies originally spoke of the Messianic Kingdom, for the Church Age was a Mystery, not yet revealed, they revealed God's purpose to save Gentiles thru His Coming, so Gentile salvation in the Church Age thru the New Covenant is consistent with the revelation of the prophets, and is an initial fulfilment. So Jews & Gentiles in the Church should receive each other as equals (v7). The prophets saw His Coming to die, rise again & establish the new covenant, and had Israel received Him, He'd have established His Kingdom, with Jews & Gentiles equally saved, in fulfilment of the prophecies. But, when Israel rejected Him, instead of establishing the Kingdom, God brought in the Church Age, in which Jews & Gentiles are equally saved, as in the Kingdom. Thus, though He could not fulfil all the Kingdom prophecies, He did fulfil the prophecies of salvation in the new covenant for all who call on His Name, both Jew & Gentile. Similarly, in Acts 15:13-19, James quoted Amos 9:11-12 to show Gentile salvation in the Church Age is consistent with the prophets, as an initial fulfilment, and so Jewish believers should receive Gentiles into the Church as equals. Psalm 18 concludes with a Doxology of Praise, summarising all the great things God did to manifest His covenant love (v46-50), giving Him glory for being His strength & giving Him victory over all His enemies, especially the violent man (antichrist), and for executing justice and establishing His Kingdom on earth over all nations, with Christ exalted as Head. He also gives thanks for the salvation of Gentiles, now in union with Him (v49). He concludes with a summary statement: "Great deliverance He gives to His KING, and shows covenant love to His ANOINTED, to DAVID and his SEED (CHRIST) forevermore" (v50). This confirms Ps 18 was originally fulfilled (in type) to David, but the ultimate fulfilment is to David's SEED, Christ. Just as we are Abraham's Seed, as we're in Christ, the SEED of Abraham, and so inherit his blessing (Gal 3:14,26-29), so we are David's Seed, as we're in Christ, the SEED of David, and so are joint heirs of the covenant blessings (mercies) of David, described in Ps 18. Thus we share in Christ's victory, anointing & reign, thru our union with Him. Thus Ps 18 doesn't just describe God's covenant blessings to David & his Seed (Christ), but also to those in Christ, which we can apply to & appropriate for ourselves.
Psalm 18 is a Thanksgiving Psalm of intense emotion giving God the glory for all the victories God gave David and His Son (Christ) in fulfilling His covenant promises to them (v50). It continues the story * typology from Psalm 17. The title is: "A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all of his enemies and from the hand of Saul." This is clearly an important Psalm, as it is in 2Samuel 22. It's a Messianic Psalm - although it was spoken by David and corresponds to his own circumstances & prayer, it was written in a Spirit of Prophecy, and can only be perfectly fulfilled by the Messiah. This is clear by the magnitude of the language, the claims of perfect righteousness, and the fact Paul quotes v49 in Romans 15:9 and applies it to Christ (see also v2 and Heb 2:13). Moreover, v50 gives a summary: "Great deliverance He gives to His KING, and shows mercy to His ANOINTED, to David and his descendants (SEED = Messiah) forevermore." So this indicates it is about God's manifestation of His covenant love to both His anointed ones - David and Messiah, His Seed. The promises & blessings of this Psalm also apply to believers who are in Christ, the Seed of David. As the title indicates, it was sung after David conquered all his enemies, both internal & external. It gives thanks and glory to God for all the deliverances and victories over the years. David, the warrior king, is a type of Christ, and so the stages of his life foreshadow that of Christ: (1) His anointing, mighty feats, suffering & persecution from the governing authority (Saul) before he became king foreshadow Christ's earthly ministry before He was enthroned as King. (2) David's enthronement as King at Hebron corresponds to Christ's enthronement at His resurrection. At this point, most of Israel did not follow Him (only Judah, a remnant), and although there was a 7-year war between him and the house of Saul, he did not try to force His rule on the rest. He was depending on God to establish His throne. David waited for 7 years before all Israel came to him and submitted to him as King. This corresponds to the 7 years on Israel's Clock yet to run as the Tribulation (Dan 9:24-27) during which Israel will come to Christ (2Sam 3:1) - the typology jumps over the Church Age, which was a mystery. At the end of the 7 years all Israel will be saved and welcome Christ to be her King (2Sam 5:1-5, Matt 24:37-39). (3) At this point, with Israel now submitted to him, David immediately operated in his kingly anointing to conquer all the surrounding enemy nations, starting with Jerusalem (2Sam 5:6-12), where he established His throne, followed by the rapid defeat and conquest of the Philistines (2Sam 5:17-24, 8:1), Moab, Zobar, Syria, Ammon & Amalek (2Sam 8:2-14). Likewise, when Israel receives Him, Christ will return at Armageddon as King of kings and conquer all the enemy armies from every nation gathered against Israel, and sit on His throne in Jerusalem. (4) Then David reigned over Israel and was also the head of the surrounding nations (2Sam 8:15). Likewise, Christ will reign over Israel and all the nations, as King over all the world in the Millennium. At this point David wrote Psalm 18 to give thanks for the manifestation of God's covenant love and power (v1,50). Likewise, it's also the Psalm Christ will sing when He has defeated all His enemies and established His Kingdom, giving thanks for what God has done. We see the stages of the parallel exaltation of David & Christ reflected in the Psalm. In v1-3, Christ (as typified by David) gives thanks for His strength and protection during His earthly life. Then in v4-24 He thanks God for delivering Him from death and conquering all His enemies in His mighty resurrection. Then in v25-36, He describes His regeneration and anointing by God at His resurrection & ascension (coronation) to reign as Lord administering God's grace and justice in His dealings with mankind, and His empowerment to vanquish His enemies, at the appointed time. In the meantime, God anointed Him and His people to operate with strength and wisdom in the ongoing (spiritual) warfare. Then in v37-42, we see Him in His 2nd Coming destroying all the enemy armies at Armageddon (Rev 19) and judging the whole world, destroying all those who hate (reject) Him, grinding all the kingdoms of the world to fine dust (Daniel 2:35). Then, in v43-49, with Israel and the Gentiles in submission to Him, Christ establishes His Millennial Kingdom, becoming 'the Head of the nations' (King of kings) - 43. In this Kingdom, the Gentiles as well as the Jews will be saved and in covenant fellowship with Him (v43-45,49). At this time He will exalt the living God over all (v46), for God had delivered him from all His enemies and subdued them under His feet (v47-48).
Psalm 18 is a Thanksgiving Psalm of intense emotion giving God the glory for all the victories God gave David and His Son (Christ) in fulfilling His covenant promises to them (v50). It continues the story * typology from Psalm 17. The title is: "A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all of his enemies and from the hand of Saul." This is clearly an important Psalm, as it is in 2Samuel 22. It's a Messianic Psalm - although it was spoken by David and corresponds to his own circumstances & prayer, it was written in a Spirit of Prophecy, and can only be perfectly fulfilled by the Messiah. This is clear by the magnitude of the language, the claims of perfect righteousness, and the fact Paul quotes v49 in Romans 15:9 and applies it to Christ (see also v2 and Heb 2:13). Moreover, v50 gives a summary: "Great deliverance He gives to His KING, and shows mercy to His ANOINTED, to David and his descendants (SEED = Messiah) forevermore." So this indicates it is about God's manifestation of His covenant love to both His anointed ones - David and Messiah, His Seed. The promises & blessings of this Psalm also apply to believers who are in Christ, the Seed of David. As the title indicates, it was sung after David conquered all his enemies, both internal & external. It gives thanks and glory to God for all the deliverances and victories over the years. David, the warrior king, is a type of Christ, and so the stages of his life foreshadow that of Christ: (1) His anointing, mighty feats, suffering & persecution from the governing authority (Saul) before he became king foreshadow Christ's earthly ministry before He was enthroned as King. (2) David's enthronement as King at Hebron corresponds to Christ's enthronement at His resurrection. At this point, most of Israel did not follow Him (only Judah, a remnant), and although there was a 7-year war between him and the house of Saul, he did not try to force His rule on the rest. He was depending on God to establish His throne. David waited for 7 years before all Israel came to him and submitted to him as King. This corresponds to the 7 years on Israel's Clock yet to run as the Tribulation (Dan 9:24-27) during which Israel will come to Christ (2Sam 3:1) - the typology jumps over the Church Age, which was a mystery. At the end of the 7 years all Israel will be saved and welcome Christ to be her King (2Sam 5:1-5, Matt 24:37-39). (3) At this point, with Israel now submitted to him, David immediately operated in his kingly anointing to conquer all the surrounding enemy nations, starting with Jerusalem (2Sam 5:6-12), where he established His throne, followed by the rapid defeat and conquest of the Philistines (2Sam 5:17-24, 8:1), Moab, Zobar, Syria, Ammon & Amalek (2Sam 8:2-14). Likewise, when Israel receives Him, Christ will return at Armageddon as King of kings and conquer all the enemy armies from every nation gathered against Israel, and sit on His throne in Jerusalem. (4) Then David reigned over Israel and was also the head of the surrounding nations (2Sam 8:15). Likewise, Christ will reign over Israel and all the nations, as King over all the world in the Millennium. At this point David wrote Psalm 18 to give thanks for the manifestation of God's covenant love and power (v1,50). Likewise, it's also the Psalm Christ will sing when He has defeated all His enemies and established His Kingdom, giving thanks for what God has done. We see the stages of the parallel exaltation of David & Christ reflected in the Psalm. In v1-3, Christ (as typified by David) gives thanks for His strength and protection during His earthly life. Then in v4-24 He thanks God for delivering Him from death and conquering all His enemies in His mighty resurrection. Then in v25-36, He describes His regeneration and anointing by God at His resurrection & ascension (coronation) to reign as Lord administering God's grace and justice in His dealings with mankind, and His empowerment to vanquish His enemies, at the appointed time. In the meantime, God anointed Him and His people to operate with strength and wisdom in the ongoing (spiritual) warfare. Then in v37-42, we see Him in His 2nd Coming destroying all the enemy armies at Armageddon (Rev 19) and judging the whole world, destroying all those who hate (reject) Him, grinding all the kingdoms of the world to fine dust (Daniel 2:35). Then, in v43-49, with Israel and the Gentiles in submission to Him, Christ establishes His Millennial Kingdom, becoming 'the Head of the nations' (King of kings) - 43. In this Kingdom, the Gentiles as well as the Jews will be saved and in covenant fellowship with Him (v43-45,49). At this time He will exalt the living God over all (v46), for God had delivered him from all His enemies and subdued them under His feet (v47-48).
Psalms 2 vs. 2-4 "The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision."
A new MP3 sermon from Christ Church of Acadiana is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Cyrus, His Anointed Subtitle: Study Through Isaiah Speaker: Brandon Nealy Broadcaster: Christ Church of Acadiana Event: Teaching Date: 3/15/2024 Bible: Isaiah 45 Length: 48 min.
In Revelation 19:11-18 is a description of Jesus that proceeds His reign on earth as promised King who will bring peace on earth. In our passage there are eight descriptions of King Jesus that highlight His authority and character as the Only One who is able to make what is wrong in our world right. Jesus is coming and will come to make peace in our world by waging war on the antichrist who is to come and all the peoples who will align themselves with Him. It will be the realization that perhaps there was some truth that all roads do in fact lead to God, with the major clarification that many lead to Him as judge and only one leads to Him as savior. All I want to do with the time that we have this morning is to show you who He really is. Jesus is a triumphant King. The color white does not symbolize purity here as it does when used to describe garments. The white war horse that Jesus descends from heaven on symbolizes His role as a conquering King, and what is impressive is that, in Revelation 19:1, the battle has not yet begun. Jesus is coming back. You dont have to believe it and you dont even have to live like it, but the fact of the matter is this: Jesus is coming again, and He is not coming to die like He did the first time He came, He is coming to judge! The Bible says, at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11; see also Isa. 45:22-23). The Roman Senate had to give Julius Caesar permission to drive a chariot drawn by white horses through Rome to celebrate his victory in North Africa, but only after he defeated North Africa. When Jesus comes, He comes as a victorious King whose power will be demonstrated in such a way that every living creature will have no alternative but to bow before Him as the Lord. He rides a white horse signifying His victory because none can stay His hand. Jesus is a Faithful and True King (v. 11a). The second characteristic of Jesus is that He is faithful and true. When King Jesus comes to set up His kingdom, He will have no need to boast in a facade of faithfulness and truth because He is the very embodiment of faithfulness and truth. There is a lot of suffering in the world today. Every time there is a catastrophe in the world, governments rush with promises of help and often those who are left in the wake of tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, ethnic genocide, and the like, are left with empty promises of deliverance. Not so with Jesus! My dear brothers and sisters, many of you have been touched by divorce. Some of you have grown up with one broken promise after another. Some of you have been disappointed, have been hurt, have been mistreated, or perhaps taken advantage of. Take a look at verse 11 again, and permit me to ask you, Who is sitting on the white horse? Jesus is planning an eternity with His Bride, and He means to make a home for her that is characterized by holiness and righteousness. Jesus is a righteous King (v. 11b). When Jesus comes, He will come in righteousness to judge the nations. There will be no room to accuse Him as being harsh, rash, or unjust in the execution of His judgment. For many of you, the idea of righteousness and justice is something you have been thinking a lot about because of the politicking we are seeing on television. An election will be coming soon in the United States; promises will be made, and every candidate will claim some measure of integrity while maligning the other candidates. The wars we read about in our history books and the ones we hear on the news often leave a wake of injustice and suffering. Books have been written about The Just War. Whatever your views are concerning war and the one we may find ourselves in the future, one thing is sure: When Jesus comes to wage war on the nations, it will be completely and categorically just, for the Bible says of Jesus: Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make decisions by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the humble of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the belt around His waist. (Isaiah 11:15) Jesus is an all-seeing King (v. 12a). This is the third time in Revelation that Jesus is described as having eyes like fire (see 1:14; 2:18); every time He is characterized this way, it is metaphorical of His ability to see all things, including the human heart. As King, Jesus will execute justice on all those who have rejected Him as the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus does not have to pretend at being able to see all things; He is able to see all things; He is all knowing, and the entire world will be held accountable for what they do and think, both in public and private. When He comes to judge the nations, He will do so intelligently, there will be no civilian casualties. Jesus is the King of kings (v. 12b). In verse 12b, John notices something on Jesus head: many crowns. The Greek word for crown is also diadēma (we get the word diadem from it), it also means rulers crown. It is used only three times in Revelation. It is used to describe the crown worn by the dragon (12:3), the beast (13:1), and Jesus Christ. The point that is being made here is that the dragon (Lucifer) and the beast pretend to be what Jesus is. Their authority is temporary and given by God, Jesus authority is absolute and universal (This is why John records that Jesus had many crowns. The use of many is one way of saying innumerable). When Jesus comes, not only does John see many crowns on His head, but John also sees the title King of kings and Lord of lords on His robe and thigh. Every king or ruler that had been born into this world has had a temporal reign limited by age and mortality. When it comes to our lifespan, we are all like blips on a radar flashing on the screen of life and fading out just as quickly as we came in; James 4:14 asks, You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. Jesus reign and authority is eternal and genuine, He does not need to pretend. Jesus is a One-of-a-kind King (v. 12c) There is a lot of debate and theologizing over what name Jesus has that no one knows. There are two things we know about the ancient world of Johns day that may help us understand why Jesus has a name that no one knows. First, it was common in the world of Johns day to believe that both the gods and humans had a hidden name that contained their true essence, that defined their fundamental nature. Second, it was believed that to know a persons name was to exercise some level of control over that person. What is revealed of the Rider on the white horse is that His revealed name is called, The Word of God and what is tattooed on His thigh is the title: King of kings and Lord of lords. What we see in Revelation 19:11-18, Paul described in Philippians 2:9-11, which I believe helps us understand the unknown name that only He knows: For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. What Paul wrote in Philippians 2:9-11 would have given his readers goosebumps because of what is written in Isaiah 45:22-23, Declare and present your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this long ago? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none except Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. (Isa. 45:2123) According to Isaiah, only Yahweh has the right to judge the nations, and it is to Yahweh that every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance. Yet, Paul tells us that it will be before and to Jesus that, every tongue will swear allegiance and every knee will bow. Revelation 19:11-18 described the day when that will happen. The name that Jesus has that no one knows is reveals his absolute authority as God in the flesh who will not nor cannot be manipulated. Jesus is a just and holy King (v 13a). Why is Jesus robe dipped in blood? Is His robe dipped in blood to symbolize what He did at Calvary? I do not think so. I think Isaiah 63:2-3 gives us a clue to the meaning behind what John sees, Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the wine press? I have trodden the wine trough alone, and from the peoples there was no one with Me. I also trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My clothes (Isa. 63:13). Jesus robe is dipped in blood to indicate how He intends to deal with the nations that conspire against Him. How will He accomplish this? Look at verse 15, From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron The justice Jesus will execute will flow out of His perfect holiness; it is the kind of judgment described in Psalm 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, Lets tear their shackles apart And throw their ropes away from us! He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain. I will announce the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have fathered You. Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware. (Psalm 2:29) Jesus, as the Word of God, is the Promised King. Jesus is the Word of God, a title that is not unfamiliar in the New Testament. It is fitting that John closes his description of Jesus with this title because it gets at the reason why Jesus is qualified to come and judge the nations: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it (John 1:15). However, while on earth, even with all the miracles that include His power over demons, disease, and even death (see Mark 5:1-43) the feeding of thousands with some kids five barley loaves and two fish (John 6:1-14), walking on water (6:15-25), and even His power over storms (Matt. 8::18-27), there were people who still refused to believe that He was the promised Messiah. This is why John continued in the opening statements of his Gospel account something to consider against the backdrop of what you have seen in Revelation 19:11-18, He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God (John 1:1013). Conclusion As I consider this sermon series for Adventespecially what we have reflected on in Revelation 19, I am reminded of the conversation Lucy had with Mr. Beaver in C.S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when Mr. and Mrs. Beaver tried to help Lucy understand who Aslan was (Aslan is Narnias Christ figure): "Is - is he a man?" asked Lucy "Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion, the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh," said Susan, "I thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." "That you will, dearie, and make no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly." "Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy. "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king I tell you." The Lion of Judah is not safe, but He is good. Hes the king I tell you, and His name is Jesus Christ. The question I ask of you is simply this: Who do you say Jesus is and do you really believe it? Have you come to know Him? Do you really believe in His name? Is Jesus a religious icon to you, is He only a baby in a manger, or is He the King? Wherever you are in your thoughts and convictions about Jesus, I leave you with the last two verses of Psalm 2, Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way, For His wrath may be kindled quickly. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him" (vv. 11-12).
In Revelation 19:11-18 is a description of Jesus that proceeds His reign on earth as promised King who will bring peace on earth. In our passage there are eight descriptions of King Jesus that highlight His authority and character as the Only One who is able to make what is wrong in our world right. Jesus is coming and will come to make peace in our world by waging war on the antichrist who is to come and all the peoples who will align themselves with Him. It will be the realization that perhaps there was some truth that all roads do in fact lead to God, with the major clarification that many lead to Him as judge and only one leads to Him as savior. All I want to do with the time that we have this morning is to show you who He really is. Jesus is a triumphant King. The color white does not symbolize purity here as it does when used to describe garments. The white war horse that Jesus descends from heaven on symbolizes His role as a conquering King, and what is impressive is that, in Revelation 19:1, the battle has not yet begun. Jesus is coming back. You dont have to believe it and you dont even have to live like it, but the fact of the matter is this: Jesus is coming again, and He is not coming to die like He did the first time He came, He is coming to judge! The Bible says, at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11; see also Isa. 45:22-23). The Roman Senate had to give Julius Caesar permission to drive a chariot drawn by white horses through Rome to celebrate his victory in North Africa, but only after he defeated North Africa. When Jesus comes, He comes as a victorious King whose power will be demonstrated in such a way that every living creature will have no alternative but to bow before Him as the Lord. He rides a white horse signifying His victory because none can stay His hand. Jesus is a Faithful and True King (v. 11a). The second characteristic of Jesus is that He is faithful and true. When King Jesus comes to set up His kingdom, He will have no need to boast in a facade of faithfulness and truth because He is the very embodiment of faithfulness and truth. There is a lot of suffering in the world today. Every time there is a catastrophe in the world, governments rush with promises of help and often those who are left in the wake of tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, ethnic genocide, and the like, are left with empty promises of deliverance. Not so with Jesus! My dear brothers and sisters, many of you have been touched by divorce. Some of you have grown up with one broken promise after another. Some of you have been disappointed, have been hurt, have been mistreated, or perhaps taken advantage of. Take a look at verse 11 again, and permit me to ask you, Who is sitting on the white horse? Jesus is planning an eternity with His Bride, and He means to make a home for her that is characterized by holiness and righteousness. Jesus is a righteous King (v. 11b). When Jesus comes, He will come in righteousness to judge the nations. There will be no room to accuse Him as being harsh, rash, or unjust in the execution of His judgment. For many of you, the idea of righteousness and justice is something you have been thinking a lot about because of the politicking we are seeing on television. An election will be coming soon in the United States; promises will be made, and every candidate will claim some measure of integrity while maligning the other candidates. The wars we read about in our history books and the ones we hear on the news often leave a wake of injustice and suffering. Books have been written about The Just War. Whatever your views are concerning war and the one we may find ourselves in the future, one thing is sure: When Jesus comes to wage war on the nations, it will be completely and categorically just, for the Bible says of Jesus: Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make decisions by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the humble of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the belt around His waist. (Isaiah 11:15) Jesus is an all-seeing King (v. 12a). This is the third time in Revelation that Jesus is described as having eyes like fire (see 1:14; 2:18); every time He is characterized this way, it is metaphorical of His ability to see all things, including the human heart. As King, Jesus will execute justice on all those who have rejected Him as the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus does not have to pretend at being able to see all things; He is able to see all things; He is all knowing, and the entire world will be held accountable for what they do and think, both in public and private. When He comes to judge the nations, He will do so intelligently, there will be no civilian casualties. Jesus is the King of kings (v. 12b). In verse 12b, John notices something on Jesus head: many crowns. The Greek word for crown is also diadēma (we get the word diadem from it), it also means rulers crown. It is used only three times in Revelation. It is used to describe the crown worn by the dragon (12:3), the beast (13:1), and Jesus Christ. The point that is being made here is that the dragon (Lucifer) and the beast pretend to be what Jesus is. Their authority is temporary and given by God, Jesus authority is absolute and universal (This is why John records that Jesus had many crowns. The use of many is one way of saying innumerable). When Jesus comes, not only does John see many crowns on His head, but John also sees the title King of kings and Lord of lords on His robe and thigh. Every king or ruler that had been born into this world has had a temporal reign limited by age and mortality. When it comes to our lifespan, we are all like blips on a radar flashing on the screen of life and fading out just as quickly as we came in; James 4:14 asks, You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. Jesus reign and authority is eternal and genuine, He does not need to pretend. Jesus is a One-of-a-kind King (v. 12c) There is a lot of debate and theologizing over what name Jesus has that no one knows. There are two things we know about the ancient world of Johns day that may help us understand why Jesus has a name that no one knows. First, it was common in the world of Johns day to believe that both the gods and humans had a hidden name that contained their true essence, that defined their fundamental nature. Second, it was believed that to know a persons name was to exercise some level of control over that person. What is revealed of the Rider on the white horse is that His revealed name is called, The Word of God and what is tattooed on His thigh is the title: King of kings and Lord of lords. What we see in Revelation 19:11-18, Paul described in Philippians 2:9-11, which I believe helps us understand the unknown name that only He knows: For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. What Paul wrote in Philippians 2:9-11 would have given his readers goosebumps because of what is written in Isaiah 45:22-23, Declare and present your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this long ago? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none except Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. (Isa. 45:2123) According to Isaiah, only Yahweh has the right to judge the nations, and it is to Yahweh that every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance. Yet, Paul tells us that it will be before and to Jesus that, every tongue will swear allegiance and every knee will bow. Revelation 19:11-18 described the day when that will happen. The name that Jesus has that no one knows is reveals his absolute authority as God in the flesh who will not nor cannot be manipulated. Jesus is a just and holy King (v 13a). Why is Jesus robe dipped in blood? Is His robe dipped in blood to symbolize what He did at Calvary? I do not think so. I think Isaiah 63:2-3 gives us a clue to the meaning behind what John sees, Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the wine press? I have trodden the wine trough alone, and from the peoples there was no one with Me. I also trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My clothes (Isa. 63:13). Jesus robe is dipped in blood to indicate how He intends to deal with the nations that conspire against Him. How will He accomplish this? Look at verse 15, From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron The justice Jesus will execute will flow out of His perfect holiness; it is the kind of judgment described in Psalm 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, Lets tear their shackles apart And throw their ropes away from us! He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain. I will announce the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have fathered You. Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware. (Psalm 2:29) Jesus, as the Word of God, is the Promised King. Jesus is the Word of God, a title that is not unfamiliar in the New Testament. It is fitting that John closes his description of Jesus with this title because it gets at the reason why Jesus is qualified to come and judge the nations: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it (John 1:15). However, while on earth, even with all the miracles that include His power over demons, disease, and even death (see Mark 5:1-43) the feeding of thousands with some kids five barley loaves and two fish (John 6:1-14), walking on water (6:15-25), and even His power over storms (Matt. 8::18-27), there were people who still refused to believe that He was the promised Messiah. This is why John continued in the opening statements of his Gospel account something to consider against the backdrop of what you have seen in Revelation 19:11-18, He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God (John 1:1013). Conclusion As I consider this sermon series for Adventespecially what we have reflected on in Revelation 19, I am reminded of the conversation Lucy had with Mr. Beaver in C.S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when Mr. and Mrs. Beaver tried to help Lucy understand who Aslan was (Aslan is Narnias Christ figure): "Is - is he a man?" asked Lucy "Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion, the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh," said Susan, "I thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." "That you will, dearie, and make no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly." "Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy. "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king I tell you." The Lion of Judah is not safe, but He is good. Hes the king I tell you, and His name is Jesus Christ. The question I ask of you is simply this: Who do you say Jesus is and do you really believe it? Have you come to know Him? Do you really believe in His name? Is Jesus a religious icon to you, is He only a baby in a manger, or is He the King? Wherever you are in your thoughts and convictions about Jesus, I leave you with the last two verses of Psalm 2, Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way, For His wrath may be kindled quickly. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him" (vv. 11-12).
In Psalm 2 we see the conspiracy of the nations' rulers against Yahweh and His Anointed, Yahweh's response to the rulers' plot, Yahweh's decree to His Anointed, and warnings of wisdom to the worlds' rulers.
In Psalm 2 we see the conspiracy of the nations' rulers against Yahweh and His Anointed, Yahweh's response to the rulers' plot, Yahweh's decree to His Anointed, and warnings of wisdom to the worlds' rulers.
In Psalm 2 we see the conspiracy of the nations' rulers against Yahweh and His Anointed, Yahweh's response to the rulers' plot, Yahweh's decree to His Anointed, and warnings of wisdom to the worlds' rulers.
When we think of meditation, a lot of us think of chanting and things affiliated with other religions--but at its core, that's not what it is. Meditation can simply be calming the mind by disciplined focus on some external stimulus, like your breath, your heart, or the ambient sounds around you... and if your mind is scattered and flitting from topic to topic, there is certainly great physiologic value in this, as it will get you out of "fight or flight" and into the parasympathetic "rest and digest" state. Also, if your mind is too loud, it makes it all but impossible for you to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit--so quieting your mind through this form of meditation is valuable for that reason as well. Biblically, though, meditation is more than just quieting your "monkey brain." That just gets you back to neutral. Rather, biblical meditation involves focused thought upon an idea long enough for you to get a picture in your mind of what you're contemplating. We all do this all the time; it's just a matter of what we're thinking about. Andrew Wommack likes to say that if you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. Worry is meditation upon something negative. Paul tells us what we should be meditating on in Philippians 4:8: "whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." The reason this is so important is because scripture tells us that our thoughts determine what we believe, just like planting seeds will determine what kind of harvest we get. Proverbs 23:7 says, "for as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." We can act contrary to what we truly believe for a short period of time, but what we think in our hearts is who we really are, and it will come out eventually. This is why Jesus said that the most important parable He ever taught was the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:3-23). In the parable, the "seed" is the Word of God, and soil is the hearts of the listeners. It's the state of the soil which determines how well that seed will grow and produce a harvest. There are other possible seeds besides God's word, though--in the parable, there were thorns and tares in one type of soil, too. Jesus later defines these for us as "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches" (Matt 13:22), which can choke the Word such that it becomes unfruitful. Those sound like typical sources of worry to me. Think of thoughts in general--any type of thought--as a potential seed that can eventually bear a harvest if you plant it and cultivate it (or meditate upon it until you can see it in your mind). A stray thought here or there can't do this any more than a seed can without the right environment for it to grow--which is why we're told in scripture to take our thoughts captive (2 Cor 10:5). Think of this like weeding the 'garden' of your heart. If you don't want the harvest, then pluck up the plant before it can bear fruit--or, better yet, avoid exposing yourself to the seed in the first place, if you can control it. This isn't always possible, but we can choose what we watch, what we listen to, what kind of church we go to (one that preaches faith or unbelief), and what kind of people we spend time with. "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33)--so if you surround yourself with people who are negative, complaining, undisciplined, or any other negative character trait, most likely it'll rub off on you eventually. Those people influence how you think, and unwittingly this plants "seeds" in your heart that will eventually bear a harvest, if they are allowed to do so. It takes discipline to control our imaginations, of course. Just like the Second Law of Thermodynamics describes entropy in the universe (which means that left to themselves, all systems go from order to disorder), so the tremendous power available in our minds will accomplish nothing if we don't focus it appropriately. Worse, if we use our imaginations for an actively destructive purpose like worrying, we might end up with exactly what we're essentially "believing" for. A medical example of this is the placebo versus the nocebo effect: about 30% of people (probably those who are most "suggest-able") in clinical trials will typically get better even if they're given a sugar pill rather than the actual medication being tested, because they believe it will help them. Their minds make it work. The nocebo is the same principle in reverse: if you believe something will make you worse, it very well might, even if the substance itself is neutral. This is the whole concept behind affirmations, or positive confessions: say something long or often enough, and eventually it'll sink down into your subconscious mind, and you'll start to believe it--even if you don't at first. Not what we superficially say, but what we truly believe, determines how we will act. Other religions and spiritual traditions jump onto this too, in books like "The Secret"--because it's a neutral principle which can work for us or against us. It's just part of the way God set up the world. In Genesis 11:6, speaking of the Tower of Babel, God says, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, now nothing they imagine to do will be impossible for them." This was a negative story, but it illustrates the principle as God made it. Jesus said the same thing on the flip side when the disciples were amazed that the fig tree withered when he cursed it: "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:23-24). When I was a kid, I read this verse, took it at face value, and commanded the mountain outside my bedroom window to be cast into the sea. Nothing happened, of course... but I also didn't expect anything to happen. That's the 'caveat'--you have to actually believe what you're saying, like Jesus did. And that's why it's so important for you to "guard your heart with all diligence"--because out of it literally "spring the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:20-23). But not immediately; as with any plant, harvests come "first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head" (Mark 4:28). Gardening is hard work; you have to constantly plant not just what you want, but you have to prepare the soil, water the seed, and pluck up competing weeds that might steal the nutrients from your fledgling little plant and choke it. It's just like that with our minds. That's why biblical meditation--using a positive imagination to picture what we want, to visualize God's promises coming to pass--is so important. Here's an overview of some of the Hebrew and Greek words in scripture translated to meditate (or to imagine, speak, ponder, etc), their context, and how they help to back up this idea. HAGAH: meaning to meditate, speak, imagine, study, mutter, utter, muse, devise Joshua 1:8: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate H1897 therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Notice that God didn't tell Joshua to just read the book of the law. He told him to meditate on it day and night, to the point where it's coming out of his mouth continually. That's what was required for him to truly follow what was written. That's what was necessary for him to prosper and have success. Psalm 1:2-3: "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate H1897 day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers." These are the results of meditating on God's word... versus: Psalm 2:1: "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine H1897 a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.' He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision..." The ungodly use this same principle of meditation to produce evil. This psalm shows that it won't ultimately work for them, but only because God will step in in the end, just as He did at the flood when the imaginations of men's hearts were only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5) and then when the men of the repopulated earth tried to build the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:6). Psalm 2 looks ahead to when God will step in again, as described in the book of Revelation. Psalm 35:28: "And my tongue shall speak H1897 of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long." Psalm 63:6: "When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate H1897 on thee in the night watches." Psalm 71:24: "My tongue also shall talk H1897 of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt." Psalm 77:12: "I will meditate H1897 also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings." Psalm 143:5: "I remember the days of old; I meditate H1897 on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands." Consider the fact that the man who wrote these psalms started out a shepherd boy, the youngest of his brothers and some speculate that he was even illegitimate--and he became the greatest king Israel ever had, to the point where the Messiah was called by his name, "Son of David" (Luke 18:38). And much of what we know about meditation comes from him. Psalm 38:12: "They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine H1897 deceits all the day long." And yet, David knew that his enemies were using this same principle against him. He spent some 13-17 years on the run from these enemies (we don't know how old he was when he was anointed king, so we don't know exactly how long). It certainly looked to him like they were winning for quite awhile. Fortunately, David persisted in envisioning and trusting and believing in God's promises coming to pass, even when everything seemed to be against him, and circumstances went from bad to much worse. In 1 Samuel 30:1-6, David had finally fled with his men out of Israel altogether, and was dwelling in the land of his enemies, when their city (Ziklag) was burned to the ground, their wives and children and everything they had stolen, and his men turned on him and spoke of stoning him. The natural human response to this would have been to give in to emotions of despair, but instead David "strengthened himself in the Lord" (1 Sam 30:6). You know that this took incredible discipline on his part, to fix his thoughts on what God said and not his current circumstances. Some believe that David encouraged himself by writing Psalm 61 after Ziklag was burned. The result was that not only did David and his men recover everything that was taken from them, but within days, he was crowned king--at long, long last. Prov 15:28: "The heart of the righteous studieth H1897 to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things." Back to the idea of entropy: cultivating our minds to produce righteousness, wisdom, and a positive imagination doesn't just happen. We have to study. We have to do this work. This is the process of being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). Prov 24:1-2: "Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; For their heart studieth H1897 destruction, and their lips talk of mischief." The point here is that while the righteous studies wisdom and godly principles, the wicked are doing just the opposite. They too will reap what they sow (Gal 6:7). YETSER: imagination, form, framing, purpose, conception. Genesis 6:5: "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination H3336 of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Genesis 8:21: "And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination H3336 of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done." Deut 31:19-21: "Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination H3336 which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware." God knew long before the Israelites ever disobeyed Him that they would disobey. You can argue that this is because God is omniscient and knows the end from the beginning, and that's certainly true too--but this verse shows that God knew it (at least in part) because he could see what they were imagining. He knew their thoughts would determine their actions. This is exactly what happened in Numbers 13, when the Israelites sent the twelve spies into the Promised Land. God had promised to give them the land, but the spies returned with a "negative report". It wasn't an untrue report, mind you--the spies reported that the land was full of giants, and it was. Only Joshua and Caleb recognized that while true, that fact was irrelevant. What they should have been focused upon was God's promise that He would give the land to them, regardless of its current inhabitants. But the ten spies' negative report produced fear in the hearts of the people, and that entire generation never got to experience God's intended blessing for them. They died in the wilderness--all except for Joshua, who became the leader after Moses, and actually led the people in forty years later, and Caleb, who at eighty-five years old, was just as strong as he'd been in his forties (Joshua 14:11). He took the mountain of Hebron where the most intimidating Canaanites lived for his inheritance (Joshua 14:6-15). Psalm 103:14: "For he knoweth our frame; H3336 he remembereth that we are dust." The word 'frame' is also the word elsewhere translated meditation or thoughts, so it's not speaking just of the physical frame. The context here is speaking of our sins, and God's compassion upon us for our weakness. In other words, none of this is easy. God knows that. He pities us and has compassion upon us. Isaiah 26:3: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind H3336 is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." I love this verse. It gives us the recipe for peace. "Perfect peace" in Hebrew is actually shalom shalom shalom: the word for peace written three times. The translators presumably didn't know how else to translate that but "perfect." David modeled this for us at Ziklag, intentionally turning his mind to the Lord. Jesus modeled this for us when sleeping on the boat in the middle of the storm (Mark 4:35-41). Abraham modeled this for us when he kept his mind on God's promise of a child and not the impossibility of his and Sarah's circumstances (Romans 4:18-22). It's not easy, but the result is shalom shalom shalom. SIYACH: meditate, seek, pray, commune, muse, ponder. 1 Chronicles 16:9: "Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk H7878 ye of all his wondrous works." Psalm 77:6: "I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune H7878 with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search." Psalm77:12: "I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk H7878 of thy doings." Psalm 105:2: "Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk H7878 ye of all his wondrous works." Psalm 119:15: "I will meditate H7878 in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways." (and repeatedly throughout Psalm 119) Proverbs 23:7: "for as he thinks in his heart, so is he." Hope YAHAL: wait, tarry, trust, hope, be patient. Hope can be considered positive imagination. It's the precursor for faith (Hebrews 11:1). Romans 8:24-25: "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." Psalm 42:5: "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance." Greek dianoia = mind, understanding, imagination This is a command. It's not merely talking about intellectual study, though of course that's part of it. What starts out as an intellectual exercise eventually becomes the mental picture of what we see on the inside. Matthew 22:37: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Eph 1:18: "The eyes of your understanding G1271 being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" Eph 4:18: "Having the understanding G1271 darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" Col 1:21: "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind G1271 by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled." Heb 8:10: "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, G1271 and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people" 1 Peter 1:13: "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, G1271 be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" Greek logismos: thought, imagination, reasoning, judgment "Casting down imaginations, G3053 and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" A few more examples of this principle in action: Genesis 13:16: God showed Abram the dust of the earth as a symbol of his descendants, and the land of Canaan that would be filled with them. Genesis 15:5: God showed Abram the stars as a picture of his descendants Mark 6:41: before feeding the 5000 with five loaves and two fish, Jesus looks up (ANABLEPO), seeing into the unseen realm, and gives thanks. (2 Cor 5:7: we walk by faith, not by sight... and this works because that's where all the spiritual blessings already exist (Eph 1:3). Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Although the nations of the earth rebel against God and His Anointed prior to His return, the response of God is that He laughs at the politicians and rebukes them in His wrath. This is the reason for the Great Tribulation Period, as the plan has always been to place Jesus Christ on the throne of the earth, ruling from Jerusalem. God's advice to the kings of the earth is, "Be wise." When it comes to the great King Jesus Christ, the nations are not alway wise. They are foolish.
At the end of Acts, Paul continues to show that Jesus is the Messiah from Moses and the prophets. It is the same that Jesus does from the end of Luke while on his way to Emmaus. Let's look at some of those Scriptures over the coming weeks. Today I would like to look at some prophecies in the Psalms: and why they are so important and valuable to all of us. As I was reading Reflections on the Psalms by CS Lewis, I was quite taken by his insights into the topic of Praise. Why praise? Why is it so important? – Let's look at it from a non-Christian perspective:Many have said to me, why would I want to go to heaven? Sitting around and playing harps all day.How we view people who always want to be admired, constantly be assured of their virtue, or intelligence, how good they are at what they do? We look down at the clouds that meet the demands of dictators and gratify their egos. So, what do we think of a god who demands praise from his followers?How are we to equate that with being humble of heart? 50:14,15Or it appears as though the Psalmists try and negotiate with God: if you do this for me, then I will do this for you. 54:1,6Or the blackmail technique: If you don't defeat my enemies, then I will go down to Sheol, and who will praise you then? 30:9Or why does God demand we praise him? Or encourage others to motivate us to praise him? Does he really need it? Is he like humans, wanting to to be number 1 and all the world to know it? 119In all of these negative approaches to Scripture, we fail to see the value and the importance of biblical praise. Let me begin with a couple of my experiences. When the kids were little, Jan had to stay at home a lot. I traveled to May wonderful and exotic countries. The truth is, I only wanted to be there long enough to finish the work I came to do. I had no interest in sightseeing. Why, because Jan wasn't there to enjoy it with me. Now, when we are just the two of us, I have very rarely traveled without her, and when we go places, we love to try new foods, see new things, examine the similarities and differences in culture and appreciate it together. So our trip to New Zealand, or Manu other places lives on in our hearts, not because of the pictures, but because of our identification and expression of our admiration.This makes praising God different from seeing him as a benevolent dictator who wants to rob us of life and joy.Why does God demand our worship? As the all-sufficient one, why does he demand we go to church and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together? Because in the corporate worship he communicates his presence to mere mortals. It is not for his sake, but for our sake that praise is most needed. God is not so vain that he needs our complements, but it is us who need to get to know him, appreciate him, and understand his magnificent ways. When we praise, and examine his laws, his character, his virtues, his will, his thoughts, his desires, our hearts are flooded with his wisdom, his understanding, his joy, and we become partakes with him in these divine experiences.Often we only look at praise as being a complement, approval, or giving honor where it is due. But look around us. Look at where praise happens: who do you praise? Your lover, your walks in the countryside, a good book, your favorite football club, a friend, your home, a picture, our lives overflow with enjoyment when we praise. When we criticize, it falls flat and into arguments. Praise is what brings about encouragement and the best in all of us. It really begins when we can praise God.That is why in the Psalms we have so many clear indications of God's great plans and purposes. Hidden in dual meanings of the text, but which point directly to Jesus and his work and his joy and his salvation.It starts in Psalm 1 with a view of the glory of heaven – trees with fruit every month revelation 22:2“On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:2Compare with this: “Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, And on His Law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” Psalms 1:1-3Then we see Jesus as the good shepherd in Psalm 23 and in John 10:11In Psalm 22 we see the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my help are the words of my groaning. All who see me deride me; They sneer, they shake their heads, saying, “Turn him over to the Lord; let Him save him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.” I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a piece of pottery, And my tongue clings to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And they cast lots for my clothing. ¶I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord's And He rules over the nations.” Psalms 22:1, 7-8, 14-18, 22, 27-28 - compare with Jesus in Luke 23:33-48 BibleIn Psalm 24 we see the triumph of Jesus over sin, death and the devil for all time, and his receiving the crown of glory with all authority in heaven and earth for the salvation of all who will call upon him. “Lift up your heads, you gates, And be lifted up, you ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! Lift up your heads, you gates, And lift them up, you ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! Who is this King of glory? The Lord of armies, He is the King of glory.”Psalms 24:7, 9-10 see Phil 2:9-11 and Eph 1:20-23“For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 NASB2020“which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:20-23In Psalm 2 we see him as the conquering king over all: “Why are the nations restless And the peoples plotting in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers conspire together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ¶He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. “I will announce the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have fathered You. ‘Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession.” Psalms 2:1-2, 4, 7-8 and see Matt 28:18-20“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” Matthew 28:18-20 When that becomes clear to us, that God wants this known among all peoples everywhere, that his love surpasses all other loves, then the door that leads us into that courtyard is the door of praise. Our lives explode with the joy of worship and all finds its place of worth and value within the presence of the Lord. As we begin to live in praise, we start to praise one another, it changes our attitudes, it builds us all up, we become less critical of one another. It brings healing to our souls, our bodies, our approach to life.We praise what we value! And we want others to enjoy it with us. We have to tell others about it, and we want to tell those who will appreciate it the most! The reason we do that with others is that praise with others completes the enjoyment! Our delight is something is incomplete until it is expressed! The worthier the object of our praise, the more intense our delight will be! As imperfect our attempts of worship are, we do glimpse it at times when God breaks through into our lives and the flow of praise erupts, as we join even for a brief moment the wonder of heaven and glimpse a bit of the love God has for us. What we begin to experience in our own prayer closets, let us bring in joy as we worship him together. Let us consummate our enjoyment of Jesus and the Father by Tell it to him, and to each other!
Psalms 93 emphasizes the sovereign rule of Jehovah, the King of Israel, in the affairs of the nations. It was perhaps written by one of the Levites who returned to Judah with the Jewish remnant after the Babylonian captivity. The Jews, led by Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the high priest, and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah were given permission to return to their own land, rebuild their temple, and restore their nation. It was an especially difficult time for the Jewish remnant and their work was interrupted, attacked, and neglected. The leaders and the people needed encouragement to continue the work, and this encouragement could come only from the Lord. This brief hymn magnifies the Lord by presenting three divine assurances. In verse 1-2, the remnant was given the assurance that God reigns supremely. In verses 3-4, the people were reminded and assured that God is greater than our circumstances. The raging seas and the pounding waves are often used as symbols of the rise and fall of the nations and the great noise that rulers make as they try to impress people. No matter how stormy the nations on earth may become, God is still on His throne and is not frustrated by the foolish words and deeds of "great leaders" who are only made of clay. Do not focus on the threats around you; focus on the throne above you. Psalm 2:1-4: “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision.” In verse 5, we also can be encouraged that God always keeps his Word! "Your testimonies are very sure". When the tempest is around us, we look by faith to the throne of grace above us and the Word of God before us. The truth about what is going on in this world is not in the cable news, but in the Scriptures. False prophets, false teachers, and scoffers abound (2 Peter 2-3), but God's promises will all be fulfilled in their time, and God's children live by promises, not explanations. Satan has attacked God's Word since he lied to Eve in Genesis 3, but the Word still stands. "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations" (Psalm 33:11). The Jewish remnant trusted God, labored, sacrificed, and completed the temple. We don't read that the glory of the Lord moved into the second temple, as it did the tabernacle (Ex. 40) and the first temple (1 Kings 8:10-11), but the Lord was with His people just the same and accomplishing His purposes. It is a holy people that makes the temple holy, and "the beauty of holiness" (29:2) is the greatest adornment for any structure dedicated to the Lord. May the LORD help us today to wear His robe of “holiness” and walk in His “righteousness” so that His glory would be manifest to the scoffing world around us! God bless!
Psalm 2:1-4 - Psalm 2:1-4 (NIV) 1Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, 3Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles. 4The One enthroned in heaven LAUGHS; the Lord scoffs at them. Are you disturbed by world affairs. Don't be. No one is getting away with anything. The world is acting so foolish that God laughs at them. This is not a humorous laugh, but a dismissive laugh like thinking “you have to be kidding me”. The Creator of heaven and earth sees the nations conspire and plot out their human solutions. God sees the rulers band together against HIS Anointed, Jesus. They throw off anything that restricts their fleshly desires. God sees all this foolishness and HE is almost in disbelief thinking, “you have to be kidding me”. We are secure because we know that God is fully aware of the world situation and our situation. Therefore, we depend on God to guide and protect us based on truth.
I'm convinced that true worship comes from a heart full of the Word of God, and the purest worship is when we read or sing God's own words of praise back to Him. Jesus prayed in John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” In verses 1-2, the psalmist is praying for “God to be merciful to us and bless us….”. Notice the emphasis on “us”. He is asking for God's blessings and glory to shine upon his people, the nation of Israel. God planted the nation of Israel in the “middle” of the Middle East, the center of the world, to make Himself known to the world through them. As they obeyed His Laws and submitted to His rule over them, He would bless them with abundance, with peace, with security, and most of all, with His glorious presence! Then all the nations of the world would want to know who their God is and accept Him as their own God (vv. 3-5). “Let the peoples praise You….”. And when they do, “the nations will be glad and sing for joy.” These three verses form the heart of the psalm and focus on the Gentile nations worshiping and praising the God of Israel. Today, the nations have conspired to dethrone the Lord, and they want nothing of "his ways" Psalm 2:1-3 describes this: “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." But the day will come when all the nations will come to the mountain of the Lord and worship the God of Jacob This will be the fulfillment of Isaiah's vision and prophecy in Isaiah 2:2-4: “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD'S house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.” When Jesus Christ establishes His kingdom, He will “righteously judge the peoples and govern the nations on the earth” (v. 4). The prayer in these verses is the Old Testament equivalent of "Thy kingdom come" in the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13). Because there is no king in Israel today, the nations of the world are doing as they please (Judg. 17:6; 18:11; 19:1; 21:25), but that will all change when the kingdoms of the world belong to Jesus Christ (Rev. 11:15). Today, the people of the earth are blinded by Satan to the glory of God and the truth of His salvation through Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul describes this, and how we can bring the message of hope to them in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6: “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” My friend, the glory of God dwells in us as believers, and today in the midst of the darkness of this age, we have the great responsibility and privilege to reflect the glorious “face” and life of Jesus Christ in “our mortal bodies” (2 Cor. 4: 10-11). We do this as we humbly live in submission to His Word and will! God bless!
“Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!' He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, ‘But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.' I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.' Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” (NASU).
Psalm 2:1-12 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst Their bonds apart and cast away Their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then He will speak to them in His wrath, and terrify them in His fury, saying, 6 “As for Me, I have set My King on Zion, My holy hill.” 7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to Me, “You are My Son; today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your heritage, and the ends of the earth Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.” 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. Key Words: Lord, Son, Nation, Kings, Rulers, Serve, Rejoice, Kiss, Refuge Keystone Verse: Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. (Psalm 2:12)
Psalm 2 The Messiah's Triumph and Kingdom 2 Why do the [a]nations [b]rage, And the people plot(imagine) a [c]vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed,[d]saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. 5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 “Yet I have [e]set My King [f]On My holy hill of Zion.” 7 “I will declare the [g]decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall [h]break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' ” 10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 [i]Kiss the Son, lest [j]He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. Psalm 2 can be described as “Four Distinct Voices of Personification Speaking” The Resistance of the Nations to YHWH & His Anointed (Vs. 1-3) YHWH Laughing Mockingly at the Nations Futile Resistance To Him & Responding that He Has His Own King To Exalt(Vs. 4-6) Jesus , God's Anointed King Declares Himself To The Nations(Vs. 7-9) The Psalmist exhorts Leaders of The Nations They must Worship & Reverence The Lord & His Son lest they incur His Righteous Anger (Vs. 10-12) PSALM 2:2-3 2 Why do the [a]nations [b]rage, And the people plot(imagine) a [c]vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed,[d]saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” The Resistance of the Nations to YHWH & His Anointed (Vs. 1-3) Vs. 1) “Why do the Nations rage”(To tumultuously assemble)….. Ps. 46:6, Lk. 18:32, Acts 4:25,Acts 17:5,Lk.21:25 “Plot/Imagine” a vain thing… Ge. 6:5-7 5 Then [a]the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent[b] of the thoughts of his heart was only evil [c]continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” Vs. 2) Rulers set themselves against the Lord…..(They Resist)….. Lk. 3:8-11 (Jesus Mocked)…Acts 12:1,2 (Peter & James…Herod killed James) Vs. )3break their bands/cords asunder….. Jeremiah 5:5, Proverbs 29:18 PSALMS 2:4-6 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. 5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 “Yet I have [e]set My King [f]On My holy hill of Zion.” YHWH Laughing Mockingly at the Nations Futile Resistance To Him & Responding that He Has His Own King To Exalt(Vs. 4-6) Vs.4) “shall Laugh”……..Ps. 37:12,13…Ps. 59:8…Proverbs 1:26 Vs. 5) ‘He shall speak To them In His Wrath…'Psalm 50:16-22,Ps. 110:56, Zech. 1:15 Vs. 6) I have [e]set My King [f]On My holy hill of Zion.”………….Isaiah 9:6,7..Daniel 7:14 Jesus , God's Anointed King Declares Himself To The Nations(Vs. 7-9) PSALM 2:7-9 7 “I will declare the [g]decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall [h]break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' ” The Rule of JESUS: Matthew 28:18, Ephesians 1:20-22, I Peter 3:22 Revelation 1:5; 2:26,27 The Psalmist exhorts Leaders of The Nations They must Worship & Reverence The Lord & His Son lest they incur His Righteous Anger (Vs. 10-12) PSALM 2:10-12 10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 [i]Kiss the Son, lest [j]He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. “KISS The SON” Kiss does mean just that…in Oriental custom shows great honor & respect for another, & blessing of another…Ge. 27:26-29Jacob kisses Isaac, Gen. 31:55;Hosea 13:2 kiss the calves..Luke 22:47-48 Jesus betrayed with a Kiss Also…To dispose or adjust oneself to, To Honor one, To Put in order, To Fasten Oneself to (like fastening of a war tool…bayonet to rifle),To handle be equipped …To Touch gently (Eze. 3:13 Cherubim's wings ‘brushed together') A Kiss can also be used in Figurative, poetic language…as used here & Psalm 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Holy Kiss among brethren…Romans 16:16,I Cr.16:20,II Cr. 13:12, I Th. 5:26, I Peter 5:14 KISS (continued) Showed a vow of loyalty, of being totally dependent on the one kissed To Honor your conqueror 3.To Identify with the SON…Jn. 1:12,Eph.1:5, I Cr.6:17,I Pe. 2:9… Gal. 3:27-28 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 4.An Expression of Love & Worship…Mtt. 26:7 The woman & the alabaster box . 5.A Reconciliation that brings fellowship…Genesis 33:4, Esau kisses Jacob CONCLUSION: Lordship Isaiah 45:22-25/Romans 14:11,12 22 “Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath. 24 He shall say, [a]‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him. 25 In the Lord all the descendants of Israel Shall be justified, and shall glory.' ” INTIMACY: Sng. 1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
Genesis 27:1-28:22 Roadmap: Jacob's continued wrestling The results of deception God's faithfulness Psalm 2:1-4 “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples of the earth devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!' He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Job 42:2 “I know that Thou canst do all things and that no purpose of thine can be thwarted.” Genesis 27:1-28:22 Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21 “This I recall to mind and therefore I have hope…” “For I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe – that unless I believe I shall not understand.” - St. Anselm of Canterbury
Psalm 2:1-6 “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." It appears that Psalms 1 and 2 go together in a special way as the introduction to the book of Psalms. We believe that either David or Ezra wrote Psalm 1. We are pretty sure that David wrote the second Psalm because Peter quoted from it in his message in Acts 4:25-26 and said that David was the one who spoke these words by the Holy Spirit. Some believe that this Psalm was written on the occasion of Nathan the Prophet giving David the Promise of the Messianic Kingdom in 1 Chronicles 17:1-27. Also this Psalm may have grown out of the events described in 2 Samuel 5:17-25; 8:1-14; and 10:1-19. Yesterday we began looking at the contrast between Psalms 1 and 2. Psalm 1 begins with a beatitude and Psalm 2 ends with a beatitude. Psalm 1 is never quoted in the New Testament, while Psalm 2 is quoted or alluded to at least eighteen times, more than any single psalm. (See Matt. 3:17; 7:23; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35; John 1:49; Acts 4:25-26; 13:33; Phil. 2:12; Heb. 1:2, 5; 5:5; Rev. 2:26-27; 11:18; 12:5; 19:15). Psalm 1 deals with the blessing of the Jew (although it certainly applies to the Christian today), while Ps. 2 presents the judgment of the Gentile nations. It is a Messianic psalm, along with Pss. 8, 16, 22, 23, 40, 41, 45, 68, 69, 102, 110, and 118. The test of a Messianic psalm is that it is quoted in the New Testament as referring to Jesus (Luke 24:27, 44). In Ps. 1, we see Christ the Perfect Man; in Ps. 2, He is the King of kings. But this is also a royal psalm, referring to the coronation of a Jewish king and the rebellion of some vassal nations that hoped to gain their freedom. They do not want to be under the authority of the Righteous King but want to be free to do their abominations of wickedness. Other royal psalms are 18, 20, 21, 45 (a royal wedding), 72, 89, 101, 110 and 144. According to Acts 4:25, David wrote this psalm, so it may have grown out of the events described in 2 Samuel 5:17-25, 8:1-14, and 10:1-19. The twelve verses of Psalm 2 may be divided into four sections of three verses each, and in each section we can hear a different voice. Some Psalms you see (Pss. 114, 130, 133), some Psalms you feel (Pss. 22, 129, 137, 142), but here in Psalm 2 you hear, because it is a record of four voices. In Psalm 2:1-3, we hear the voice of the nations. In Psalm 2:4-6, we hear the voice of the Father. In Psalm 2:7-9, we hear the voice of the Son. And in Psalm 2:10-12, we hear the voice of the Spirit. Remember in Revelation 2-3, how each of the letters to the seven churches ended with, “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”. It is my prayer that we will hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us, even today as we read and study these Psalms. God bless!
“Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." "I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' " Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” Today we will begin looking at Psalm 2. Already as I was studying to do these chats, I begin to realize how little I really know about the Psalms and their background. It is like when we were going through Revelation, I was amazed at how I learned so much more about the book as we took time each day to look at a few verses. As I said a few days ago, I've read through the book of Psalms over 600 times in the past 50 years. Every day I read at least 5 Psalms. I've memorized hundreds of verses in the Psalms. I have preached many messages out of the Psalms over the years. But I've never gone through the Psalms, in a study like this. And already I have been very blessed and excited about what we are going to learn over the next several months as we study them together with you! The great pastor and preacher from yesteryear, Charles Spurgeon called Psalm 2, The Psalm of Messiah the Prince.” He also wrote a very large book on all the Psalms called the “Treasury of David”. It is still in print today and would be a great reference in your personal study of the Psalms. There is an interesting contrast between the first two psalms. Psalm 1 is personal and focuses on the Law, while Ps. 2 is national and focuses on prophecy. The New Testament writers looked at the Old Testament writers in two divisions and often referred to it as the Law and the Prophets. Even Jesus referred to the Old Testament in this way in Luke 24:27, 44, calling it the “Law of Moses and the Prophets”. We see another contrast in Psalm 1, where the people delighted and meditated on the law of God. But in Psalm 2, the people rebel and defy the law of God. A noticeable feature in the Book of Psalms is the systematic arrangement. The first psalm presents the perfect man, the happy man. (And I believe it pictures the Lord Jesus Christ as the last Adam.) Now in contrast to the perfect man, the blessed man in Psalm 1, we see the rebellious man in Psalm 2. We can call this the Genesis section of the Book of Psalms, and the parallel is striking. Genesis begins with the perfect man, the happy man, in the Garden of Eden. But he became the rebellious man who ran away from God, was no longer seeking Him, who had no capacity for Him. Now here in Psalm 2 we find the children of Adam – mankind in their rebellion against God. May the Lord use these studies in Psalms to motivate us to love and delight in the Lord our God more every day! God bless!
While the standard rule & legacy of mankind is violent rebellion toward God with consequent human misery, a rightly ordered nation is exceptional in its subordination to the authority of God and His Anointed and its consequent prosperity. American exceptionalism is the result of the Christian gospel and God's Word exerted over a civilization, and such exceptionalism is available to any nation that would so rightly order itself, constituted around God's holy law and according to God's design.
While the standard rule & legacy of mankind is violent rebellion toward God with consequent human misery, a rightly ordered nation is exceptional in its subordination to the authority of God and His Anointed and its consequent prosperity. American exceptionalism is the result of the Christian gospel and God's Word exerted over a civilization, and such exceptionalism is available to any nation that would so rightly order itself, constituted around God's holy law and according to God's design.
In this message we take a deeper look at Psalm 2:11 and discover what is manifested in and through us when we "serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." We are in a mighty season where God is cleansing His house and purifying His people in order to establish "The Reign of His Anointed." Walk in a higher calling and greater authority through the realm of glory that opens up through surrender and serving, you chosen ones of the Lord!
When I was a young kid in school (years ago), I'll never forget how in gym class I always wanted to be chosen to be on the team that had the best players in whatever sport we were playing that day because I wanted to win so bad. I always wanted to be on the team that won! But you would never knew for sure until the game was over what the final score was that determined who won. Today, I'm thrilled to already know the final score on how this old sinful age ends as Jesus comes back the second time to defeat His enemies and prepare the earth for His thousand-year reign. Remember John described the Jesus Christ the Conqueror and emphasized His names in Rev. 19:11-16. Now in these verses (Rev. 19:17-20:3), John tells us about His conquests. The Rider on this white horse is the true Christ and He is not coming in the air to take His people home (1 Thes. 4:13-18), but to the earth with His people, to conquer His enemies and establish His kingdom. In this passage we are told how Jesus defeats the kings of the earth and their armies, the beast (Antichrist) and his false prophet, and finally Satan (Rev. 20:1-3). When Jesus returns with the armies of heaven it will be unnecessary for the army to fight, for Christ Himself will defeat the enemy through three great victories. The first enemy Jesus will defeat is the armies of the kings of the earth (vv. 17-19, 21). These warriors have assembled to fight "against the Lord and against His anointed" (Ps. 2:1-3), but their weapons prove futile. The battle turns out to be a slaughter—a "supper" for the scavenger birds! The first half of Revelation 19 describes the marriage supper of the Lamb; the last half describes the "supper of the great God" (see Matt. 24:28; Luke 17:37). Did you notice how the word flesh occurs six times in this paragraph. While John's immediate reference is to the human body, eaten by the vultures, there is certainly a deeper meaning here: man always fails because he is flesh and relies on flesh. The Bible has nothing good to say about fallen human nature. Recall the Lord's words before the Flood: "My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh" (Gen. 6:3). Jesus said, “The words I speak to you are spirit and they are life, the flesh profits nothing”(John 6:63). Paul said, “For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing” (Rom. 7:18). Peter said it this way, "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever" (1 Peter 1:24-25). Yes, even today our flesh must be judged. This is the account of the well-known "battle of Armageddon," which was anticipated earlier (Rev. 14:14-20; 16:13-16). All that our Lord has to do is speak the Word, and "the sword of His mouth" will devour His enemies. Recently, like never before, as I read the Book of Psalms it seems like I see many of them speaking of the Lord and His final victory over His enemies. Today, I want to finish with Psalm 2:1-6 and see if you notice it too! “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." Wow!!!! Be assured today that when you have Jesus, and are on His team, you always win! (Romans 8:31-18) We know the final score! God Bless!
Rev. Dr. Tim Saleska, professor of exegetical theology and Dean of Ministerial Formation at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Psalm 2. Psalm 2 pictures the nations and their rulers assembling together in an attempt to cast off the bonds of the LORD and His Anointed. Yet the LORD is the true King; He sits on His heavenly throne. He laughs, derides them, and speaks to them in wrath by proclaiming that His King, the Anointed One, has been set on Zion. The Anointed speaks concerning the decree that the LORD gave, in which the LORD promised His Anointed that His requests would be granted. The Psalm ends with instruction for all rulers to place themselves in subjection to the authority of the Son, the Anointed. Psalm 2 points us to Christ Jesus as the Son of God who did not ask His Father to be spared from death as He reigned from His cross. By His ascension, Jesus is the true King over all. Join Sharper Iron during the month of July to study several Psalms. In the Psalter, God speaks His Word to us and teaches us how to speak back to Him in prayer. Even in the great variety of the Psalms, each one points us to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
"The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth." When the seventh angel blew the trumpet, three dramatic events occurred: First, an announcement of victory (v. 15). Secondly, an acclamation of praise (vv. 16-18). And third, an assurance of God's faithfulness (v. 19). Now here in Rev. 11:16-18, we have an acclamation of praise from the twenty-four elders, who give thanks for three special blessings: that Christ reigns supremely (Rev. 11:17), that He judges righteously (Rev. 11:18), and that He rewards graciously (Rev. 11:18). "The nations were angry." What do the nations have to be angry about? Certainly the Lord has been good and gracious to them. He has provided their needs (Acts 14:15-17; 17:24-31), assigned their territories, and graciously postponed His judgment to give men opportunity to be saved. Even more, He sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. Today, God offers forgiveness to the nations! What more could He do for them? Then, why are the nations angry? Because they want to have their own way. "Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." (Ps. 2:1-3). They want to worship and serve the creature instead of the Creator (Rom. 1:25). Like adolescent children, the nations want to cast off all restraint; and God will permit them to do so. The result will be another "Babylon" (Rev. 17-18), man's last attempt to build his Utopia, a "heaven on earth." Note the change in attitude shown by the nations of the world. In Revelation 11:2, the nations ruthlessly take over Jerusalem. In Revelation 11:9, they rejoice at the death of the two witnesses. Then when the two witnesses resurrected and ascended into the clouds, they experienced great fear (vv. 11-3). But now they are angry; their arrogance and joy did not last very long. This belligerent attitude finally will cause the nations to unite to fight God at the great battle of Armageddon. Arrogance, aggression, rejoicing, fear and then anger! We see these same attitudes in those who reject God and His ways even today! "And Thy wrath is come." Satan's wrath, as cruel as it is, is no match for God's wrath (Rev. 12:17). There was intense suffering in the first half of the Tribulation, but only the last half will reveal the wrath of God (Rev. 11:18; 14:10; 16:19; 19:15). God's anger is not an outburst of temper; it is holy indignation against sin. God's anger is not dispassionate, for He hates sin and loves righteousness and justice; but neither is it temperamental and unpredictable. "And the time of the dead, that they should be judged" takes us to the very end of God's prophetic program. In one sense, every day is a "day of the Lord" because God is always judging righteously. God is longsuffering toward lost sinners and often postpones judgment, but there will be a final judgment of sinners and none will escape. This judgment is described in Revelation 20:11-15. Psalm 2, that describes the anger of the nations, ends with these words of instruction that we should heed today! “Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” (Psalm 2:10-12) God bless!
In today's episode, we're going to encounter prophecy concerning Cyrus, King of Persia, whom YHWH calls His Anointed, as we look at Isaiah 45-48 .
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