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Psalm 2
The Psalms, as we’ll see in our
series, are full of questions. Once you see it in one Psalm you’ll see it
everywhere. The Psalmist is forever wrestling with the big issues of life
and he does it by asking some big questions. Very often these questions
are addressed directly to God. A few pages on in the book of Psalms, the
Psalmist asks:
“Why, O LORD, do You stand far off?
Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?”
Another Psalm begins: “How long O
LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from
me?”
There are scores of such questions in
the Psalms. They are bold, they are addressed directly to the LORD God
and they certainly make you want to read on to find the answers. Down
through the centuries millions of people have drawn great strength from
the authentic struggles of the Psalmist. He works out his faith in the
Living God on paper as he wrestles with doubt and opposition and fear and
suffering.
But before we are allowed to proceed
in the Psalms into the deeper water of such questions, Psalms 1 and 2
confront us with the very basic issues of life. Here before us we have
the beginners’ class. If we don’t learn from these Psalms then we will be
utterly lost as we study the rest.
Psalm 1, as Andrew has explained,
confronts us with the stark choice between listening to the Word and
listening to the World. If we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, hearing
His judgements, drawing near to His voice then we are like well-watered
fruitful trees. If we do not listen to God in His Word then we are like
rootless, lifeless chaff that will be blown away – we will not survive the
judgement of God.
Psalm 2 assumes that we have learnt
the lessons of Psalm 1.
[SLIDE – Psalm 2]
But, again, before we proceed, Psalm 2
has some fundamentals to teach us. Before we hear all the other questions
of the Psalms, here, the first question of the whole book is addressed
not to God, but to us:
1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together
against the LORD and against his Anointed One.
Before the LORD God submits to any of
our questions of Him – there is one question for us, that we must answer.
Why do we reject Him?
[SLIDE – Verses 1-3 – The LORD’s appeal]
Before we read another verse in the
Psalms, before we consider anything else about how to relate to the Living
God, He confronts us with the question of our rebellion.
According to verses 1 and 2, all
nations and peoples, all kings and rulers are conspirators, plotting
against their Maker.
This is not paranoia on God’s part,
this is not sensationalism on the Psalmist’s part. The Bible insists this
is a simple fact. We are all rebels.
Think for a second: the world is not
full of 6 billion people living reverently, joyously, obediently under
the loving rule of their Heavenly King. The world, instead, is full of 6
billion people racing around with our own self-made crowns, establishing
our own rickety thrones and proclaiming ourselves kings and queens of our
own little kingdoms.
Do you recognize that you have done
that? If you don’t think you have crowned yourself ruler of your own life
look onto verse 3 and see if this is not the cry of your own heart: (here
is what rebellious humanity says –v3)
“Let us break their chains” they say “and throw off their
fetters.”
(fetters are just chains that bind
criminals) “Let’s break their chains, let’s throw off their bonds.” Does
that resonate with your own heart?
We don’t want any restraints, we don’t
want any boundaries, we don’t want any limits on what we can and can’t
do. No-one is going to tell us what to do. We want to be free. We all say
“Let’s break their chains, let’s throw off their fetters.
And the LORD wants to know why! In the
Old Testament book of Hosea, chapter 11 these very same words for chains
and fetters are used to describe the loving guidance of the LORD. Here’s
what the LORD says of His people:
[SLIDE – Hosea 11]
“It was I who taught them [Ephraim] to walk, taking them by the
arms; but they did not realise it was I who healed them. I led them with
cords of human kindness, with ties of love.”
It’s the same words as here in Psalm
2. The LORD leads with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. Every
restraint the LORD God ever puts on His people is motivated by kindness
and love. Every “no” the LORD God ever says to His people is for their
good. Yet we say: “Let’s throw off these cords, let’s break these ties, I
don’t care how loving His Lordship is – He will not be LORD of me.” And
in saying these words we declare mutiny. We say I am king, not God.
Think of that famous line in Titanic.
Leonardo Di Caprio declares – “I am the king of the world.” Why? How can
he say that? He’s travelling 3rd class in a hulking great death trap, but
the reality of the situation doesn’t seem to matter – in his heart he’s a
king. Why? Well there he is at the front of the ship, heading for the new
world, he’s left the old country behind, the wind’s in his hair, not a
care in the world – he’s free. He’s thrown off the shackles and so he
proclaims himself king.
That is what the Bible means by sin.
You’ll hear us talking about sin every now and again at St James but
don’t mishear us. If we say “you are a sinner”, we’re not saying you are
a murderer or an adulterer or a thief. You may be the most up-standing
member of the community – but in your heart, you have made yourself king,
you have made yourself queen, and you have no room for God. Oh sure,
sometimes God gets a look in, but only when it’s convenient for us. When
it’s inconvenient we show Him the door. We don’t let God be God at all.
And that is sin – we all have it and it makes God ask in anguish WHY??
Why do this, when v1, all such mutiny
is in vain? It cannot succeed. There are no border defences we can erect
in our own little kingdoms to keep the Divine King out. He will have
dominion. He will have the last word.
What’s even more crazy, we haven’t
just plotted against One Divine Person – verse 2 tells us who we have
opposed:
Our sin has been against the LORD and
against His Anointed One. The Anointed One is simply another name for the
Messiah, which is just another way of saying ‘the Christ’. It’s all the
same word. So the world is in rebellion against the LORD and His Christ.
This is important to realize: Jesus
Christ does not pop up halfway through the Bible and demand our
allegiance. Christ has always been the True King of Heaven from before
the world began. All peoples in all times have owed their lives to Him,
the Maker and Sustainer of the cosmos. This Psalm is an excellent example
of the fact that the whole of the Bible, Old and New Testaments, calls on
people to get right with Him.
So verses 1-3 paint a striking picture
of our predicament. The human race, in its arrogance, has not just taken
on One Divine Person – they’ve taken on a Team. A Team which has been
united in love and faithfulness and power from everlasting.
Needless to say, this Eternal Team
which made Heaven and Earth is not threatened by this insurrection. In
verse 4 we see God the Father described as “The One Enthroned in heaven.”
The Father is not pacing up and down heaven racking His brain wondering
what to do about His people. He sits on His throne, and He laughs. We’ve
seen how ridiculous the rebellion of the human race is and when the
Father from His Heavenly perspective sees this, it’s a joke. He laughs,
then He scoffs, then (v5) He rebukes, then finally He terrifies. Do you
see the progression? The Ancient of Days is not flying off the handle
here. He begins amused, then bemused, then angry, then He is full of
wrath. And all the time His purpose is to cause a change in heart in His
people. That’s what a rebuke is for – a rebuke is intended to turn people
around.
[SLIDE – Verses 4-6 – The LORD’s rebuke]
Even as the LORD terrifies in His
wrath His intention is for humanity to wake up to itself – to realize
that we cannot remain on the throne of our own lives. There is a claim on
our lives from above that will not be ignored.
In verse 6, God the Father declares
what this claim is:
“I have installed MY King on Zion, my holy hill.”
Over against all the kings of the
world stands God’s King – the Anointed One, the Christ. The Father
installs Jesus as the true King over every atom of creation, over every
second of history and over every human heart. Jesus IS God’s claim on our
lives. His very being, His Person, IS God’s demand for our allegiance –
because He is the true King. God has said so.
In verses 7-9 we see the Father’s
proclamation of Christ’s Kingship.
[SLIDE – verses 6-9 – The LORD’s King]
Verse 7 – the Father says to Christ:
“You are my Son, today I have become Your Father, ask of me and I
will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth your
possession.”
These are the words with which the
Father crowns Christ as King. They are for the benefit of Christ yes –
but they are also for the benefit of the world, that we might recognize
Christ’s absolute sovereignty.
You may recall the similarity of these
words to the words of the Father at Jesus’ baptism: “This is my Son whom
I love; with Him I am well pleased.” Or the words of the Father at Jesus’
transfiguration:”This is my Son whom I love; listen to Him.”
The Father loves to proclaim to the
world His love for the Son and His demand that the world honour him. The
Father installs Christ as King saying – this is my Son whom I love – will
you love Him too? And as He declares Christ to be His Son He is also
affirming that Christ is the inheritor. The Son is the heir of the
Father’s dominion. And verses 8 and 9 assure us that the very ends of the
earth will be brought into submission under Christ. The Son will inherit
everything. Whether willingly or unwillingly, every knee will one day bow
before Jesus, the King and Heir of the world.
And so verses 10-12 provide the
sobering conclusion to the Psalm. Let’s read these verses:
Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for His
wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.
If we hadn’t already realized it –
verse 10 tells us – this Psalm is a warning.
[SLIDE – verses 10-12 – The LORD’s warning]
Be wise. Be warned. But the advice
that follows in verses 11 and 12 is not perhaps what we’d expect. The
Psalmist doesn’t say “Therefore steer well clear of Christ, because His
wrath can flare up in a moment.” Do you notice how dangerous this advice
is in these concluding verses?
Psalm 2 has told us we are all rebels,
that the LORD has established Christ His Son as King over all and He will
dash to pieces all opposition to His Kingship.
Surely the advice will be “Run! Avoid
Christ at all costs.” But no, verse 11, we are to positively rejoice in
the Judge. In v12 we are to kiss Him and then the final line caps it all.
Blessed (happy) are all those who take
refuge in Him.
The final advice is “Run!” But it’s
not “run FROM Christ”, it’s “run TO Christ!” As the Psalm finishes we see
that Christ is not only our King and our Judge – He is also our Refuge.
What is a refuge? A refuge is
something you shelter in which takes an onslaught which you cannot. If it
rains, you take refuge under an umbrella – it gets wet, so you don’t. If
there’s a bombing raid, you take refuge underground. The ground is hit,
you’re kept safe.
Verse 12 says – Jesus is a refuge for
people fleeing judgement.
Taking refuge in someone stronger is a
point made powerfully in the film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. In this
scene, Captain Corelli is facing the onslaught of a firing squad. This scene
is quite violent so if you’re of a sensitive nature or under 15 you
should look away. But the scene illustrates an important point about
refuge. When someone provides refuge, they take the heat…
[VIDEO – Captain Corelli – the firing squad scene]
Captain Corelli is provided with a
refuge in his friend Carlo. His friend is strong, his friend clings to
him and his friend takes the onslaught so that Corelli is kept safe.
This is just a small picture – a
trillionth the size of what Jesus does for us when He died on the cross.
And verse 12 of the Psalm says “Blessed are all who take refuge in Jesus
Christ, the Son of God.” Because when Jesus died on the cross – He took
the judgement. He took the punishment. Jesus took the onslaught of the
Divine Anger against sin. He did it so that He could be a refuge for us
who face the Divine Anger for our sin.
This is amazing news. Christ is the
Judge – but as the Judge He stooped in love to the cross and received the
Judgement we all deserve. In doing this, Christ is not only the Judge,
He’s also the Saviour. I can actually approach the Judge of the world and
take refuge in Him. Nowhere else is safe from Him – but IN Him there is
shelter. If we trust Him – we will come to Him and receive refuge. If we
don’t trust Him, of course we won’t come to Him, we will flee from Him
and we will not find refuge. There is not a shelter strong enough, there
is not a nuclear bunker deep enough to save us from the Judge. The only
place of safety is IN the Judge. And so it all turns on whether we trust
Jesus.
No wonder verse 12 counsels us to Kiss
the Son.
Did you wonder what that meant when
you first read it? What does Kiss the Son mean? It can’t mean literally
‘snog Jesus’ can it?
Well this week I looked up the word
kiss in the Bible and went to all the places where this word is used. In
virtually every instance the kissing involved was between either a
husband and wife or it was between close family members. Like Jacob on
his death-bed and Joseph his son falls on his face weeping and kisses his
dad. Or Moses and Aaron – brothers who haven’t seen each other in ages –
they kiss. It’s that same word. It’s the word used in Song of Songs –
which is the raciest part of the Bible – one long love poem. “Let him
kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for his love is more delightful than
wine.” It’s that word.l
So what can that possibly mean when it
says “Kiss the Son”? Is it romantic? No, I’m not saying it’s romantic –
but it’s very affectionate, it is heart-felt, it is intimate. Do you know
the story in Luke chapter 7, a woman comes to Jesus as He’s eating and
she breaks the most expensive jar of perfume and washes Jesus’ feet in
it, drying them with her hair and kissing and kissing and kissing His
feet.
Now we don’t have access to Jesus to
do that. But we can love Him, just as that woman loved Him, we can serve
Him, just as that woman served Him, we can expend all our resources in
His service, just as she did, we can express privately and publicly our
whole-hearted devotion and affection for Him. In that way we can Kiss the
Son. Fundamentally verse 12 is asking us to love Jesus.
I asked someone this week what they
thought “Kiss the Son” meant. He said it meant to “Tow the line.” Towing
the line with God is a million miles from kissing the Son. You can be the
most moral religious lackey in the world, but if you have no love for
Jesus you are not a Christian.
Are you in love with Jesus? Verse 12
is clear that THAT is the issue for judgement. Those who do not Kiss the
Son will be destroyed by the Son. We are liable to Judgement in as much
as we do not love the Judge. All eternity hangs on our response to
Christ. No amount of religious activity, no amount of moral deeds can buy
off the Divine Anger that rests on us. All we can do is flee to the
refuge and rejoice with trembling at such a great salvation.
Psalm 2 introduces us to the basic
issues of life. Here is the Psalmist’s primer on life, the universe and
everything. And this beginner’s class revolves entirely around Jesus
Christ.
Are you a new Christian here at St
James this morning? We’ve had a number of people who have become
Christians quite recently at St James. Let me say a word to you: you may
find some things about the Christian life a bit daunting – there are many
things you don’t yet know, many things you don’t yet understand. But let
me assure you, if you have taken refuge in Jesus, if you have come to Him
trusting Him to keep you safe, if you love the Son of God – then you know
everything. You have your finger on the pulse of reality. You have made
peace with the central character of the universe. You have resolved THE
problem of human life – the divine anger which rests on us. Eternity is
safe, death has lost its sting and you know and love and are reconciled
to the King of the Universe. You are blessed, as v12 says. Don’t be
daunted, rejoice and keep going with Christ.
Well Psalm 2 paints an exalted picture
of Jesus Christ. All will be brought under His feet. Either you run to
Him in love, taking shelter in His cross, or you run from Him in rebellion
and pride and you face the Divine Anger alone. Either way, all will be
brought into submission to Jesus. He will inherit the nations – in
judgement or in salvation.
Be wise. Be warned. May every single
one of us love the Judge. May we all have eyes to see His power, His
majesty and His awesome self-emptying love. May we Kiss the King, and
take refuge in Him.
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